[skirmich]

Hi Folks!

This is not a DIY!
Just wanted to share with you guys my issues with the TRS.. Sometime ago I had an issue where I could not start the MDX at all, the MID will show "CHECK STARTING SYSTEM".. It did this like 2 times in separate occasions.
Finally about a month ago a Check Engine code will pop off every time I engage reverse quickly, Like doing a 3 point turn in a hurry.. Drive "D" would blink in the dashboard, MID will say CHECK TRANSMISSION*and the NAV will show a P1717 Code telling me that the TRS was at fault... So finally this was the reason the car did not wanted to start in those 2 occasions. Today finally my TRS came in the mail, It took some time to get here because of the holidays and probably because I used*FED EX (Considering all my items from USPS came in time).

The part you will need for the MDX is 28900-RYF-023 this is unique to the 07-08-09 models only it will not fit 10-13.. Total Cost? 70 bucks shipped for a Brand new OEM "Japan Made" TRS.






Since the DIY for the TRS has been done to hell I do not think we need yet another DIY to change it... Just wanted to change my Experience so if anybody is having issues with a No Start situation and a P1717 Code? This is it!
You can in theory remove the TRS and try to clean it but since the TRS in the MDX is relatively cheap I did not think twice to just replace it all together... Now time for the stupid Purge Valve Solenoid that is still ticking like hell.

 

[carpayment4life]

A flashing "D" is a good indicator that the TRS needs attention.

A few years ago, on one of my Civics the "D" started flashing.
I removed the neg cable from the battery, then I unplugged and re-plugged the TRS connector.
Reconnected the negative and didn't need to do anything else.

 

[Alpine003]

I've had this happen on three occasions so far but it turned itself off and never lasted more than a day. Never had a situation where I couldn't start the car though. Maybe I'm running on borrowed time. Another thing to tackle in the summer...

 

[skirmich]

Well got the bastard out...


PRO DIY TIP #1:
Not without a hiccup though, First day was a bust because I could not unplug the TRS connector for my life. The connector itself has a strange locking mechanism that is not common with other Honda & Acura systems I´ve personally seen, Not even in my TL-S... Even more curious is that Nobody in the entire internet has come up with a clear picture of the connector Lock in our MDX so this is a first! On the Internet!


The connector lock works by having a straight pull lock on top, But instead of Pulling Out like any other connector you have to pull the white part only (Do not grab the black part of the connector) the white portion will hinge down and will push the black connector out by itself. There is no need to touch the black portion of the connector. This is what made me stop the first try I tried to change it BECAUSE:

PRO DIY TIP #2
DO NOT CHANGE IT FROM THE TOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Even if the manual says to remove the battery and battery tray what it doesn´t say is that there a a gazillion connectors hanging from the battery tray base.. Its a nightmare to pull them out and even then there is a Connector attached to the lower portion near the headlight that its almost impossible to remove, So I move the battery tray away so I could reach the TRS and man the angle is horrible you will have to work pointing DOWN and extending your arms to reach the TRS because of the engine bay being lower than the chassis frame line.. This is what made impossible to see how the Locking Mechanism of the TRS Connector worked and Since the Internet didn´t have a Picture of it? It was impossible to decipher from the top end.

My Advice is to do this from the Wheel well fender side... This is INSANELY easier than the convoluted way they OEM Manual states, If you do it this way you will only have to remove the driver side wheel, A couple of plastic push pins and 2 bolts max to get access to the TRS.. This way also makes it easier to pull the Locking Connector of the TRS.


So those are my notes on the TRS Change Procedure..
DIY Difficulty Scale: (Using the OEM Way = 8/10) (Using the Wheel Well Mode = 3/10)

 

[PRGonzalez]

Is this a typical failure that is likely to appear at certain number of miles like failures in other brands/models of cars?

 

[skirmich]

Is this a typical failure that is likely to appear at certain number of miles like failures in other brands/models of cars?

