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7th Gen Accord with dead tranny

3K views 36 replies 16 participants last post by  BenzAccord 
#1 ·
My Beloved 2007 Accord bit the dust on Tuesday. I bought this new in 2007. The transmission is toast. It is a manual trans car. A junkyard transmission is $400 with people telling me it could be $1000-$1500 for installation. The car has 160k on it and I'm not going to fix it. The car was otherwise driveable before the tranny died. If I were to sell this, is it worth anything? Or should I just junk it or donate it?
 
#2 ·
Whoa, you are a manual transmission car guy, so this is odd (and insulting- sorry) for me to ask.....do you mean the clutch went out and it simply needs a clutch job, or something in the manual transmission failed and the entire transmission needs to be replaced?
 
#3 ·
Clutch is fine, gears are fine. TransmissionBearing or differential seems to have failed. The car will move, but the violent noise that I hear for each bearing revolution makes me not want to move it.
 
#4 ·
You sure this is not an axle issue or a wheel bearing issue. As long as there is fluid in the transmission catastrophic failure is rare on manual transmissions. I would jack up the car and take a look at both axles and check if there is fluid in the transmission and see if it has any metal particles in the fluid.

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#5 ·
Although it kinda makes a slight clicking noise when moving not in gear, it makes the same noise but only 100x louder and violent when moving in gear whether coasting, or accelerating. We've had a slight bearing noise for the past 40k miles from the transmission. I still heard the bearing noise though when this problem began. Last time it was driveable it became suddenly worse after moderate acceleration. When we brought it in for the bearing noise 2 years ago( high pitched key cutting machine type of noise) they said it could last another 100k. I don't think it's a CV joint because the symptoms are the same in reverse. The dealer also said that it would make scary noises before it became unsafe to drive so I guess I kinda assumed this was it.

This morning, I wasn't able to move it forward, I heard a gear grinding noise as I let off the clutch as if it was 1/2 in gear. Later I was able to back it up at 1 mph with the violent noise happening 1 time per revolution of something. After backing it up, it will now go forward too. I'm not moving it again.
 
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#7 ·
$2000 to fix is still less than a year's worth of car loan + interest, unless you paid cash.

His signature does say that the car was his, now the son's. And we know how young men drive......

You can't really destroy a manual trans on a good clutch unless the engine overpowers the trans or you just money shift
 
#8 ·
The car has 160k on it and I'm not going to fix it. The car was otherwise driveable before the tranny died. If I were to sell this, is it worth anything? Or should I just junk it or donate it?
It's always worth something to the right buyer.
Throw it out there locally for $1,000. and see what happens, I'd say.
Obviously they can't drive it, but they can start it and they may be looking for a stick 7th gen as there aren't that many around anymore.
 
#10 ·
I just had the auto trans in my 07 V6 rebuilt back in April, for $2200, after 280k miles and 11 years in service. I had the thought that maybe I should get a new car, but the thought of paying off $30000 in 3 to 5 years deterred me away from it. The rest of my car is in pristine condition so I said to myself that I would fix it. I can pay off the $2200 to fix it right away, but I cannot pay off the $30000 right away.

I would fix it, or use $2000 and get your son a beater Civic.
 
#11 ·
Around my city there are Tex-Mex families who buy a car like yours to fix & sell, or fix & keep. They can fix anything! Craig's List is free ,,,
 
#12 ·
This does sound premature unless it was negleted in some way. Not saying you personally, but sometimes it's out of your control. Did you handle fluid maintenance, or did you leave it to someone else? I've learned over the years that no one gives it the care you can. It's the nature of the business. Unless you find that rare anal retentive mechanic. I'm still looking for a Doctor with this trait. I think Greg's advice is sound, check to see if there is fluid in the tranny. If there is, maybe your son needs a good spanking. As a general rule I don't believe in corporal punishment, but when it comes to my Accord, all is fair...(I kid of course).

I'm rooting for you. Hope it is not catastrophic failure.
 
#13 ·
This does sound premature unless it was negleted in some way.
A product of teaching 2 (at the time) teenage son's how to drive a manual. The son I gave it to learned fast (he took the drivers test in a manual just like his dad) and won't drive anything auto. I think he was anxiously awaiting this day so he could upgrade and he's got his new car. Let's just say my other son ( who drives manuals fine now) made a few mistakes in the beginning and that may have led to it. Yes I read @greg1c's post and he may be right about the axle, it doesn't feel like a wheel bearing though.
 
#14 ·
Long shot: You are in NJ, so is Lincoln Tech. Maybe contact them if they are near you?

There is a repair school in the northside of Chicago that used to do work cheaply as a way to learn. Depending on your situation, they would take your car or tell you to take a hike.

And yes, there are many families near me that would buy your car for $1,000 and fix it in their driveway by just putting in a used $200 transmission and clutch.

What does Car-Part.com--Used Auto Parts Market show for transmissions near you?
 
#15 ·
I didn't look at car-part.com but ebay had them $400. I remember them starting at $300 or so and up to $500 depending on the mileage. I put it on Craigslist and some are offering sight unseen close to $1000. I think I'll just let my son handle it.
 
