I think you have the Honda 5AT. This should be the same trans depicted in the image.
The way I understand it is that now 3rd gear presents the issues. Before the refit of the oil jet, it never got to that stage of fatigue. Sorta in field endurance testing advanced to the next weak link.
I suggest reading this thread
http://tl.acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=721508
I’ve learned by now that you clearly don’t like FWD vehicles or vehicles with timing belts. But this statement is unlikely to be true, i’ve yet to see a properly maintained FWD transmission fail with less than 150k miles. 300k miles? Maybe, but they easily last longer than 150k (at least on vehicles made within the last 25 years). Admittedly there does seem to be a higher than average failure rate on Honda Odyssey’s, but that has been attributed to a design flaw which has nothing to do with whether it is FWD, RWD, or AWD.
My family hasn’t owned a RWD since the seventies and we’ve never replaced a transmission in any vehicle we’ve owned, the oldest FWD that I currently own is a 1989 Honda Accord SE-i with 224,000 miles with original transmission. Has only had fluid changes every 30k miles, doesn’t slip or act up in any way.
It’s also possible that the reason you see more FWD/AWD vehicles in the junkyard is that RWD vehicles seem to be less and less common (at least in cars for sure and for the most part in modern SUVs).
WOW! I could add 3 extra filters and change the fluid every month and it wouldn’t prevent these 2 pressure switches from ruining my $4,000 transmission. I was up until midnight researching this last night. I don’t know why this issue isn’t more prevalent in other Odyssey transmission forums. I’m going to change out my 8 year old sensors. THANKS.
Now what? I’ve talked to two dealers. Both advised against changing the two sensors ahead of time, even when I read them the posts to this link about them failing over time. One of the dealers swears I don’t have an ATF filter to change on a 2003 anyway!! Who do I beleive? Since this started another of my Wife’s coworker’s 2003 odyssey went down at 74,000! Ugh! Both garages are saying I should wait until the check engine light comes on, and if it blinks, that is worse, and should stop driving it ASAP. I got them to admit that they’ve seen alot of oddyseys in their shop for a ruined Trannie…but to no avail.
The dealers are incompetent. You could open the hood and shine a flashlight on the ATF filter sitting right on top of the tranny. For some reason Honda’s policy is to NEVER do anything to a transmission until it fails. Then their only solution is to replace the whole thing for thousands of dollars. I don’t understand it either. You’d think Honda would know by now what causes all the failures and how to prevent them. I changed my own screw-on ATF filter and added an in-line Magnefine filter. Once I find a good deal on those sensors, I’m going to buy them and replace them on my 2002 Odyssey. I’ll probably change those sensors every 75,000 miles as an insurance policy, I have 100,000 on the original tranny now. If you don’t want to work on this yourself, find a good cheaper independent mechanic.
I just gave up on my 2005 Odyssey at 120,000 miles and got rid of it. We were hoping to have it make it to 175,000 miles but the $6,000 of work it needed sealed that deal. We did 30/60/90,000 mile services as well as all other recomended maintenance including the timing belt at 100,000 miles. At 120,000 miles in addition to needing new struts, which was a maintenance issue, the transmission went bad with bands and torque converters and fluid squirting out the side. When they got in to do the transmission they discovered the engine mounts, that are $600 each, had gone bad as well as a rack and pinion that was going bad. In the interest of disclosure this vehicle was in an accident at around 30,000 miles that did around $4,000 dollars damage on the drivers front of the vehicle but other people I have talked to are dealing with the same problems… The oversimplified explanation from a friend of mine as to the problems was that Honda is trying to get the Odyssey to do more than it should be doing. So I bought a Yukon XL!
Could many of the Odyssey trans failures be caused by using non Honda brand fluids when serviced by quick lube and other non dealer service facilities? Just wondering if transman and others think this is part of the problem?
Should have posted this back when, but only thought of it when I got an automatic notice lately from this forum. In June, I had the work done by the dealer where I had bought the van new in 2003. The Spin on filter was there (despite what another dealer had said). They also replaced 3rd gear pressure switch and the 4th, and the transmission fluid of course. Was $400 worth of service. No issues in the next 10,000 miles thus far. Still like the vehicle, only thing I don’t like is that they all “chirp” like a bird…which I think is the noise from the serpentine belt. Will Try to remember to post if my investment does or doesn’t pay off over the years…
The only thing noteworthy about Hondas is that they have slightly fewer horror stories posted than Subarus…