I do not think is a common issue with the MDX at my Mileage, Probably just bad luck on mine since my TL-S is still rolling its original TRS with 220,000 Miles.. It is a wearable item but I cannot say how long it will last? Mine only had 93K.

 

[Alpine003]

PRO DIY TIP #2
DO NOT CHANGE IT FROM THE TOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My Advice is to do this from the Wheel well fender side... This is INSANELY easier than the convoluted way they OEM Manual states,

So those are my notes on the TRS Change Procedure..
DIY Difficulty Scale: (Using the OEM Way = 8/10) (Using the Wheel Well Mode = 3/10)

So from a time perspective, how much time do you think you would've saved doing it from the wheel well?

 

[skirmich]

Regarding Time? Probably it is an extra 10 minutes or so to remove the battery tray and connectors Vs the Wheel Well Method.

But the amount of strain to work on the TRS from the Top is not comparable with time, The Cables do not get out of your way once you remove the securing latches, You will have to move them around often specially the Fuse Box which just leaves hanging there and it likes to fall into the new hole created by the lack of Battery Base..

The wheel well method makes it easier and dare I say Comfortable? So it saves a little time and makes changing the TRS a breeze.

Another DIY TIP if you are doing it from the Wheel Well is to Just undo the 10mm bolt Holding the Shift Metal Lever to the TRS and move the Lever still attached to the shift cable away from the TRS you can make it rest on the lower radiator tube and that is how I did it, Removing the shift cable from the Metal Lever will create an obstruction because the shift cable alone cannot rest on the radiator tube (It cannot reach it) so that is why the OEM Manual says to undo the Shift Cable Bracket which can only be done from the TOP Method anyway.

My DIY Steps Are:
1.- Jack Up the Car and remove the Driver Wheel.
2.- Put on a Jack Stand in the Front Chassis jacking point to hold the car securely.
2*.- I left the car in PARK all of the procedure..
3.- Remove the Lower Wheel well cover by undoing the 10mm bolt and 2 plastic push pins in the bottom, There are 2 more securing the lower portion of the Cover to the Lower Engine Guard and Chassis in the Wheel Well (Just need to remove 4 push pins in total. Remove the Philips Screw that secures the bumper and you can now bend the lower plastic cover a little bit on top of the Brake Caliper and it will stay there.
4.- You can now clearly see the TRS on the side of the transmission, Remove the 10mm bolt holding the Transmission Ground cable to make more room (Optional).
5.- Remove the Shift Cable Metal Lever, You will have to punch the securing metal tab on the Nut with a Flat Screwdriver and a Hammer... Honda in all of its glory decided to punch the TOP securing tab on the Nut! Undoing this from the TOP?? That would be funny to see.
6.- There are 3 parts on top of the Shifter Metal Lever (Do not lose them) The correct order is:
(NUT > Metal Securing Tab > Pressure Washer > Shifter Metal Lever > TRS).
7.- The TRS is held in place by 2x 12mm bolts to the transmission but there is an Extra 22mm Bolt making pressure in the Transmission TRS Shaft, You will have to undo it by punching out the metal securing tabs holding the 22mm nut and holding the TRS shaft with a 6mm Crescent Tool so you can undo the 22mm bolt without stressing the trans shaft.
8.- Now with the TRS Removed you can undo the Cable by following the pictures I posted before.
9.- Reverse Procedure to Install it!
10.- Since you have your battery installed you can now Adjust the Neutral Position! Do this by securing the 12mm bolts on the TRS just a tad firm so you can move it but wont wobble out of position easily, Go inside your car Open Key in Position II (DONT START THE ENGINE) and put the shift lever in NEUTRAL adjust until the Neutral (N) Light in the dashboard remains ON at all times while the shifter is in Neutral, Wobble the shifter back and forth (Dont change gears) and all the slack in the shifter must stay in neutral position, If the lights suddenly goes off with the slack adjust the TRS until it doesn´t.. Once you find the sweet spot secure the TRS bolts to and your done with it..

