# 2005 Pilot "shudders"

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/2005-pilot-shudders/39013>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** pilot, transmissions, honda\
**Created:** [November 4, 2009, 12:22am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2005-pilot-shudders/39013 "2009-11-04T00:22:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![auto-mated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/839c29/32.png) [@auto-mated](https://community.cartalk.com/u/auto-mated)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2009, 12:22am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2005-pilot-shudders/39013/1 "2009-11-04T00:22:38Z")

</div>

Recently my Pilot with 93K miles has developed an intermittent “shudder” when very gradually accelerating between 30-35 mph. If I am accelerating more quickly this never happens, and if I depress or back off the accelerator during one of these episodes the “shudder” stops. If I hold the accelerator steady during a “shudder” episode the car can begin to buck pretty violently. The problem also seems to occur more frequently when the car has warmed up. Help!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mcparadise](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mcparadise/32/32_2.png) [@mcparadise](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mcparadise)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2009, 12:34am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2005-pilot-shudders/39013/2 "2009-11-04T00:34:17Z")

</div>

You’re going to have to be more descriptive of the “shudder.”

Is this "shudder’ near a transmission shift point? Is there anything at all that corresponds with the “shudder?”

Does it feel like an engine misfire or a transmission issue?

Has the “check engine light,” or “malfunction indicator light” ever come on?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![auto-mated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/839c29/32.png) [@auto-mated](https://community.cartalk.com/u/auto-mated)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2009, 12:42am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2005-pilot-shudders/39013/3 "2009-11-04T00:42:22Z")

</div>

The shudder feels like you’re riding on highway shoulder warning strip. It doesn’t feel like a misfire, more like a trans issue and it does seem to be where the trans shifts from 2nd to 3rd, like the trans can’t quite make up its mind what gear it wants to be in. No warning light ever comes on.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Xebadaih](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/d07c76/32.png) [@Xebadaih](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Xebadaih)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2009, 12:57am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2005-pilot-shudders/39013/4 "2009-11-04T00:57:22Z")

</div>

My money is on CV joints.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![circuitsmith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/circuitsmith/32/40376_2.png) [@circuitsmith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/circuitsmith)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2009, 2:51pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2005-pilot-shudders/39013/5 "2009-11-04T14:51:58Z")

</div>

Could be the torque converter lockup clutch.

This was found in another Honda, discussed in a recent thread.

Solution was a change of transmission fluid.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![cigroller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c68b51/32.png) [@cigroller](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cigroller)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2009, 2:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2005-pilot-shudders/39013/6 "2009-11-04T14:55:56Z")

</div>

I’m with circuitsmith - especially if the trans hasn’t been regularly serviced (new filter/clean pan every 30K).