[Mary]

I have owned this car for three years now, and I have fallen in love with it. It most recently started what I guess you would call "double engagement?"

I noticed last week when putting the car into drive my engine jerks, it has always slightly jerked which is normal, but it started doing a second more violent jerk. It only does this when I put the car into drive and only after at least 20 minutes of driving. It does not make any noises, and it doesn't ever happen upon the first 20 minutes of driving. I took it to the shop, where I was told the motor mounts needed replaced, but that did not fix the issue. I then asked to have my transmission tested. When I came back to check on my car, I was told that the transmission on this model does not include a pan and the filter is inside, so they could not thoroughly test it without charging $1,000 to take it apart. What they did tell me however, is that they found minimum metal on the plug when replacing 3 quarts of my fluid, but none at all in the fluid. I am curious as to if anyone has experienced this, and what the issue is. Is it for sure my transmission?

 

[Ryan_W]

Motor mounts would have been my first guess as well. Is your check engine light on? If so have you checked for codes?

Verify that your trans fluid is in good condition, and has enough fluid. Also, if there is a non-Honda brand trans fluid in there, it can cause operational issues.

I'm not entirely clear from your description what you are encountering, but I am presuming you are saying that the secondary, more violent jerk only occurs when you put it into drive - and not when shifting from 1 to 2, 2 to 3 etc.

It could be a clutch pressure problem with your first gear - a check ball in the valve body may be stuck, or you may have foreign material in the separator plate. If this is what it is, a trans shop will need to remove the transmission and disassemble it to have a look.

Perhaps someone else may have other ideas. Best of luck.

 

[Mary]

Ryan,

First off, thanks for the reply.

My check engine light has been on for a while, but that is because of the oxygen sensor. I had it checked at Advance Auto, and they told me not to worry about it too much and to have that part cleaned.

As far as I know my fluid is fine from what the shop told me, and I told them to only use the Honda brand when adding more. However they did not drain all of the fluid, only the first three quarts to search for metal. I told them if it needed it to go ahead and change the fluid. They said it's better to change it a little at a time, such as when I get my oil changed because if there is a transmission problem draining it may only make it worse.

I'm not entirely sure how to talk about cars, but I try. It happens when I shift from park into 1,2, and D4. It rarely happens from any gear to another, mostly only from park into gear. It never happens going into reverse.

I am afraid that the case would be dismantling my transmission, because I've heard it cost at least $1,000 just to dismantle and look at it. At that rate, I should just have it rebuilt. I am just trying to exhaust all of my options, before resorting to that.

 

[nehonda]

I would double check the transmission fluid level. Be sure it done according to the owners manual, warmed up, within 2 minutes of shutting the engine off.

Have you checked for other transmission related trouble codes recently? Since the light is on for the O2 sensor, its difficult to know when another code pops up.

The transmission system holds about 7 quarts of ATF, but only 3 quarts will drain out each time. In order to replace most of the ATF you will need to have it drained and refilled 3 or 4 times with a short drive in between each one.

You might also have your mechanic add a bottle of Lubegard Red (no substitutes please) as a last resort. Available on Amazon and other places.

 

[Mary]

I would double check the transmission fluid level. Be sure it done according to the owners manual, warmed up, within 2 minutes of shutting the engine off.

Have you checked for other transmission related trouble codes recently? Since the light is on for the O2 sensor, its difficult to know when another code pops up.

The transmission system holds about 7 quarts of ATF, but only 3 quarts will drain out each time. In order to replace most of the ATF you will need to have it drained and refilled 3 or 4 times with a short drive in between each one.

You might also have your mechanic add a bottle of Lubegard Red (no substitutes please) as a last resort. Available on Amazon and other places.

Does the safeguard red replace the transmission fluid?

 

[Ryan_W]

No. Lubeguard red is intended as an additive to the trans fluid, not to replace it.

 

[nehonda]

Does the safeguard red replace the transmission fluid?

It does replace about 1/2 qt of transmission fluid. If the transmission is already at the full mark, remove some before adding the bottle of Lubegard. Be sure to get the Lubegard red which is recommended for Honda, not the black bottle.

 

[Mary]

Thank you both so much for the help

I took it to Auto Zone today to pull the codes from the check engine light. Turns out the EGR valve needed to be replaced, so they guys there helped me replace the part. While there, we noticed that my car was idling low, and it spiked even lower after turning on the air conditioner (which makes no sense). Could this be related to the other issue?

 

[greg1c]

The idle is controlled by the IAC, the IAC makes sure the idle stays the same regardless of load on the engine. If the base idle is to low, the first thing to check is the valve adjustment, be sure there are no vacuum leaks as well. If the IAC is not keeping a steady idle then it may need cleaning.

Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App

 

[Ryan_W]

I took it to Auto Zone today to pull the codes from the check engine light. Turns out the EGR valve needed to be replaced, so they guys there helped me replace the part. While there, we noticed that my car was idling low, and it spiked even lower after turning on the air conditioner (which makes no sense). Could this be related to the other issue?

No, I do not believe they are related. The change (reduction) in idle when the A/C turns on is normal, as running it increases the load on the engine. Don't worry about that unless the change in idle is very dramatic, in which case the idle air control valve could be sticking or malfunctioning.