#16 ·
#17 ·
@greg1c, first of all, thanks for the help and your contributions here, I've learned a lot over the years from your posts. Folks have been telling me that the subframe must be dropped, to do the swap. 10+ hours of labor. With all the Craigslist replies I got, I drove it a block to a nearby park as a neutral meeting place. If it's the axle, if I jack it up, with the parking brake set, and spin each front wheel, one at a time, would I be able to tell?
 
#18 ·
If you jack up one side at a time, put the car in neutral and spin each front tire it may tell you something. It will at least give you a chance to wiggle the tire around and see if it is a bad wheel bearing. Spin the wheel and see if you hear any unusual noises and watch the axle to see if any weird movement occurs with the axle. Check the boots on the CV joints, ripped or torn boots and that is your issue.

You are correct, dropping the sub frame is one way to get this transmission out. Very hard to do with out a lift. The other way is to pull the engine and transmission out the top. That way is a bit easier to manage at home with no lift, you can rent a engine hoist or buy one and sell it when your done. If you have the time and the rest of the car is good shape you can make it a project.

If you do not want to mess with it I can understand that as well. It depends on how much you want to keep the car and how much time and money you have. No time or money then tell someone to bring a trailer and agree on a price.

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#19 ·
The sub frame does need to be dropped, and the engine needs to be supported on top first using a transverse engine support. You also have to remove the exhaust B pipe and most likely the rear engine mount and unbolt the bolts from the power steering rack. I saw first hand how this is done when my auto trans was rebuilt back in April. It's not for the faint of heart. If you have 3-5 days to spare, that's the amount of time you need. It took the trans shop 2 days to remove my trans, and that's with experience on how to remove it. The manual trans process will be similar. You will need an alignment after you bolt the sub frame back on, because the entire suspension setup will have moved. If you are going to do this, might as well get the rear main seal changed out, which was what I did since you are there already.
 

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#20 ·
If you are removing the transmission from the bottom of the car you will have to remove the front cradle. If you have a lift available that makes this method easier, as you said, you have to support the engine from the top. Besides a lift you need a transmission jack to lower the cradle and transmission. If you have no lift, taking the engine and transmission out from the top is easier. Either way it is a lot of work, but if you have the time it is not impossible.

If you do not want to do it yourself you have the choice to pay someone or sell it. This presumes the rest of the car is in good shape.

If this is a second or third car I would do it myself and take advantage of having the engine and transmission out to do front and rear main seals, oil pan, valve cover gasket, etc... As well as the clutch.

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#21 ·
I think fixing the car for $2k is the correct decision in this case. You say the rest of the car is in great condition, so you will likely get many more reliable miles out of it. Buying a beater is not without it's own risks, and a new/newer car for someone who may have messed up this one seems like a non-starter to me.
 
#22 ·
Quick internet search values a 2007 Accord over $5K. If it needs $2K to fix it, easy decision. If you want to get rid of it for some other reason (rust or bad A/C), get it fixed and then sell it in running condition. Otherwise you will be throwing away $3K or more.
 
#24 ·
Even if you dont want to keep it long term, you'll definitely make your money back and more.
How do you figure? It was worth, lets say, $5K the day before the tranny allegedly blew. He puts $2K into a tranny job, and it's still worth $5K. Is my math wrong?
 
#27 ·
coming from someone who nearly fixed his 409k mile coupe: i would say, if you plan on keeping it for another couple of years, and have a good service history on it, fix it.

i still wonder if fixing my coupe would have been the better play, versus going through all the issues with my current car up to this point.

it very well may have been cheaper to replace the clutch and MT in my coupe.
 
#28 ·
Thanks everyone, my son got a car, and we haven't had the time to do a proper diagnosis. This car is nice on the inside but a bit rough on the outside. No real dents, but it has lots of scratches and the bumper covers are ripped underneath. At best this car would fetch $3500 with a Properly fixed/tranny or whatever is wrong. I had hoped to sell it to someone who would do the fixing and keep it. Most of the inquiries have been from "we buy junk" types with offers sight unseen of $800-$900. The rest seem to expect a driveable car for $1500 which is what I was asking. I pulled the ad down until we figure out what's really wrong.
 
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#33 ·
If it is a bad differential, (the threads on the subject seem to agree with the symptoms), on these hondas, that still would require a new transmission? Or is the differential separate from the tranny?
 
#34 ·
Well, I can't say for 100% certain on your 5-speed, but on the 6-speed on my V6 the differential is inside the transmission. If the differential is bad, you don't necessarily need an entirely new transmission. But you will need to crack the tranny open to replace the differential. (And, just for reference, my used 6-speed from a yard cost me $950, so that's good for you.)
 
#35 ·
If you are in Central NJ, you could call Bridge Auto Service in Piscataway to ask about estimates on manual transmission repair. I have used their body shop and for some minor repairs but last time there I saw some hondas with transmissions removed.

sv11
 
#37 ·
We sold it last night and the new owner's mechanic said it's the differential that failed.
 
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