This is what I don´t get with the TOP Method.. You don´t have the battery installed so how the heck are you supposed to Adjust the TRS in real time? Using Jumper Cables for the battery? This part didn´t make sense in the manual method.


That is basically it.. It looks like its a ton of work by reading it but its very easy in reality.

 

[Priscillababy]

Regarding Time? Probably it is an extra 10 minutes or so to remove the battery tray and connectors Vs the Wheel Well Method.

But the amount of strain to work on the TRS from the Top is not comparable with time, The Cables do not get out of your way once you remove the securing latches, You will have to move them around often specially the Fuse Box which just leaves hanging there and it likes to fall into the new hole created by the lack of Battery Base..

The wheel well method makes it easier and dare I say Comfortable? So it saves a little time and makes changing the TRS a breeze.

Another DIY TIP if you are doing it from the Wheel Well is to Just undo the 10mm bolt Holding the Shift Metal Lever to the TRS and move the Lever still attached to the shift cable away from the TRS you can make it rest on the lower radiator tube and that is how I did it, Removing the shift cable from the Metal Lever will create an obstruction because the shift cable alone cannot rest on the radiator tube (It cannot reach it) so that is why the OEM Manual says to undo the Shift Cable Bracket which can only be done from the TOP Method anyway.

My DIY Steps Are:
1.- Jack Up the Car and remove the Driver Wheel.
2.- Put on a Jack Stand in the Front Chassis jacking point to hold the car securely.
2*.- I left the car in PARK all of the procedure..
3.- Remove the Lower Wheel well cover by undoing the 10mm bolt and 2 plastic push pins in the bottom, There are 2 more securing the lower portion of the Cover to the Lower Engine Guard and Chassis in the Wheel Well (Just need to remove 4 push pins in total. Remove the Philips Screw that secures the bumper and you can now bend the lower plastic cover a little bit on top of the Brake Caliper and it will stay there.
4.- You can now clearly see the TRS on the side of the transmission, Remove the 10mm bolt holding the Transmission Ground cable to make more room (Optional).
5.- Remove the Shift Cable Metal Lever, You will have to punch the securing metal tab on the Nut with a Flat Screwdriver and a Hammer... Honda in all of its glory decided to punch the TOP securing tab on the Nut! Undoing this from the TOP?? That would be funny to see.
6.- There are 3 parts on top of the Shifter Metal Lever (Do not lose them) The correct order is:
(NUT > Metal Securing Tab > Pressure Washer > Shifter Metal Lever > TRS).
7.- The TRS is held in place by 2x 12mm bolts to the transmission but there is an Extra 22mm Bolt making pressure in the Transmission TRS Shaft, You will have to undo it by punching out the metal securing tabs holding the 22mm nut and holding the TRS shaft with a 6mm Crescent Tool so you can undo the 22mm bolt without stressing the trans shaft.
8.- Now with the TRS Removed you can undo the Cable by following the pictures I posted before.
9.- Reverse Procedure to Install it!
10.- Since you have your battery installed you can now Adjust the Neutral Position! Do this by securing the 12mm bolts on the TRS just a tad firm so you can move it but wont wobble out of position easily, Go inside your car Open Key in Position II (DONT START THE ENGINE) and put the shift lever in NEUTRAL adjust until the Neutral (N) Light in the dashboard remains ON at all times while the shifter is in Neutral, Wobble the shifter back and forth (Dont change gears) and all the slack in the shifter must stay in neutral position, If the lights suddenly goes off with the slack adjust the TRS until it doesn´t.. Once you find the sweet spot secure the TRS bolts to and your done with it..

This is what I don´t get with the TOP Method.. You don´t have the battery installed so how the heck are you supposed to Adjust the TRS in real time? Using Jumper Cables for the battery? This part didn´t make sense in the manual method.


