So for issues like this would you guys recommend to first flush the tranny? I keep reading that a flush can fuck it up worse especially if you've driven on the same fluid for a while (something about flushing the particles holding the tranny together :confused:). I was thinkin to hit up mr lube but keep putting it off for fear of everything fukking up... sigh

A tranny flush is preventive maintenance...doesn't cure a flawed tranny design.
Just run the car until it finally fails or get it fixed.

Honda's automatic transmissions for the V6s are notorious for these problems. Odysseys, Accords, CLs, and TLs from ~1999 to ~2006 had these problems. It's got to do with overheating of the third gear clutch pack.

My 2002 CL has a problem with it also. Once in a while, after the transmission has warmed up, it just won't hold on to gear 3. I slip it into the SportShift and pop it up into fourth and I'm good for the rest of the day.

Warranties were extended to 7 years after the date of purchase or 160,000 km for the TLs and CLs up to 2003. Some people have had luck going straight to Honda Canada and complaining even after their warranty had expired.

Local transmission shops have their own ways of fixing this; Richmond Acura sent their customers' transmissions to this guy by River Rock. I spoke with him and he replaces the crappy internals that give out with more durable ones, among other modifications in his rebuild. I think his cost came to $2000. I haven't gone ahead with it yet.

I was reading on Acurazine a while back and found a few threads of guys who swapped in 04-06 Odyssey and TL (non Type-S) transmissions. (Half of the 07 TLs produced got a complete make-over of the tranny so they're hit and miss for swaps. The bell housing bolt pattern is what differs.) They aren't a direct swap and thus require some parts to swap over from your old tranny including the range switch and the filter housing, and also some holes need to be tapped into the housing. Custom work for someone who knows what s/he's doing.


I'm going to try my luck with contacting Honda Canada... my dad used to work for them. If not, I'll be going to that guy near River Rock. I'll post his info here later.

+ Honda 5th gen Preludes (auto) are super notorious for tran failures.

So, we just came back from AAlltech Transmissions, they've been doing transmissions for a looonnngg time now, so we pretty much trust them.

What he explained to us was that there must of been bits and pieces of the transmission floating around the oil :denied:

Since the tranny failure was overnight, the metal pieces must have gotten clogged in the filter not allowing oil to pass through while the oil set. That apparently caused some mechanism in the gearing to rub metal on metal making it lose the grip needed to grab onto gears.

So what they are going to do is replace all the seals, replace the broken mechanisms, might change the torque converter as well if necessary.

Price quote in the 2G's section. :heckno: :okay:

Sorry to hear, this shit is usually costly.
Try getting a few other opinions without telling each guy what the other one diagnosed ;)

Please let us know how it goes and the info of this guy. Thanks