[crazyp]

Hey all,

New here. Just recently got an Accord used... its a 2008 EX-L 4 cyl with about 25k miles on it.

Just curious about everyones opinions on how the auto trans shifts in these cars... The more I drive it the more I find the feel to them to be a little weird sometimes... Hard to describe really... But mainly at really light acceleration, the shifts from 1-2 and 2-3 feel a little long and hesitant. You mostly notice it in stop and go traffic in a rush hour type situation when you are crawling along... if you start going fast enough for the car to shift you get a really pronounced shift that you can feel a lot more than usual almost as if the car doesn't know what it wants to do. Like I said its hard to describe, but it just doesn't feel "right" compared to a lot of other auto cars. I have a 40 mile commute on the open highway, and the last 15 minutes are on city streets in traffic, thats when I always notice the weird shifting, after the car has been running for a while on the highway and then I jump into city traffic.

But, if I am just on an open road and accelerating moderately, the shifts feel a lot more normal.

I'm wondering if this is going to turn into a problem (still have 1 year and a half powertrain warranty at least) or just something I have to get used to on an Accord. My 8th gen Civic auto had wonky feeling shifts sometimes as well so maybe its a Honda thing?

 

[poorboyaccord]

this is normal on 08 up accord

 

[Bandigo]

The honda accord, while an amazing car, gets a 4/10 in the transmission department (AT wise), it acts like an old man most of the time but it has its good moments, the shifts between 1-2 and 2-3 will feel a bit hesitant/sluggish at times but it might get better as you drive.

since its used, the old owners transmission habits are probably in effect ATM

 

[crazyp]

Interesting... good to know its normal. The auto in this car is probably the most annoying thing about it. It seems like its ALWAYS shifting and they don't always feel very good. Like I said my Civic had kind of a wonky auto too but I expected it more in a cheap car like that, I thought the Accord would have a smoother feel to it in that regard.

As for the computer "learning" the way you drive, is that something that it is always doing? Or do you have to reset the battery to do it? I know on another car I had, it did it when you first buy the car, but that was it, you have to disconnect the battery to reset it again.

 

[Bandigo]

i think someone told me you cant reset the transmissions auto learning?

 

[Artema]

The transmission is a little funny like that. If you want to venture into a synthetic ATF, check out Amsoil's multivehicle (or for 8G, try the fuel efficient ATF). I don't notice those big shifts any more. I didn't even really notice they were funny until I did my first drain and fill, and it became very clear.

 

[gooderthanyou]

Yes. Even DW-1 doesn't remove the "shift feel". I hear nothing but success stories with a synthetic ATF. I'm going to try it once my warranty is up...

 

[Bandigo]

same here, once my warranties up, im gonna bolt on a UDP and change the ATF

 

[crazyp]

The more I drive this car the more I feel it just isn't right... Its not bad when you are driving it sort of hard but when you drive it lightly (which is how I would want to drive a big car like this) it is bogged down and clunky like a 15 year old Chevy Lumina aranoid:.

It has to go into the dealer in a few days anyway to fix a bunch of rattles and other little issues (1 week after buying it, so much for that 100 point Honda Certified inspection :thumbsdow).

I am going to bring it up then... even though I'm already prepared for the "could not replicate" line which you always seem to get from the dealer when you ask about anything other than their $250 oil changes.

Starting to second guess myself about this car! I always loved the look of them so I figured a 25k mile certified used Honda was a no brainer... now the more problems I read about the more it is making me worry like I did when I used to drive GM cars.

 

[08EX-L]

Precisely why I dumped my Auto TSX and got into a Manual.. it just started getting really sloppy and I could not live with it anymore. Ever since the swap of tranny fluid at 86,000kms it went down hill from there.

 

[nave]

Hey all,

New here. Just recently got an Accord used... its a 2008 EX-L 4 cyl with about 25k miles on it.

