Yeah! I think. I just got my 97 honda accord Se 221,000k miles on it back from a shop that rebuilt the car's transmission ( honda parts), new
converter, timing belt and water pump rebuilt honda part $1800 USD!
I drove it around for about 30 miles and parked it last night.
Today I noticed 2 puddles under the car and brought it back to the shop. They said they did not tighten the filter clamp ( a temporary filter that collects any debris before it gets back into the trans.) They tightened the clamp and that leak seems to be corrected now. They said I had an oil leak too ( did not notice this before I took it there for the trans job) (I am not sure what it is called) but they said the leak is coming from the back of the large metal container where you put the oil in) I call it the oil pan but I do not think that is what they called it...they said the seal is bad. Could they have caused this issue in doing the above work? My confidence in them is not so great right now since they did not notice a pretty visible issue...but they seem to be genuine and honest to me.

Could they have caused this oil leak issue (I had the seal replaced once or twice before but not for about 75K miles) in doing the above work? Still I did not have an oil leak when I brought the car to them.
Also: important
What should I look for to make sure the trans was installed correctly? I had this car for 14 years and can see that everything under the hood is vibrating now and it never did before...they put a new motor mount in but the car has a lot of vibration now..never had before. It also seems to be shifting roughly and the engine is kind of loud. In park you can hardly tell the car is turned on. Could it be the idle or does the timing belt need to be looked at- ...is everything mounted correctly..seriously everything is vibrating and it never did this before when I had the car on and looked under the hood?

(Hey ..Skip below if this is idle chatter to you guys.)They are super nice and half the price of everyone else here so I went to them. They seem hard working and honest to me me. Someone told me they needed a trans a few years ago and the owner let him ( a student) pay monthly until he paid the bill off no interest. I figured the owner was a good person so I thought I would give him my business and he was so much less in price. Two higher priced places.. at least double the cost of what I paid both said and quote "warning you " ..I don't bad mouth anyone but the cheapest is not usually the best." Blah blah I guess this doesn't matter to you guys...anyway.. I just figured the higher priced guys were annoyed because this guy does not charge the exhorbant costs they do. Everyone local ( non-franchise) in the tranmission rebuilding business has been in business for 15- 20 years in this area.

I hope I made the right choice in taking the car to them. I probably would have sold it for $400 if I knew I was going to have to put $1800 into it right now as I was quoted $1200 but things got added..water pump, timing belt,converter. Still less then the cost of just the trans rebuilt at other places..$2200, 2400.

MY QUESTIONS: Could they have caused this oil leak issue (I had the seal replaced once or twice before) in doing the above work?
What should I look for to make sure the trans was installed correctly? I had this car for 14 years and know under the trunk is vibrating now and it never did before...they put a new motor mount in but the car has a lot of vibration now..never had before. It also seems to be shifting roughly and the engine is kind of loud. In park you can hardly tell the car is turned on.

Any feedback is deeply appreciated. THANK YOU!

 

1. Maybe, maybe not. The oil pan could be leaking. But since they replaced the timing belt and water pump, leaks from those components (front balance shaft seal/crankshaft seal/rear balance shaft gear case O-ring) tend to end up dripping off of the back of the oil pan after the car is driven. If the oil pan is leaking, it should be a relatively cheap repair. Perhaps you should have them fix the leak and then they'll be forced to look for leaks at those other sources if the oil pan repair doesn't fix the leak. You've got some negotiating room there if they find leaks involving the work done replacing the timing belt.
2. Which mount was replaced? Automatic transmission cars have a vacuum operated rear mount that reduces vibration when the car is idling in gear. If they replaced that mount with a solid, standard trans car's mount - or if they forgot to hook up the vacuum line - that could cause the vibration you described.
3. IDK about the loud engine...how is it loud? This year Accord's transmissions are famous for "rough shifting". There's a throttle cable that can be adjusted to soften shifts.

$1800 for all that work is a good deal. Take the car back, explain the issues, and give them a chance to make it right.

 

I think the OP is talking about the valve cover. If so, when doing the timing belt work the valve cover had to come off. They should have put a new gasket on IMO.

OP- can you take a picture and show us where the leak is coming from?

What is the idle rpm's when in Park and then in D4?