That is basically it.. It looks like its a ton of work by reading it but its very easy in reality.

bumping this thread as I'm about to be led into the slaughterhouse- I've decided to no longer ignore the (2nd generation Acura MDX) P1717 error code (which I've been ignoring for well over a year now!) any further and am going to have my local Acura stealership replace my 2009 MDX's TRANMISSION RANGE SWITCH...getting my bottle of Motrin ready, anybody have a bu** plug I can borrow while I'm at it? :surprise:

 

[skirmich]

I wonder how much the dealership will ask you for labor... I think is a 1 hour job tops so its already 100 bucks in labor.

 

[Priscillababy]

I wonder how much the dealership will ask you for labor... I think is a 1 hour job tops so its already 100 bucks in labor.

Mr. Skirmich- if ONLY I had your mechanical skills/I.Q.!!!

As expected, all THREE stealerships, have stated that this is a 2 hour job minimum- therefore LABOR only ranges from about $240-$280 with the part costing about another $130 (stealership special).

*they don't really give you the option to buy the OEM part yourself (which can be had for as low as $60-$70 bucks online) b/c "they won't warranty the work if they use your supplied part!!!!"

so in summary- the entire (out the door) stealership price for the 2007-2013 Acura MDX transmission range switch replacement (at least in the metro detroit Acura stealership area) is about $380-$408 TOTAL :surprise:

oh well, sometimes you just gotta suck it up and pay the man!!!! :frown2:

 

[skirmich]

That is a HUGE Ripoff..
Also they wont warrant the part if it is aftermarket, tell them that you will supply a brand new un-opened HONDA OEM PART and that should shut them up. In any case what you want for warranty is their stupid labor which has to be spot on so the TRS is properly calibrated. 2 hour?? for christ sake not even when I messed up changing it from the top took me 2 hours! Changing it from below took 30 minutes tops.

I would take it to a transmission shop instead they can do the same work without stealing your hard earned cash. That premium over the part is INSANE that is almost 2x for the same part.

My name is Daniel by the way.

 

[Priscillababy]

That is a HUGE Ripoff..
Also they wont warrant the part if it is aftermarket, tell them that you will supply a brand new un-opened HONDA OEM PART and that should shut them up. In any case what you want for warranty is their stupid labor which has to be spot on so the TRS is properly calibrated. 2 hour?? for christ sake not even when I messed up changing it from the top took me 2 hours! Changing it from below took 30 minutes tops.

I would take it to a transmission shop instead they can do the same work without stealing your hard earned cash.
That premium over the part is INSANE that is almost 2x for the same part.

for the record- they won't warranty their work even if the part is OEM- it must be puchased from them!!!...well i'm not surprised..oh well, the consequences of not being mechanically inclined...doh!!! :surprise:

 

[Priscillababy]

Hi Folks!

This is not a DIY!
Just wanted to share with you guys my issues with the TRS.. Sometime ago I had an issue where I could not start the MDX at all, the MID will show "CHECK STARTING SYSTEM".. It did this like 2 times in separate occasions.
Finally about a month ago a Check Engine code will pop off every time I engage reverse quickly, Like doing a 3 point turn in a hurry.. Drive "D" would blink in the dashboard, MID will say CHECK TRANSMISSION*and the NAV will show a P1717 Code telling me that the TRS was at fault... So finally this was the reason the car did not wanted to start in those 2 occasions. Today finally my TRS came in the mail, It took some time to get here because of the holidays and probably because I used*FED EX (Considering all my items from USPS came in time).

The part you will need for the MDX is 28900-RYF-023 this is unique to the 07-08-09 models only it will not fit 10-13.. Total Cost? 70 bucks shipped for a Brand new OEM "Japan Made" TRS.






Since the DIY for the TRS has been done to hell I do not think we need yet another DIY to change it... Just wanted to change my Experience so if anybody is having issues with a No Start situation and a P1717 Code? This is it!
You can in theory remove the TRS and try to clean it but since the TRS in the MDX is relatively cheap I did not think twice to just replace it all together... Now time for the stupid Purge Valve Solenoid that is still ticking like hell.