Just curious about everyones opinions on how the auto trans shifts in these cars... The more I drive it the more I find the feel to them to be a little weird sometimes... Hard to describe really... But mainly at really light acceleration, the shifts from 1-2 and 2-3 feel a little long and hesitant. You mostly notice it in stop and go traffic in a rush hour type situation when you are crawling along... if you start going fast enough for the car to shift you get a really pronounced shift that you can feel a lot more than usual almost as if the car doesn't know what it wants to do. Like I said its hard to describe, but it just doesn't feel "right" compared to a lot of other auto cars. I have a 40 mile commute on the open highway, and the last 15 minutes are on city streets in traffic, thats when I always notice the weird shifting, after the car has been running for a while on the highway and then I jump into city traffic.

But, if I am just on an open road and accelerating moderately, the shifts feel a lot more normal.

I'm wondering if this is going to turn into a problem (still have 1 year and a half powertrain warranty at least) or just something I have to get used to on an Accord. My 8th gen Civic auto had wonky feeling shifts sometimes as well so maybe its a Honda thing?

My car shifts the EXACT way you described. When I went to the dealer in Toronto, they said it's normal and now I live with it. I will be doing a ATF drain and fill and see if that changes anything. I'm at 65000kms.

 

[Bandigo]

My car shifts the EXACT way you described. When I went to the dealer in Toronto, they said it's normal and now I live with it. I will be doing a ATF drain and fill and see if that changes anything. I'm at 65000kms.

already did that, spend your money elsewhere =/

 

[nave]

already did that, spend your money elsewhere =/

I heard using Amsoil ATF helps. What ATF did you use?

 

[Bandigo]

I heard using Amsoil ATF helps. What ATF did you use?

now that's a different story, i changed it using Honda's ATF

 

[blacklabel1783]

glad to hear this is normal. mine does this too. was starting to get concerned

 

[Artema]

now that's a different story, i changed it using Honda's ATF

I'll vouch for their synthetic Multi-vehicle ATF. I've two drain and fills over the past few months. I'm getting some of their fuel efficient ATF (recommended for the 2011-2012) tomorrow, and will do one last drain and fill for a while. After that I'll wait until the next oil change.

 

[crazyp]

Just an update for people...

I mentioned it at the dealer, as I imagined they couldn't find it (according to my odometer they took it for an extensive test run for the long distance of... 1 km... even though I told them I don't notice it until after the car has been driven for a while and is warm :dunno: ).

But anyway... after two weeks the car is starting to feel a lot more normal to me... I think like others said the computer is adapting to my driving... or maybe I am adapting to the car... but now it just feels like a quirky Honda transmission to me, not like there is anything wrong. The mushyness is there still on really hot days after I drive it for a long time but it doesn't feel as bad. I'll just keep an eye on it since the car has a year and a half of powertrain anyway.

Oh, and the rattle that I brought it to the dealer for is still there of course, only less loud. Gotta love Honda dealers, seems like they spent more time telling me to give them a 10 out of 10 when I get their survey then actually fixing the car!

 

[outersquare]

The transmission programming just f--king s-cks.
Each iteration just gets worse and worse too.

2003 I4 auto, old fashion cable linkage throttle, very responsive throttle and transmission kick down.

2007 I4 auto, drive by wire throttle that doesn't want to downshift and drives slow and laggy, despite being basically the same engine/tranny as 2003.

2010 I4 auto, drive by wire throttle, but now responsiveness seems even worse than 2007. Because the K24Z3 engine has a higher redline and more peaky powerband than the K24A4/A8 it feels worse. Oh and the auto tranny even shifts before peak rated power. Max power on the engine is at 7000 rpm, but the tranny seems to shift at 6800 rpm.

Honda is probably tuning the shift algorithm more and more so the tranny tries to save itself from hard driving and for fuel economy.

 

[gooderthanyou]

and ...I thought this was just a V6 annoyance.

Yea the other day I was going down a small incline, and the engine revs up to 3500 or so with a pretty hard slow down for a few seconds, then kicks itself up/down a gear (not sure which, not even pressing the gas). Man that was akward.

 

[Bandigo]

and ...I thought this was just a V6 annoyance.

Yea the other day I was going down a small incline, and the engine revs up to 3500 or so with a pretty hard slow down for a few seconds, then kicks itself up/down a gear (not sure which, not even pressing the gas). Man that was akward.

going up an incline kicks my car in the nuts with a hard downshift, ouch