The sifting issue is a bit hard to call....is it the fact you got use to the way the old one shifted? One thought, there is a "throttle control cable" from the throttle body to the trans. This cable had to come out/off as part of the trans rebuild/replacement. Is it possible that it was not put back on with the proper adjustment?

 

Thank you Poorman and Roader for the
very helpful information. Just to confirm, I am talking about the valve cover/gasket. ( I looked up the term and saw a picture of one.) They told me the valve cover was leaking from the back. I looked under the hood after driving about 30 miles today and it is messy. I will check oil level tomorrow morning when the engine is cool. They did not replace the gasket when they did the timing belt and I asked if they had to do anything with the valve cover when they replaced everything but they really did not answer so I will go in and ask them directly if they had to remove the valve cover when the replaced the timing belt..so odd they would not have told me a gasket needed to be replaced since they had the cover off such an inexpensive part. They told me it would cost me an hour labor plus the part. The owner would probably do this for no charge but his son is starting to take over the business and he is a little different- so I may end up paying for the 1 hour labor and gasket. Annoys me if since you have confirmed they had to take the cover off anyway to do the timing belt job.

I just thought I would mention that when I say the engine is loud and shifting is hard/rough I meant when the trans shifts not the actual shifting from the column from inside the car. I seem to notice the noise and rough shift from engine when going from a moderate speed to a faster speed over 35-50. I have not driven on the interstate yet. I am near I 95 in PA and if you aren't driving 70 you could cause an accident. I just want to make sure the car is road worthy before taking it on the interstate/high speed.
The loud sound is still pretty loud and the shifting from one gear to the next is still rough but it seems a little better. It sounds like I am in a truck but I can deal with loud as ling as everything is running fine. ( Radio can sort of drown it out.)

Trans fluid is still leaking a little on the ground but it could be residual.
I am going to take it back this week and I will have them to replace the gasket on the valve cover. I am going to ask them why they did not replace it to begin with since they had to take the cover off for the timing belt/water pump.

I do not have the net on my phone to take a pic but if I can figure something out I will take a pic and upload.

Thanks again. I will keep you posted.

 

Poorman regarding:
What is the idle rpm's when in Park and then in D4?
I will check tomorrow and let you know. Thanks.

 

Operating idle RPM should be about 700-ish, even when you put it in gear.

If not good, then look for my post in the DIY section about setting the BASE idle.

 

Valve cover gasket leak is their fault. They should repair it for free.

 

Talked to the owner today he said I had the oil leak when I took the car in for service. He did not tell me this when I brought the car in for service. I said you had or remove the valve cover to do the timing belt/water pump so why didn't you replace the gasket at that time? He said they do not remove the valve cover when they do this work. He said I did not want to keep adding to your bill and I said well I still have to pay fro it now and labor. I am bringing the car in tomorrow. I will likely pay the labor on this but I really do not think the oil leak was there when I took the car in for service but I cannot be sure.

The tach stops at the line before 1 when the car is in park idle/ and when it is in D4/idle. (I guess this is around 700?)( There are only 2 lines between 0 and 1 on the tach and three lines between all the other numbers on the tach) (When I first start the car the idle is difference in both cases.)

Need to confirm what mount was replaced tomorrow.
Thanks all.

 

Pretty sure the lines on the tach are like this...

heavy line labeled "1" = 1000rpm
light line = 750rpm
mid-weight line = 500rpm
nothing below that except the peg.

 

Just me and going on memory.

The valve cover goes "over" the upper timing belt cover on this generation Accord. On the drivers side of the car, towards the drivers side wheel, the valve cover fits over the upper timing belt cover.....black plastic cover on that side if the engine. So again, to do the timing belt the valve cover had to come off......if not then ask how they assured that the cam shaft was aligned to TDC for cyl #1 when they changed the timing belt?

Either way, if the leak was there before then....not much to fight about. If it was me and a customers car, I would have charged for a new valve cover gasket. .On my own cars, well I can only yell at myself.

Now, again my memory is bad, if the SE came with vtec - should be right there on the valve cover.....and the oil leak is coming from the "left rear of the valve cover" as you stand under the hood and looking at it.....then it could be from the vtec solenoid o-ring.