***Ultimate Transmission Solution Thread***

[Peixinho]

Read Further for Transmission Soultions:

Ok, here is the deal. I have been searching the internet/this forum for weeks. I wanted to buy my wife an Acura MDX but had a fear of the bad tranny. So i bought one with a recently rebuilt transmission from Acura. I have done a lot of research and there are 1000's of threads about failed transmission and everyone telling them... wow you didn't know... just get it replaced... should have used the search function... Well I have a hard time sorting out any solutions that someone might have found. I would like to make a special thread and limit the discussion to solutions/fixes/preventative maintenance. I have a few specific questions but hope others will add to this thread.

Most people say only Honda ATF... anyone have better luck with other fluid (royal purple, valvoline, mobile 1, etc...)

Any tranny additives that help? (lucas, tranny doctor, etc...)

So does the external cooler/filter/radiator bypass help?

Does changing the fluid more often help?

Is there a tranny swap out there (i know 03+ is different, any way to adapt)

Is there a better way to have it rebuilt? (upgraded parts)

I have heard rumors about staying in D4... why???

I read a little about the dealer drilling holes to better lubricate the gears/clutches??? Anyone have a better explanation???





Thanks ahead of time

[JL_SS]

Originally Posted by Peixinho

Read Further for Transmission Soultions:

Ok, here is the deal. I have been searching the internet/this forum for weeks. I wanted to buy my wife an Acura MDX but had a fear of the bad tranny. So i bought one with a recently rebuilt transmission from Acura. I have done a lot of research and there are 1000's of threads about failed transmission and everyone telling them... wow you didn't know... just get it replaced... should have used the search function... Well I have a hard time sorting out any solutions that someone might have found. I would like to make a special thread and limit the discussion to solutions/fixes/preventative maintenance. I have a few specific questions but hope others will add to this thread.

Most people say only Honda ATF... anyone have better luck with other fluid (royal purple, valvoline, mobile 1, etc...)

Any tranny additives that help? (lucas, tranny doctor, etc...)

So does the external cooler/filter/radiator bypass help?

Does changing the fluid more often help?

Is there a tranny swap out there (i know 03+ is different, any way to adapt)

Is there a better way to have it rebuilt? (upgraded parts)

I have heard rumors about staying in D4... why???

I read a little about the dealer drilling holes to better lubricate the gears/clutches??? Anyone have a better explanation???





Thanks ahead of time

What year did you buy, how many miles on it when the tranny was replaced?

[BlacknWhite23]

My X has about 140k on it. Still the original tranny, with the retrofit done to it. I bought it with 110k on it. We run in D4 in town and then bump up to D5 on the highway. I do a drain and fill with only Honda ATF every other oil change (15k miles).

We run in D4 in tow because the tranny wants to bobble back and forth between 4 and 5 at lower speeds i.e. less than 45-50. That is why we run in 4.

That's my .02

Mike

[las4444]

[QUOTE=Peixinho;524753]Read Further for Transmission Soultions:

Ok, here is the deal. I have been searching the internet/this forum for weeks. I wanted to buy my wife an Acura MDX but had a fear of the bad tranny. So i bought one with a recently rebuilt transmission from Acura. I have done a lot of research and there are 1000's of threads about failed transmission and everyone telling them... wow you didn't know... just get it replaced... should have used the search function... Well I have a hard time sorting out any solutions that someone might have found. I would like to make a special thread and limit the discussion to solutions/fixes/preventative maintenance. I have a few specific questions but hope others will add to this thread.

Most people say only Honda ATF... anyone have better luck with other fluid (royal purple, valvoline, mobile 1, etc...)

Any tranny additives that help? (lucas, tranny doctor, etc...) NOT IN MY OPINION

So does the external cooler/filter/radiator bypass help? YES

Does changing the fluid more often help? YES

Is there a tranny swap out there (i know 03+ is different, any way to adapt) NO

Is there a better way to have it rebuilt? (upgraded parts) NOT THAT I HAVE FOUND

I have heard rumors about staying in D4... why??? REDUCE HUNTING OF THE TRANSMISSION

I read a little about the dealer drilling holes to better lubricate the gears/clutches??? Anyone have a better explanation??? OTHER THAN THE FACTORY MOD, NOT SURE OF ANY OTHER FIX.





