Junk it or fix it? The 2004 Odyssey edition.

Nobody's gonna recommend that Miata swap kit and a crapped out NA?

In reply to wheelsmithy:

Wait, I already have the Miata half of that equation.

EDIT: Except for the "crapped out" part. Unless you consider a stock 1.8 NA "crapped out" from the factory.

Ranger50 wrote:

ebonyandivory wrote: How can Honda, Saturn, Ford (Taurus etc.) put out such junk transmissions? I've ranted about this several times before but it still irks me.

Every manufacturer has a few "goose eggs" in their transmission lines, right along with every other component. I can't tell you how many GM 700/4L60/440T4/4T60's, Ford E4OD/AOD/AXOD's, Chrysler FWD variants, etc, I have had to fix over the years. I still like the 6spd manual swap idea...

Yeah, but when my 4L60E crapps out after 160k I can swap in a rebuilt unit for $1000 and a weekend of work.

We also have an '03, and haven't had any slippage in 125K miles...yet. I would do some searching on odyclub for some advice on how to deal with it. Personally, I plan on keeping ours and replacing the trans if and when.

I'm surprised no one has suggested an LS4 and its mating transmission...

atm92484 wrote: I'm surprised no one has suggested an LS4 and its mating transmission...

This is an equally excellent idea.

wae wrote: It may be that there are just a ton of trans shops out there that are no good

This. And even some of the best ones still believe that there is a one size fits all fluid so that is all they use. Wrong fluid will kill a Honda dead every time. I don't care what the bottle says it will work on, if it didn't come from the dealership it's snake oil.

In reply to kazoospec:

seconding what someone else mentioned re. find out from Honda if it was subject to recall or extended warranty.

my '03 Ody got a new trans at 44k miles for a NHTSA recall due to poor internal lubrication of one gear. honda installed a new trans with revised lubrication, and that trans had 212k on it when we traded the '03 for a '10 Ody.

AngryCorvair wrote: In reply to kazoospec: seconding what someone else mentioned re. find out from Honda if it was subject to recall or extended warranty. my '03 Ody got a new trans at 44k miles for a NHTSA recall due to poor internal lubrication of one gear. honda installed a new trans with revised lubrication, and that trans had 212k on it when we traded the '03 for a '10 Ody.

Well, I'll definitely ask, since there's really no harm in it, but most posters on this site http://www.odysseytransmission.com/ (Yes, there's a website for Odyssey owners with crapped out transmissions) in the past year or two seem to be being told to "go fly a kite" by Honda.

I think it makes sense to fix it, as long as the fix is permanent. Do the rebuilt transmissions have the design issue fixed? Or are they just freshened to factory spec? If its a perma-fix, pay the $, drive the van another 150k. If its not and there is that risk of it failing again? I'd probably disclose the trans issues selling on CL, then buy the most reliable machine I could for the same money.

With only a little over 100k miles, I would fix it. Of the people in the know I've talked with you need to have a Honda sourced transmission put in, not let some small shop rebuild it.

I would personally ask if Aamco or another big name transmission shop can rebuild it and it be a permanent fix. It should be around $2K max. If theirs isn't, I would look at buying the Toyota or Nissan minivan. I would sell it for cheap, not junk it.

I would do the 3x drain and fill with Honda fluid and re-evaluate things (make sure the torque converter locks up in between drains). Also check your motor mounts, as they can cause driveline issues if they're bad enough. This is coming from someone who has an '05 Odyssey and spends a bunch of time on OdyClub

Call Honda consumer affairs. If you are the original owner and can show that you maintained the vehicle, Honda might help you. What could it hurt to give Honda a call?