Honda transmission shifting hard and hesitating

[gumbo]

I have a 2000 Honda Accord 4 cyl with an automatic transmission. It has just over 155,000 miles and I am the original owner. All required maintenance has been done.

Recently the transmission has been shifting hard and hesitating during acceleration. This is a new problem, not a long term one. My first thought was to add a bottle of the transmission fix stuff sold in the auto parts store to see if that would give me a cheap and fast fix. But it says not to overfill and my fluid is already full, and I don't know how to drain any fluid. And I am too old to get under the car and do it. So is this stuff safe and will a 12 ounce bottle overfill the transmission? What brand is good?

My second thought was to get the transmission fluid drained, add new fluid and a bottle of this stuff to see if it makes any difference. I have read the other posts where Honda recommends three fluid drains.

I doubt a fluid drain and fill without the additive would help at all with the problem. But I don't know if these additives are safe and effective.

What would you recommend? And, if I do the flush and fill and add the additive, what transmission fluid would be best for my problem?

I want to avoid major transmission work and am hoping this is easily fixable.

Thanks

 

[pbm]

It's very easy to change the ATF in a 2000 Accord 4 cylinder. There is a plug on the passenger side of the transmission that opens using a 3/8" wratchet without any socket attached. Just insert the 3/8" drive into the square hole in the plug and turn it counterclockwise. Approx. 2.7 quarts of fluid will come out. Clean the magnet on the end of the plug and refill with a Z-1 type ATF.

These BAXA A/T's were known to be trouble-prone and 155K is very good mileage on the OE tranny. If the D&R seems to fix the problem, I'd do a couple more to change as much fluid as possible. I'd also have an inline filter (such as a Magnafine) installed and keep my fingers crossed.

 

[Jim 5]

I'm not saying this is your situation, but I think this is exactly how the myth of "don't change your automatic transmission fluid if it hasn't been changed in a long time" started.

People observe symptoms of transmission failure. They throw a hail mary pass by changing the ATF and this fails to correct the transmission failure, which transmission dies shortly after the symptoms of failure present themselves.

Then their friend gets on an automotive bulletin board and says "my friend changed his ATF for the first time at 150k and a week later his transmission failed. Don't do it!"

Again, not talking about the original poster, because he has kept up on his maintenance. However, I still feel you are seeing symptoms of failure that may not be corrected by a fluid change or additive. On the other hand, it is really cheap and easy to try, so you might as well take a shot. Good luck, and I hope it works out!

 

[gogozy]

HI Gumbo:
when you said "All required maintenance has been done." does that include any transmission fluid change? if yes, were services done at dealership using ATF-Z1?

i would do a drain and fill with ATF-Z1 without any additive to see if that helps.

 

[Carbuff]

Originally Posted By: gumbo
I have a 2000 Honda Accord 4 cyl with an automatic transmission. It has just over 155,000 miles and I am the original owner. All required maintenance has been done.

Recently the transmission has been shifting hard and hesitating during acceleration. This is a new problem, not a long term one. My first thought was to add a bottle of the transmission fix stuff sold in the auto parts store to see if that would give me a cheap and fast fix. But it says not to overfill and my fluid is already full, and I don't know how to drain any fluid. And I am too old to get under the car and do it. So is this stuff safe and will a 12 ounce bottle overfill the transmission? What brand is good?

My second thought was to get the transmission fluid drained, add new fluid and a bottle of this stuff to see if it makes any difference. I have read the other posts where Honda recommends three fluid drains.

I doubt a fluid drain and fill without the additive would help at all with the problem. But I don't know if these additives are safe and effective.

What would you recommend? And, if I do the flush and fill and add the additive, what transmission fluid would be best for my problem?



Have you been changing the trans fluid with Honda Z-1 ATF every 2 years or 36K as specified by Honda?



1. If so, your trans shift solenoids might be on the way out. These are on the outside of the transmission, so you won't need a rebuild.



2. If not, replace the ATF with Honda Z-1 ATF THREE times, driving a bit between each change (a week between is OK). That's about 10 qts of Z1.

This often "fixes" Honda transmissions (they are fussy about the friction characteristics of the fluid). If it doesn't, see #1.


