I found a post very helpful about buying a rebuilt gen2 transmission. "(1) '00 LX with 230K and a fresh P0740 code...looking for trans rebuild/replacement advice | Honda Odyssey Forum"
'00 LX with 230K and a fresh P0740 code...looking...
But I wanted to document my transmission issues.
I have a 2000 Honda Odyssey (ex, v6) at 150k miles on the original transmission. It helps that my dad drove it for a long time doing mostly old man slow driving. I put the last 70k on it.
Sharing my symptoms and such for the help of any odyclub'ers.
++Current Symptoms++
Will shift okay sometimes when in D4. But, about 75% of the time it will do this:
*from a stop, it refuses to go into first with slow and normal gas pedal push. Seems like it takes an extra few seconds to engage in 1st. Sometimes it will be 2000rpm. Sometimes 3000 rpm. Sometimes it feels like it was stuck in 2nd and didn't downshift to 1st.
*From 1st to 2nd from a dead stop, sometimes the delay+higherRPM, maybe 1+ second and sometimes revving to 3000-4000rpm. But, other times, I'll accelerate slowly and it shifts, but very clunky/hard (at 1500-200rpm)
*From 2nd to 3rd, same two symptoms above (delay+highRPM and clunky), but also some stuttering where it can't decide whether to be in 2nd or 3rd
*3fd to 4th is good 90% of the time. Sometimes a more than millisecond delay.
While I am in 3rd or 4th gear, there is no problems staying in that gear.
TCS light comes on always about 3-15 minutes into driving.
++Workaround++
In city driving, I start at the "2" setting in the gearbox, which limits it to 1st and 2nd. It usually does fine, and if I stay under 35mph, feels fine. Maybe 5%of the time, it is slow to start in 1st gear.
Occasionally, I will drive in "1", and then shift to "2". This almost always works.
Driving in D4 is dangerous when merging onto highways. I will sometimes lose power when trying to merge. So I mostly avoid highways. It also helps I am in Topeka, Kansas, which has less traffic.
++Hypothesis++
I think it is the shift solenoids (fingers crossed) and will look into those filters. This is because some shifting is okay, but sometimes it is slow.
A second thought is clogged transmission lines, which may cause some loss of fluid when shifting. This is consistent with the shifting starting out fine for the first 2 minutes (sometimes), but then is difficult later.
A third thought is that this might be normal transmission end-of-life for a 2000 odyssey.
++Background++
My dad was "loose" with the maintenance, and I think I replaced the transmission fluid the first time at about 130k in 2020. (He may have gotten a 60k service on his vehicle, not sure.) I did get burning transmission fluid when climbing some hills in northern California dirt roads, which prompted me to change the fluid. I did a second drain and refill in 2022, just last week.
I used Valvoline Synthetic Maxlife (dextron vi) for a fluid replacement. Wasn't too much shavings the first time. More shavings on the second drain and refill.
There isn't a secondary filter, but I might add a magnafine. I have it, but am not sure I want to use it until I figure out what is up. What do you think? Lastly, do you put the magnafine before the radiator of after the radiator?
The solenoid tip is helpful. I am only getting the intermittent, so hope it is a solenoid 1 or 2 issue.
