Trans. jerks when starting from dead stop - Honda Accord

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We've had this '02 Accord since '05, has 230k on it, had the auto transmission rebuilt about 2-3 years ago. It's been running very well. Lately it's started getting kinda jerky or grabby when starting out from a dead stop into first gear. Slight delay before it goes and when it does, it jerks a bit more than it should. Is that something adjustable or are we looking at expensive transmission work again?

The fluid seems fine. I checked the level and thought it might be low so I got a quart of correct Honda stuff but upon rechecking exactly as specified in the manual (and on a flat surface) it was not low. Color is OK too.

We did have a very similar symptom after the rebuild and the transmission shop (which we believe is good although not cheap, and recommended by our long time mechanic) said they missed a crack in the 1st gear 'drum'. They took it apart again and replaced the part for free. Worked great after that. Not sure how a cracked gear could cause that but I'm not a transmission expert.

If it was a manual trans it would feel like you let out the clutch too fast into 1st gear. It shifts fine into all the other gears though.

Thoughts? Before I call up the transmission guys again.
 
DIY is probably the only affordable option to keep going, so you need the factory manual first. Maybe the best option is to find another car with a std. trans. for conversion (given Honda's AT history) or use the better
car which is hopefully the one with the std! If you have the room you will gain a parts car also!
 
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Just a thought. Have you tried putting the selector in 1st to start and then shift to drive after starting?
 
i would first check kick down cable then start suspecting solenoids in the box . i dont work on autos so dont know much about them . i know someone on ak that knows them well . cant remember his name though .
 
Trans slippage can be any number of things, we're just shooting in the dark. Need to get it to a shop where they can put it on the machine to narrow down whether the issue is electronic or mechanical. Probably mechanical in this case, sorry to say, but again that is only a guess.
 
i remember when my plymouth fury one slipped it was new box time . front clutch burned out . it was strange though as was fine before dropping off the kerb . short term fix was new fluid and filter wash .
 
LOL.Just be patient there,s someone on here that works on trannys and I'm sure he will be along as long as he,s still on here.
 
whether its same hot or cold might lend a clue . have an auto to look at here that behaves ok when warmed up but jerks from cold . am told its a solenoid valve problem .common issue on that car which is a Citroen so yours may or not be same fault .
this problem has mostly likely been solved on the car specific forums .
 
nearly got a job when i was about 15 maybe 16 rebuilding torque converters . was cut open on lathe . remove guts .install new guts the weld back together . looked too much for me at the time .
 
It's the same whether cold or warmed up. I drove it myself on Sunday and paid attention to that.
 
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a study of how they work might help . sorry cant help there . all i know its all down to fluid pressure and clutches .
 
Member KutzlerTrans does this for a living. Last activity was 1/14. Maybe on vacation? Try sending him a message and see if he can offer advice.
 
I had a body throttle sensor go out on a Honda 2002 CRV. Your symptoms sound similar. It is a little sensor mounted on an $800 piece of plastic, or so I was told at the time. Another symptom is stalling. Mine was doing the jerks and then I had a dead stall right on the exit off-ramp of I-15.
 
We've had this '02 Accord since '05, has 230k on it, had the auto transmission rebuilt about 2-3 years ago. It's been running very well. Lately it's started getting kinda jerky or grabby when starting out from a dead stop into first gear.
Which transmission? (Or, is it 4- or 6-cylinder?)

If it's the V6, it likely has the B7XA which proved problematic--my daughter's has been acting up since we got it in September, but it is for the very common issue shifting into and out of 2nd. However, it has not been getting worse. I checked most of the transmission's solenoids and they all tested properly, but, I also did not remove them. One of the gaskets on a set of solenoids has a filter screen on it that might be gummed up. This was interesting though. When I first checked the fluid, it was way overfilled. When I drained it, I wiped a lot of "goop" off of the drainage plug (which is magnetic). However, there were no metal shavings. It makes me wonder if some asshat used non-Honda fluids in the trans. And it also makes me wonder exactly what is gummed up inside, similarly. If the filter inside the transmission is gooped up, that means it has to be dropped and disassembled. And at that point, might as well replace the clutch packs and do a rebuild. If I were lucky, cleaning any of the screens and passages for the solenoids would cure it.

Is your MIL (engine malfunction indictator light) on? Or is the [D4] on the gear indicator on the dashboard flashing? Either will point to possible problems, and the codes can be read with an OBD-II reader. Also, for kicks, try taking off with the car in [2] (as that locks the transmission into 2nd gear) and see if it grabs/jerks. The factory service manual has a lengthy troubleshooting procedure, but if you're not up for getting under the hood and/or testing things, it won't do you much good. ;)

I was almost tempted to pull the tranny myself and rebuild it, but I don't have the equipment, nor the room to work on it unless I tossed out half of everything in the garage to get at the workbench. She needs a car to get to school, but at least I should have a spare available in a month or two she can use if it craps out.
 
4 cylinder, no indicator lights or flashing gear indicator. If we had any of that we'd probably have taken it in immediately to avoid catastrophic damage from driving it.

Wife is going to try manual gear selection as suggested in a couple posts.

Thanks for the links Shominy, I normally do that too but sometimes AK's motorheads have some great info plus you guys are more fun to talk to than Google. :)
 
Yikes there are numerous reports all over the web about Honda transmissions 1998-2002 (ours is an '02) shifting rough or even worse problems like refusing to shift up on freeway ramps or suddenly shifting down into low gears on the highway. :yikes: This is pretty depressing since we spent $1900 getting it completely rebuilt a couple years ago when it wouldn't shift into overdrive on the highway. Time to call the tranny shop.
 
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