I have a 2004 Honda Element with 115,000 miles. The transmission is going. Is it worth it to put another transmission in it? How long does a rebuilt transmission last?
Transmissions can and often do last for several hundred’s of thousands of miles. This is an automatic, I take it?
It requires maintenance. As I’m sure many here will second, you need to get it serviced every 30K miles. That will include a fluid/filter change, if it can be done, a fluid exchange at the very least. When was the last time yours was serviced, if ever?
Edit: There doesn’t appear to be a filter available. The fluid exchange will also require Honda’s special fluid.
If the rest of the car is in good shape, and you want to keep it, then go for an exchange.
Following chaissos’s train of thought: Another poster changed the transmission fluid after waiting too long, and found that the transmission shifted better. If it has been longer than 30,000 miles, you might try draining and replacing the fluid. It will only be about $60 if you have someone do it. Don’t have the fluid flushed. Honda tells us in our owner’s manuals not to do it. And besides, it costs almost twice as much to have it flushed. If it doesn’t work, you aren’t out much money. But if it does, you saved yourself around $3000.
First, my Element is an automatic. The hesitation problem first appeared 2 years ago when I had 85,000 miles on the car. Honda recommended a Dynamic Transmission Flush which I did and the problem seemed to resolve itself. However, they also thought it was probably the transmission and I should just drive it into the ground. Now, two years and 30,000 miles later the problem had come back. Should I do the flush again or the complete drain? What is the difference and can doing either make the problem worse? The manual suggests replacing the fluid at 6 years or 120k and then every 90k miles or 5 years. Can doing it too soon be a problem? Thank you for your thoughts. Clearly, I am in over my head.
Doing it sooner is highly recommended by almost every regular here at 30K intervals.
I’m not quite sure what the difference is, but I would imagine their “Dynamic Transmission Flush” is a fluid exchange, and the “complete drain” is a drain, and fill (which won’t get the fluid in the torque converter changed). That’s my supposition, though, not a fact.
If you can drop the cash (I imagine it will be in the $150-$200 area or so), I’d give the exchange a shot first. It may fix it for another however-many-miles, and stave off the replacement. The damage was mostly done before you had the first “flush” at 85K, as that’s when it was really almost due for it’s second one.
Best of luck,
Chase