1998 Honda Accord, replace transmission or just torque converter control solenoid?

My beloved 1998 Honda Accord EX (4 door, V-6) had a transmission replacement at 181,000 original miles. The replacement transmission, installed by a Honda dealership, had to be replaced just 12,000 miles and 6 months later. Now, barely 2 years and 31,000 miles later, I’m being told that there is a problem with the torque converter control and I need another transmission replacement. Honda’s policy is that the warranty on the second replacement part was only what was left of the warranty on the first replacement part, so it is out of warranty. Having been unemployed for over a year, I cannot pay almost $3000 for another transmission in this, my only car. The owner of a transmission shop has told me that it might be the TCC solenoid, not the TCC itself, that needs to be replaced, in which case I’m looking at buying a $150 part instead of a $2000 replacement transmission. But his diagnostic system does not work on a car built that long ago. Can anyone tell me how I can find out if it is just the solenoid or the TCC itself that is bad? By the way, the transmission does not misbehave during normal driving, only occasionally when accelerating aggressively such as entering a busy interstate highway.

TRAAAANNSMAAAAAN…Where are you? There’s a guy on here named “Transman”…he’s very sharp about cars and the like…He’s even sharper on Transmissions…he can tell you whats up

I am thinking that you got a rebuilt transmission then? A new Honda tranny would never fail like this…however a rebuilt one might…usually does.

Don’t you have a button on the shifter to lock out the torque convertor lockout feature? What happens when you use this? Does the trans react to you pushing that button?

Honda does not have that button.

No button? I had one on all my automatic Hondas…Hmmm… Wonder why Oh well…

How are they determining that the transmission is bad and needs to be replaced?? Is the fluid burned up?? Is the converter clutch locking up or not locking up?? A converter clutch not locking up can and will cause the transmission to overheat. Can you fill us in a little more on whats going on??

transman

HB, on our 93 Civic and our 97 Accord, the only button on the stick is for getting it out of park.

I guess the last Automatic Honda I have owned was my ol 89’ Prelude…and I had a button…Yay!..I actually found myself using it frequently on steep grades

The fluid looks normal, and the car shifts normally almost all the time. The only symptom was not shifting when accelerating aggressively to get onto interstate until letting off the accelerator, then it shifted. The diagnosis so far is based only on the computer code P0740. Could a faulty TCC solenoid trigger that code, or does that code necessarily mean the TCC itself is bad? Thanks for any advice you can offer.

Hello. Just wondering what about your Honda. Did you fix the tcc or change the transmission? My 98 Honda accord is having the same problem and has the same code. Please let me know what worked for you! Thanks.