As for it banging into gear, my earlier remark about the 1st gear pressure issue hasn't changed.

 

[SatinSilver]

I remember on my 99 Accord I was getting a lean fuel code that I had read at Autozone. They said it could be the injectors, fuel pump etc...

Went to the Honda dealer and had the fuel pressure regulator fixed under a tsb for less than $100. Done and fixed.

 

[nehonda]

I took it to Auto Zone today to pull the codes from the check engine light. Turns out the EGR valve needed to be replaced, so they guys there helped me replace the part. While there, we noticed that my car was idling low, and it spiked even lower after turning on the air conditioner (which makes no sense). Could this be related to the other issue?

If the EGR trouble code was for insufficient flow P0401 then replacing the EGR valve may not fix that problem and the code will return. On many V6 Accords the EGR passages in the manifold need to mechanically cleaned out to correct that problem. Hopefully the code was for a different problem and a new valve fixed it.

It could be the car just needed to relearn the correct idle after the EGR replacement, but if the low idle persists after driving a few days you may have other problems.

The low idle could be due to the IAC being dirty and/or stuck as it is supposed to keep the idle speed constant with or without the AC running. The IAC is quite expensive to replace, so an attempt to clean it may be worthwhile. It must be removed from the throttle body for cleaning which is not too bad on a V6.

 

[Mary]

Video

I had a friend of mine help me make a video. I'm not great at explaining, so hopefully this helps. You can hear the engagement, right before the jerking happens. From inside of the car the jerk feels terrible.


http://s1000.photobucket.com/user/chelsiehowsare/media/IMG_3141_zps02259f27.mp4.html

 

[Mary]

No, I do not believe they are related. The change (reduction) in idle when the A/C turns on is normal, as running it increases the load on the engine. Don't worry about that unless the change in idle is very dramatic, in which case the idle air control valve could be sticking or malfunctioning.

As for it banging into gear, my earlier remark about the 1st gear pressure issue hasn't changed.

I posted a video, if you want to check it out and see if you still believe that is the problem.

 

[Ryan_W]

You're doing a good job going through this.

Whether the mounts are working properly or not, I don't think you'll be surprised to see me tell you there is clearly something else going on there.

The engine should torque (move) a bit when you put it into gear, but once it's in gear, there shouldn't be anything further. From the video, it looks as though the initial engagement when you put it into D is a bit rough, but the banging around afterwards of course, isn't normal.

The reason I asked you about having any codes is I was wondering if there may be an issue with the pressure control solenoid on the transmission (again, back to transmission internal fluid pressure issues) - but, you have indicated no related codes.. If there are no other codes in the system, then I would continue to be interested in the transmission.

In the trans, a series of voodooish mechanical things have to occur internally before 1st gear actually engages, which it looks as though it's having trouble doing.

I'm hesitant to tell you it's the transmission, both because I am not a mechanic, I am not there directly, and I don't want you to go down a road that won't solve the issue. Having said that, if it were my car, I would:

1) Ensure that the transmission fluid is Honda DW-1, in good condition, and at the proper level. 6th/7th gen Honda V6's are notoriously sensitive transmissions and DW-1 is always guaranteed to be a safe bet for you.

2) Add some Lubeguard Red to the trans. Please look around the forums for the proper instructions on how to do this (it's not hard). If there is for instance a check ball stuck, or a valve spring in the trans sticking, this may free it up after a few days.

If that doesn't work, I would have no further ideas that didn't involve taking it into the shop. In the event that the trans was the culprit and a rebuild was needed, a small consolation is that a quality rebuild kit for it could also be called an "upgrade kit". My understanding is that the rebuild kits contain replacement parts that are better designed and tougher than what went in there originally.

Once again, someone else with better knowledge may have more insights.

And again, best of luck to you.

 

[nehonda]

Is someone shifting the transmissiion in and out of gear during the video or is it idling in drive after the initial shift?

 

[Mary]

Is someone shifting the transmissiion in and out of gear during the video or is it idling in drive after the initial shift?

I was shifting the car each time.

 

[nehonda]

My feeling is there is still something wrong with the motor mounts. I believe there are 4 mounts on a V6 Accord. Did you take it back to the mechanic who "fixed" them? Did they replace some or all?

Another question is the idle speed. What RPM does the tachometer show just before you shift it into Drive? A warm engine should read about 800 on the meter. If its much higher (1200+) the transmission engagement will be harsh.

 

[Mary]

My feeling is there is still something wrong with the motor mounts. I believe there are 4 mounts on a V6 Accord. Did you take it back to the mechanic who "fixed" them? Did they replace some or all?

Another question is the idle speed. What RPM does the tachometer show just before you shift it into Drive? A warm engine should read about 800 on the meter. If its much higher (1200+) the transmission engagement will be harsh.

I only had one replaced at the time, and I felt the mounts were the issue as well. I took it back to the shop to have them take a look at the other mounts, but they were persistent on insisting that was not the issue. I stopped at a different shop for a second opinion, and they also agreed that it was not the mounts. Both of these places suggest that I take it to a transmission shop. Today I had a local, independent mechanic that specials in transmissions come check it out. He drove it for a little bit and said that the car shifts perfectly while driving, and the only problem was when shifting from park to drive. He suggested that we replace the shifting solenoids and go from there, but he feels this may resolve the issue.