I recommend buying the Z-1 fluid from a Honda dealer and letting the corner gas station change it.
Don't waste your money on additives with these transmissions.

 

[JOD]

Originally Posted By: Carbuff


1. If so, your trans shift solenoids might be on the way out. These are on the outside of the transmission, so you won't need a rebuild.


2. If not, replace the ATF with Honda Z-1 ATF THREE times, driving a bit between each change (a week between is OK). That's about 10 qts of Z1.

Don't waste your money on additives with these transmissions.



This is exactly what I'd recommend as well, though with that mileage I'd replace the pressure sensor switches anyway. They're $50.00 a piece, and it's basically a maintenance item on that transmission.

 

[gumbo]

Yes, all ATF changes have been done at the Honda dealer as recommended, and have been done as recommended. We kept all receipts.

Thanks for the good feedback. I look forward to hearing from anyone else with an opinion.

 

[FZ1]

O.K. here's what to do. Take it to the Honda dealer and tell them you want a complete drain and fill of all the Transmission Fluid. S/B about $150 for a complete drain and fill. Don't say anything about the Trans. Pick the car up after the work is done,50/50 shot the drain and fill will "fix" it. Good luck.

 

[Kaboomba]

BTW, the only tranny stuffs to consider adding to transmission fluid would be LubeGard (read the bottle to make sure it's the right stuff for your vehicle), A-RX, or Lucas as a distant third (if the trans is almost worn out).

 

[lairdwd]

Originally Posted By: FZ1
O.K. here's what to do. Take it to the Honda dealer and tell them you want a complete drain and fill of all the Transmission Fluid. S/B about $150 for a complete drain and fill. Don't say anything about the Trans. Pick the car up after the work is done,50/50 shot the drain and fill will "fix" it. Good luck.


I just got a quote of $260 for a dealership complete drain and fill (i.e. D&F 3x) . In my case, I'll do it myself, as I found a honda dealership selling it online for around $80/case shipped. For the OP, if he has any hope of Honda Goodwill covering the expense when the transmission fails, then the dealership route makes sense.

 

[FZ1]

I think the dealer charges about $175 for a complete drain and refill down here.

 

[meep]

if the regular maint has been done every 2 yrs, then a D&R isn't going to buy much, I'm afraid. While Z1 and honda ATs get picked on here, I don't think this is an aged fluid problem. We're just asking the OP to throw money at an unknown target.

to answer your original question, you likely can overfill a small bit and be ok. Maybe try half the bottle, or less, at first and see if you notice a difference. I turkey baster with a length of hose on the end can suck out a few oz of fluid. Heck, a shop vac, a cork, and a small rubber hose could pull out a few oz of fluid. don't know if it will help. doubt it will hurt.

At 155,000 it's a toss-up. Trans could be nearing end of life, or it could be a secondary part (pressure switch, solenoid pack).

Questions that haven't been asked.... we're all offering solutions with minimal understanding:
1. under what conditions does it act up? warm/cold easy/hard accel?
2. is it consistent?
3. upshift only? downshift too?
4. 1-2, 2-3, 3-4, or all?
5. how does is shift into R?
6. does it flare then slam into gear or just slap into the next gear?

Agree with post above-- IF this unit is failing, any "bottle fixes" could lead to the same result. So if it goes, please don't draw a correlation between "I put this in and it killed the AT." Not saying you would, but it happens.

155k miles is pretty good for an AT in my book...

M

 

[unDummy]

Originally Posted By: gumbo
It has just over 155,000 miles and I am the original owner. All required maintenance has been done.


Required maintenance means nothing.

Originally Posted By: gumbo
Yes, all ATF changes have been done at the Honda dealer as recommended, and have been done as recommended. We kept all receipts.


Still doesn't answer the real question on how much and how often it was serviced. Its like trying purposely not to. I see this too often when simple questions are asked and answered similarly to the above.

Why not post the year,mileage, and type of EVERY ATF service?????

There is no bottle fix for a well maintained transmission. Not sure if yours was well maintained or not due to factual vagueness.

How many opinions do you want?

Its either a toasted transmission or you have an electrical gremlin. Cross your fingers for a solenoid or switch, clogged filter, incorrect ATF.... typically rarely diagnosed by a dealer or trans shop since AT replacement is more profitable and reliable.