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Gear Shifting issue on my beloved Auto '03 2.4 Accord

ilzinho

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Accord 2.4 ex auto
Hi Everyone,

I'm new to the forum, hoping to find some help on an issue that has my mechanic (ex Honda) and a auto gearbox specialist stumped. Hoping someday I can return the favor and somehow offer valuable advice.

My 2003 Accord has an issue -sometimes- with shifting gear from 3rd to 4th and sometimes 4th to 5th. Sometimes the car is fine. Here's some information:

a. The car has been used on-and-off over the past 2-3 years and therefore has had periods where it has not been driven for months.
b. The problem started appearing around two years ago (about a year after the car was being driven less)
c. The gearbox oil has been replaced and solenoids have been checked
d. What happens... the car will leave 3rd gear and go into neutral (the engine will rev high as the accelerator is depressed as expected while driving an auto), the gear will not shift up into 4th.
e. Sometimes it is all fine, without a problem, I haven't noticed a specific pattern.
f. Sometimes the issue is between 4th and 5th gear.

Diagnosis from my mechanic of 6 years (or, I should say, 'what I understood from what he was explaining to me'):

1.) Checked and cleared all fault codes, there were a few caused by low battery (which has now been replaced). Nothing specifically telling from the fault codes that relate to the gearbox.
2.) The Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) light is on and keeps returning -possible a faulty sensor or other issue.
3.) No fault codes found for the gearbox
4.) Auto gearbox specialist has been consulted who has never come across this specific issue before, he believes it is a combination of two issues: electrical and mechanical.
5.) Recommendation by my mechanic to send off the gearbox ECU for fault diagnosis (I could have misread this part, but I know that 'a' ECU needs to be sent off for diagnosis), to get the electrical side diagnosed and fixed. If this doesn't solve it then it's likely to be a mechanical issue with the gearbox which would be very costly, and probably close to the cost of buying another Accord of the same age!

I'm not sure how to proceed with this. The car runs and runs well, apart from the shifting. it's just been MOT'd too, so I would like to get it up and running.

Any suggestions or advice would be welcomed!

Many thanks in advance
 
Pressure switches could well be failing. There's two, 3rd and 4th, 3rd is the most likely to be failing. You have to remove the battery and battery tray to access it but it's a plug n play type thing. You'd need to order one from a Honda dealer and they aren't the cheapest thing at £65 each.
 
The automatic transmission is controled by the engine computer, there isn't a seperate ecu dedicated for the auto transmission per se.

The problem is likely to be faulty shift solenoids.

There's threads in the US forums that explains how to replace them.
 
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