Mr. Skirmich,

I'm not one to usually lose sleep over money issues, but for some reason, all this extra $$ money that I've been donating to the Acura stealerships over the years (due in large part to my inability to do alot of this maintenance/repair work myself) has taken a toll on my conscience and I have decided NOT to donate $430 bucks to any Acura stealership to have the Transmission Range Switch on my 2009 MDX replaced....

I've located a very reputable Honda/Acura repair ship in another midwest state that I frequent quite a bit due to family proximity and next time I'm there, they have quoted me at about $100 for the labor only for this particular job!!!

I intend to print out in color the pictures/guidelines that you have graciously provided here as a reference for them (just in case- I know that may not even refer to it, but what the hell...maybe they'll at least heed your specific mention regarding the 'unplugging of the TRS connector'?)- as for the actual OEM part, is this the correct one (below)?- I ask this b/c the automated Amazon vehicle fit alert is telling me that 'this part is not compatible with a 2009 Acura MDX' (albeit Amazon has been wrong many times before in situations like this)?:

*and other than this Honda part (28900-RYF-023) is there any other part(s) (i.e. plug, cable etc.) that I'll need to provide the mechanic with in order to have him/her take out the old/existing (probably defective) transmission range switch to replace it with the new one?

Genuine Honda 28900-RYF-023 Position Sensor Assembly
https://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Honda-28900-RYF-023-Position-Assembly/dp/B00KTLHX9Q
<img src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71w4p4Zq%2BLL._SL1500_.jpg">

 

[skirmich]

I think any reputable shop might know about how to D/C de TRS, I mentioned it here for the Avid DIYers that might wanna attempt to change it as there are no videos or reference pictures saying how the disconnect it they just say: Disconnect the TRS but don't tell you how, that is why I made this thread.

That part Number is for 2007-2009 so it fits all the early 1st Gens as Per Hondapartsunlimited.com fitment guide. So amazon is wrong on this one.

You won't need anything else as the cable that connects to it comes from the transmission main harness.

 

[Priscillababy]

I think any reputable shop might know about how to D/C de TRS, I mentioned it here for the Avid DIYers that might wanna attempt to change it as there are no videos or reference pictures saying how the disconnect it they just say: Disconnect the TRS but don't tell you how, that is why I made this thread.

That part Number is for 2007-2009 so it fits all the early 1st Gens as Per Hondapartsunlimited.com fitment guide. So amazon is wrong on this one.

You won't need anything else as the cable that connects to it comes from the transmission main harness.

Gracias! :29:

Amazon probably thinks its a wrong fit b/c the part is made/branded for/as a Honda....but a part # is a part # and I'll feel a lot better in the end after having not over paid (by about as much as $300!) the stealership to complete this job!

 

[skirmich]

I just check the page and it also says that doesn't fit my 2007 either so yeah its probably because the part is labeled as for Hondas and it will unfit any car under the Acura brand.
Funny because even Hondapartsunlimited.com (From where I order all my Parts Online) sells the same part cheaper if you buy it for a Honda than for an Acura:

 

[Priscillababy]

I just check the page and it also says that doesn't fit my 2007 either so yeah its probably because the part is labeled as for Hondas and it will unfit any car under the Acura brand.
Funny because even Hondapartsunlimited.com (From where I order all my Parts Online) sells the same part cheaper if you buy it for a Honda than for an Acura:

That's a funny screenshot- most people with your background would obviously add the slightly less expensive Honda item to their cart (for their 2007-2009 MDX), whereas clueless folk like me would pay more (for the same part!) while instinctively opting to add the Acura one to their cart....:crying2:

 

[skirmich]

Hey I bought the Acura part hahahahaha remember that my post says it cost 70 bucks XD
I didn´t realize this until today hahahahha

 

[Priscillababy]

Hey I bought the Acura part hahahahaha remember that my post says it cost 70 bucks XD
I didn´t realize this until today hahahahha

that's funny- now I'm starting to wonder/debate upon (assuming that I end up buying the part from the same website that you did) if I should just buy the 'Acura' labeled one....just to 'be extra sure'...:surprise: