Transmission Question

[cariboofisher]

We bought a 2001 Honda Odyssey 3 months ago. The transmission was replaced 70,000kms ago. We were on our way back to town from a day trip when a sound I thought I was hearing the past few days got worse, A real rough sound I could hear from under the engine on the left side. Kind of like metal rubbing is a way to put it (is what it sounds like to me) We stopped in at the Honda dealership and the guy had a few minutes to throw it up on a hoist and after doing some checks he said it was the transmission. He pulled the dipstick and told me to smell it and it smelled like burning oil. All he could tell me (for free and without booking an appointment which would be late next week) is that its my transmission.

What would cause this with a Transmission with only 70,000 kms on it? The van was fully serviced before we bought it. I have left a message with the previous owner to see if the transmission they put in was new or rebuilt and if it by chance had warranty (doubtful as it was installed in 2009 but still only has 70,000 kms on it) And it goes in and out of gear fine but when in park and in any gear theres a bad sound coming from the front

Anyone else ever have issues like this? I have been researching online and it seems This vehicle had major tranny issues with there 1999-2001 models and there was a suite filed against Honda for it. Now expired though.

Any input?

[wildmeat]

a freind of mine had a honda crv and he had the same problem... every 50 000 k it would go through a tranny... i guess them models have poor or no cooling system at all for the tranny so they overheat and start burning out clutches and bands

thats unfortunate... i hope it isnt to expensive of a repair for you

[Paul]

I can't speak specifically on it but if that's an issue and you have to do the tranny maybe a small aftermarket cooler would be in order.

[cariboofisher]

Yeah I cant believe it, should have looked into this model more. Wrote off our car when I hit a moose a few months ago, now this LOL

Looks like once I get back to work ill invest in a different and newer vehicle

[BruceW]

My only advice would be if you're going to change the tranny stay far, far away from a dealership.  Buy a used one with 3 mo. warranty from a wrecker and have a local mechanic change it for you.  I'd guess(just a guess) a new aluminum/alloy tranny is likely thousands;  one out of a wreck with warranty will be hundreds.   I'm certain others may disagree with that advice, but for the price of a new one I'd wager you can go through 5 or 6 used ones.  I've never had to change more than one in a vehicle.

Automatic tranny's are like helicopters, thousands of moving parts sort of loosely staying within the confines of the case.  And yes, if the oil smells burnt, it's fubar, or soon to be so.
Some newer tranny's will last forever if you change the oil/filter every year or every 10000K or so.  Don't and they'll fail.   
Sorry for your problem but don't dispair too much, when the tranny failed on our chev 1500 w/ tow pkg I found out chev put's the same tranny in their, "trucks" as they do in their little pretend 4x4 square sh&tboxes designed to never leave a parking lot.  Gee, wonder why they fail?

[wildmeat]

and before you go buy a tranny from a wrecker which i would do as well only after you see how much a rebuild on yours is... get them to put a little higher pressure valves in it so that its not sliding into each gear... its gonna throw u back in your seat a bit each time it shifts but its ALOT easier on your tranny...  and when you change your filter i was told to reuse your old oil in the tranny as long as it isnt burnt... high performance tranny guy told me that putting brand new oil in is hard on parts... smth to do with viscosity and stuff

[cariboofisher]

would changing the tranny fluid right now help any or give it that extra bit of life?

[wildmeat]

thats a tough one... im gonna say no... not if the damage is done

what i dont understand is what is making the grinding noise in the tranny tho...  does it still shift ok? do you still have reverse and all the gears?  you dont have a broken cv axle instead or smth along those lines do you?

[cariboofisher]

thats a tough one... im gonna say no... not if the damage is done

what i dont understand is what is making the grinding noise in the tranny tho...  does it still shift ok? do you still have reverse and all the gears?  you dont have a broken cv axle instead or smth along those lines do you?

The noise sounds like a grinding kind of sound when its in park and neutral only, and when it goes into those gears, also notice it when were driving but it doesnt make that sound all the time that I noticed. . I took it to Honda and the guy said its the transmission and took the dipstick and you could smell the burning oil and the fluid is not really red like it was just a few weeks ago. If I wanted to know more then I had to book the van in to Honda and they were booking into the end of the month