Hey folks. So after taking my car to five different mechanics who either told me this is normal or this and this causes the issue. I am seeking your help. I bought this car 4 months ago and it had 55,000 miles and have only put 3500 miles on it-mostly highway. I didn't feel this when I test drove it but this transmission has to be the most awful one built. I can feel every single gearshift and especially between gears two and three; the whole car kicks. Between gears three and four it isn't as bad. The thing that really drives me nuts is when coasting or slowing down to a red light and the car is downshifting it feels like you are downshifting too soon in a manual i.e. engine braking. Also, when shifting from park to drive there is a two second delay. You can feel it engage the gear, wait two seconds, and then it kicks the drive gear in. Initially they said there was too much transmission fluid but that didn't fix it. After that they said the engine mounts were bad and that the engine vibrations and moving could cause the transmission changes to be rough, so I had those fixed. There are no engine lights, no warning lights whatsoever but something is definitely wrong. I drove three other cars with the exact same engine and transmission at two different dealerships and not one of them did this downshifting thing. If anyone has any idea what this is, pressure gage, solenoid etc. please let me know. Luckily I have an extended warranty until 98k. Please post only if you actually know what the issue is as my warranty allows me to mess around with the transmission myself also. I realized know this may be the wrong section of the forum and cannot find how to move it, I apologize for this. Thanks in advance for your responses.

 

Transmissions are tough to diagnose. Be leary if someone suggests the issue and a part to change without giving you a way to diagnose. I was thinking to suggest you check the engine and transmission mounts when first reading your description until I got to where they were already replaced.

I'd start with the simple maintenance stuff first. Has the transmission fluid been changed (can't remember the interval for your car) and was Honda automatic transmission fluid used?

If you drain some fluid, look for metal pieces or any debris in the fluid. A good suggestion is to use a pickle jar lid with the white background to inspect transmission fluid. You only need about a teaspoon of fluid to do a quick inspection using this method.

Stop by a parts store and have them scan for codes, or scan for codes yourself if you have a code reader. There are some transmission codes that will not cause the D4 light to flash, but you will still have a code.

 

Thanks for the input PAhonda. Whenever the snow ends this week I'll try the fluid drain. I checked the transmission dipstick and didn't notice anything odd about the fluid. fluid was changed right when I bought it.

All places scanned and said they could not see a code or anything. But what your saying about D4 is interesting and I will mention your input.

I might try to take a video of what is happening as you can see the rev (mini) spike when it downshifts. As of today it has also started the occasional mega jerk when it can't decide whether to be in 3 or 4.

 

Sorry to hear, my '99 V6 Coupe 77k. miles exhibited similar tendencies, not to quite the extent of your '05., I changed the fluid all 12 liters 3 liters at a time (drove 15 minutes drain 3 liters, refill and done this 4 times, no metal filings) made absolutely no difference in the shift patterns, this car is extremely well maintained and driven softly, yet transmission issues apparently are inherent to Accords especially the V6's (Odysseys are even worse because of their weight) I chose to have the tranny rebuilt and the difference is amazing, shifts are seamless, upshift or downshifts, absolutely was worth the cost for me, charged $2400.00 by going straight to a reputable Honda Dealer recommended shop, that included re:& re and they allowed me to watch as the tranny was being rebuilt.
In hindsight, if I had Googled "transmission problems with 6th Gen Honda Accords" and read the write up on this model, I definitely wouldn't have made the purchase, having said that, after the rebuild and the low mileage of my car I'm happy, although $2400 lighter.