I've got a 2002 SE Accord with just under 100k miles. I bought the car second hand not too long ago so previous details on the work done to it are little to none. The car drives great except one issue that I've noticed so far.

When accelerating from a stop the car will sometimes jerk forward a little bit. Had it even chirp the tires once. It is an automatic transmission. It doesn't do this every time moving from a stop either.

The car shifts through all other gears up hill and down hill no problem. No issues coming to a stop either. The DTC Codes it has are P0700 and a P1738.

Also while moving the gear between Reverse, Neutral, and D4 the car will sometimes jerk slightly as well. It has no issues switching between any of the Drive gears though (D4, D3, 3, 1).

Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

First the p0700 just tells you there is a transmission problem. p1738 is 2nd gear clutch pressure switch. I would first check your transmission fluid. Replace it with Honda/Acura brand auto trans fluid if you want.

If you have a detailed manual look for the troubleshooting procedure. You may end up replacing a part. But if its a switch there may just be a circuit issue- a wire that needs cutting and replacing. Others can chime in, Im not too experienced with autos but your range switch may be the culprit. You can check continuity between its terminals. Grounds are important.

 

V6 or 4cyl?

The symptoms that you listed are not good signs, these transmissions are among the all time worst for failure rates.

Try changing your fluid with the honda fluid as stated above, if this doesn't affect any change then I'd start saving up for a rebuild. About $2500.

If things get worse you can expect to see the following symptoms (they might come in various orders)
1.) Slipping clutch feeling between shifts, starting from a stop and/or during acceleration
2.) Harsher shifts (sounds like you are already dealing with this)
3.) Delayed downshift into 1st gear - this is like if you come to a stop count to three then feel it clunk into first gear.
4.) Eventual loss of gears, mine stopped engaging 1st gear all together. It can happen to any gear first is the most common though.

If you start to experiance more symptoms that I have listed above (other than your current condition) you can expect the transmission to last 1 week to 2 months. But once the conditions start building up the failure will happen faster and faster. Highway driving, while these conditions exist, can expedite the failure.

 

It's the 4cyl, ULEV Vtec (F23A4). Also after climbing in a different car and shifting through Park, Drive, Neutral, and Reverse, it's not an issue with my car. I was already worried about the transmission so I assumed it was really jerking but its not. Had to just try it again immediately after trying it on another automatic, to tell that it was normal.

I've been searching around this forum and others, and have read that the p1738 code can be resolved by replacing the pressure switch if it's defective. I'll also look into the connections and wiring to the switch first. After I resolve that issue I'm hoping it will correct the initial shifting into first, since that is the only moment the transmission shows any issue occasionally.

Right now I'm in the process of replacing an o2 sensor to resolve some other codes.

I would be interested in draining the ATF, and filling a couple times to wash out the old fluid which is a little on the dark side but not terrible. Could anyone direct me/recommend any sites to purchase genuine Honda ATF fluid?

Thank you for the help and I'll be sure to keep everyone updated as to the status of the issue as I make changes. Thankfully I have another car temporarily so I won't have to put any unnecessary wear/strain on the transmission till I make the repairs.

Any other thoughts or recommendations are always appreciated. Thanks.

 

Your honda dealer. They're actually not too expensive when it comes to the fluids. I dont touch dealers with a ten foot pole unless I need to buy genuine fluid.

Cheaper than online cuz of shipping cost.

So start there and check the grounds for the switch. Switches dont often go bad, its the electrical connections and grounds are notorious for causing problems. You need a multimeter and to check continuity at the connector and follow the ground wire.

Start out with the simple stuff before letting a complete trans swap scare you. Its not too likely just yet.

 

I'll confirm what was said about the bad transmissions. I had an 03 on its third when I sold it. There were recalls. The service manager at a Honda dealership can pull service records with the VIN number if you want to see if this car had a recall. If you have to replace the tranny, DON'T get one from 1999-2006. You'd be replacing a faulty transmission with another faulty transmission.

 

To be objective, this is mixing different apples and different oranges.

The OP's car is a 6th generation Accord 4 cylinder with a F23 engine (2.3 liters).

Many of the automatic transmission problems for 6th generation Accords were related to the V6.

7th generation Accord 4 cylinders in the U.S. had the K24 engine (2.4 liters); different engine and transmission than the 6th generation Accord 4 cylinder.

The recall for automatic transmissions were for the certain V6 (not all) for model year 2003 and 2004.

 

^this is why I drive a stick

 

the same transmission was used for the F23a1 and a4, they were just less prone to rapid failure because of the lack of extra power.

I have a feeling there are going to be a good amount of threads popping up regarding trans failure for the 4 cyl soon.

 

My moms f23a1 has a range switch code. I figure its just an electrical issue as well. Not too concerned about a complete transmission failure. No recalls about the transmission though.