[pup975]

I've got a 2011 Touring. After 3 days of driving it, my wife experience a sudden jerking motion when the car shifted from 1st to 2nd gear and from 2nd to 3rd gear. I told her to pull over and restart the car. Once she pulled over, the check engine light came on but the jerking stopped. We took it to the dealer and they found nothing wrong after checking all of the connections and even calling Honda to make sure there was nothing else they could do.

However, since then, we've noticed a few things that we aren't sure are normal:

1) When the car downshifts from 4th to 3rd and 3rd to 2nd, the tachometer jumps a little. You can't feel anything when braking but when you're coasting, you can feel the car give a slight "pull back" feeling which is the only way I can describe it. It's probably a jerk but since the jump is slight, it doesn't feel like a full jerk.

2) When the car is driving around 30-40 mph, at times the tachometer revs up to about 2-2.5K RMPs and then will suddenly drop by about 1K RPMs. The shifting just doesn't seem as smooth. However, I can't always reproduce this and don't know if it's just the way I'm driving.

Since we only had it a few days before the check engine light came on, we didn't really pay attention too much to how it drove. We've put about 1000 miles on it since the check engine light came on and it hasn't reappeared and otherwise seems to be driving ok.

 

[OdyDudy]

Sounds normal to me.

 

[jbrain1]

Sounds normal to me.

Not to me. BRAND NEW car with the check engine light on?

NOT good.

 

[MFLetou]

Well, very few have any experience with the 6-speed. I did read in some reviews that it seemed "harsher" shifting. I have a 5 speed in my EX-L so I can't comment, but I guess my point is that no too many people really know what "normal" is yet for that transmission.

 

[Snobike Mike]

That does not sound right.

Keep an eye on it and take it back to the dealer the moment it happens again.

 

[PhilZJ]

your item 1) sounds fairly normal the rpms didn't match perfectly when it downshifted, and it shifts a bit early to try to help with the braking, hence the small jolt and the rpm increase.

your item 2) is only abnormal because of the 500rpm change.
I do expect a bit of a rev up when the van shifts gears, but 500 rpm sounds a bit much.

for what it's worth in my 2001 Acura CL typeS, I had some odd shifting issues, where it wouldn't shift at the correct shift points at all (it held gears for untill 4krpm, then slammed into the next gear). This was actually not caused by a faulty transmission, it was just a faulty throttle positioning sensor. However, there are some criticall differences between my old CL and the van, the first one being the van is drive by wire, the CL was the good ole cable link.

best of luck, and honestly, it might have just been an odd sensor anomaly.

 

[BigBoat]

As per your point 1) this gen Odyssey auto transmission definitely feels different from other cars I've driven (especially when going uphill/downhill) so it might be related to the grade logic control:

The Honda Grade Logic Control technology is designed to hold the vehicle in a lower gear when climbing or descending a steep grade for improved performance.

I posted this "2011 Honda Odyssey Powertrain" summary some time ago. After reading it, all the weird behaviors I felt started to make sense (especially the tranny and the VCM ones)

2011 Honda Odyssey: Powertrain

 

[vqdriver]

which code did it throw?

 

[richysh]

correct me if ive read your post wrong but here are my answers.

1) RPM is supposed to rise whenever it downshifts.

2) The grade logic could have kicked in and held the rev there,

and when it sensed that it didnt need that logic anymore, it

upshifted the tranny. And it seems like this tranny likes to drive

in the lower rpm range. ours always shifts as early as

1800-2000 rpm. Especially at 48mph. It will stay in 5th gear

till then, and it upshifts to 6th gear and the rpm drops to

1400rpm. It upshifts to 6th gear at 48 mph, but it will actually

stay there till 40 mph then it drops back to 5th gear, which

jumps the rpm by around 600-800rpm.

 

[pup975]

The code that was given was 0796 that has something to the Pressure Control Solenoid Valve. They did the Pressure Control Solenoid Valve test, they drained the transmission fluid, and checked all of the PIN connectors at the control valves. Nothing was found.

Definitely will take it back immediately if something happens again, but I didn't know whether or not what I'm experiencing is normal or not. It sounds like what I may be experiencing is the Grade Logic Control, especially with #2 since I can't reproduce it every time and it seems like it is when I'm coasting down a hill or going up a hill and not with just normal acceleration.

I'll keep an eye out on it and post with any updates. If anyone else has any other thoughts, let me know. I still may take it back to the dealer just to have them tell me everything is ok.

 

[teamTMS]

Does NOT sound right to me either. You shouldn't get an engine check light unless the computer sensed something wrong.

 

[pup975]

Update

As an update. I've put another 1000 miles on the Odyssey and the check engine light hasn't come on. Took the van to the dealer to check out the "jump" that I get when slowing down. The service tech guy rode with me to let me show him what I was experiencing. He did confirm that this was the grade logic that was doing this. He says that he's gotten this complaint the most from Odysseys and Accords.

 

[teamTMS]

What is the "grade logic" you are talking about?

 

[richysh]

Whenever you're inclining a hill, the tranny wouldn't upshift till you're out of that hill, and when you're going down a hill, the tranny would downshift when you apply your brake the whole time, to prevent the wear on your brake components.

 

[BigBoat]

Yup, a Honda/Acura thing in selected models, here is a down-to-earth summary:

 

[oddy03]

Well, very few have any experience with the 6-speed. I did read in some reviews that it seemed "harsher" shifting. I have a 5 speed in my EX-L so I can't comment, but I guess my point is that no too many people really know what "normal" is yet for that transmission.

Reviews and actually driving it are two diff things. The 6 spd auto Oddy is faster and has better performance at all speeds if you hit the gas hard than the 5 spd Oddy and gets 1 mpg better. Driving my touring 6spd vs 5 spd exl confirms this. Honda should have made the 6spd auto STD I'm sure they will by 2012 or later. The 5 spd is yesterday's technology and lessens the driving experience of the new Oddy.

 

[BigBoat]

Reviews and actually driving it are two diff things.

And that is because the reviewers don't drive it? Interesting

 

[mjody]

What is the "grade logic" you are talking about?

It has been in use on H/A vehicles for nearly twenty years. Controls trans shifting.

 

[oddy03]

And that is because the reviewers don't drive it? Interesting

There is an old adage, never believe everything you read, esp. with automotive reviews. Many are biased and just looking to nit pick every little thing. It's best to drive both yourself, 5spd vs 6spd and come to your own conclusions.

 

[teamTMS]

thanks for the info guys!