I HAVE NEARLY 340,000 MILES ON THE ORIGINAL TRANSMISSION. I BELIVE I READ SOMEWHERE THAT LESS THAN 30% OF TRANSMISSIONS IN 01 AND 02 HAD REPEATED TRANSMISSION FAILURES. IF THAT'S TRUE, THEN ODDS ARE YOU WILL NOT HAVE ONE OF THOSE. I DRIVE IN D4 SINCE MY TC IS WEAK AND IT HUNTS AT ALL SPEEDS WITH THE 2 HUNDRED RPM JUMPS. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING IN D4 FOR OVER 5 YEARS. I STILL AVERAGE 21 MPG WITH MOSTLY HIGHWAY AND A LITTLE IN-TOWN DRIVNG. I DRAIN AND FILL THREE QUARTS OF HONDA TRANNY FLUID EVERY 10K MILES OR TWO OIL CHANGES. I ADDED THE TRANNY COOLER A WHILE BACK AND IT KEEPS THINGS SHIFTING MORE SMOOTHLY.

[Peixinho]

what is the "factory mod" ?

[Bill_de]

Originally Posted by las4444

I HAVE NEARLY 340,000 MILES ON THE ORIGINAL TRANSMISSION. I BELIVE I READ SOMEWHERE THAT LESS THAN 30% OF TRANSMISSIONS IN 01 AND 02 HAD REPEATED TRANSMISSION FAILURES. IF THAT'S TRUE, THEN ODDS ARE YOU WILL NOT HAVE ONE OF THOSE. I DRIVE IN D4 SINCE MY TC IS WEAK AND IT HUNTS AT ALL SPEEDS WITH THE 2 HUNDRED RPM JUMPS. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING IN D4 FOR OVER 5 YEARS. I STILL AVERAGE 21 MPG WITH MOSTLY HIGHWAY AND A LITTLE IN-TOWN DRIVNG. I DRAIN AND FILL THREE QUARTS OF HONDA TRANNY FLUID EVERY 10K MILES OR TWO OIL CHANGES. I ADDED THE TRANNY COOLER A WHILE BACK AND IT KEEPS THINGS SHIFTING MORE SMOOTHLY.

Now if you could only get the shift key unstuck.

[bolt]

Originally Posted by Peixinho

What is the "factory mod" ?

That does not matter, again what year! Only 01-02 had tranny recall issues, plus YES changing the tranny fluid matters. No "royal purple passion" transmission additive is purely a marketing scheme. Kissess XOXOXO, yes i'm being humorous, GOOD LUCK!

[kghjr]

I have a 2005 with 130,000 miles, no tranny issues this far. I too drive in D4 around town and D5 for highway only.

I also added an external auxiliary filter. Considering the internal filter is supposed to be lifetime and beyond my technical abilities to change it, I added this one as a precaution.

It's a Magnefine, easy to install, once the rock shield is removed, and relatively easy to change annually. But, if I had to do over I would go with the B & M for the ease of changing filters and permanent mounting plate.

[schnecharl]

I have done a lot of research and there are 1000's of threads about failed transmission and everyone telling them

[las4444]

Originally Posted by Peixinho

what is the "factory mod" ?

They added an oil port/jet to the fill plug on the top of the transmission to add additional lubrication on 01 and 02 models.

[Peixinho]

I have a 2002 acura mdx for those who want to know. I am having zero tranny problems and this thread was not about knowing who has tranny problems and who does not have transmission problems.

Also i agree that there are 1000's of threads arguing the point of if there is a tranny problem or not... most of those threads start out with..."having tranny problems please help". And then someone gets on there and says "you should have done your research, everyone knows they have tranny problems". Then they ususally go on talking about how much it is going to cost. There are literally thousands of threads about that.

Some of the threads talk about a few solutions which i have listed in my first thread, but then people usually just bash on them and tell them its not going to work. I am hoping to create a thread to help people who want to buy the car reguardless of the claims against the transmission. I just wanted to get all to info in one complete thread as to avoid searching through 1000's of threads of people compaining about there bad tranny's, miracle goops to keep them going, and freaking out about how much the transmission is going to cost.

Thanks,

[Peixinho]

Originally Posted by las4444

They added an oil port/jet to the fill plug on the top of the transmission to add additional lubrication on 01 and 02 models.

how can i tell if this has been done or not?

Can i do it myself?

[Peixinho]

Originally Posted by BlacknWhite23

My X has about 140k on it. Still the original tranny, with the retrofit done to it. I bought it with 110k on it. We run in D4 in town and then bump up to D5 on the highway. I do a drain and fill with only Honda ATF every other oil change (15k miles).

We run in D4 in tow because the tranny wants to bobble back and forth between 4 and 5 at lower speeds i.e. less than 45-50. That is why we run in 4.

That's my .02

Mike

what does this retrofit do? I guess i am asking what is the retrofit

[theDesigner]

I drive it in manual. Is that a moot suggestion? Just bought 2 weeks ago...

[mdxer12345]

which one is better to drive in d4 or d5 for gas mileage? i'm used to d5 all the time. i have an 03, only tranny was the atf temp sensor which was a 50 dollar part.