So I been driving my 01 EX Coupe 2.3L automatic for about 2 years with a slipping tranny. I put some Lucas in it about a year and a half ago. Made a slight difference and probably stretched the life some...I really can't say if it did anything at all really. This is my 7th Honda. Only one I've had long enough to experience tranny problems. YES, I LOVE CARS!

Anyway, she has been making me a little nervous last couple months. Length of time it slips before shifting is a little longer, I smell burning rubber once in a while (not sure if related), and I recently am getting a grinding/rattling sound that you can ever so slightly feel in the floor board. I have never had an issue with it not shifting into a gear or rapid shifting or gear shifter locking up. It does shift hard from park into gear sometimes. I know this is a common complaint with the Accord. Nearly every one you find for sale has a transmission issue or already has been rebuilt or replaced.

So my question....is there a different transmission that could be used that is better for the Accord or has there been some sort of modification to the factory stock transmission? What exactly is It that causes these transmissions to fail with such low miles? The grinding/rattling noise is especially bothersome because I also get a little wander out the car and sometimes feels as if a wheel is going to fall off. When I step on the brakes I will get the feel of a warped rotor, but I just replaced all 4 rotates and pads.

I'm just guessing here (I was taught a little about the mechanics of the motor not much in transmissions) could it be that the transmission gets to hot? Long distance freeway travel is harder on the tranny due to heat? I wondered this because the burning rubber smell seems to come along after a good trip on the freeway. I will notice it after I get off the freeway and come to a stop.

I know that this is a long post and not to many people will read the whole thing, but if you did, thank you! I'm a little desperate here. If you have an answer or idea or advice, please help! My dad was my hero when it came to my mechanical issues. Sadly, he has passed. He was a life long careered mechanic for the public transportation system and was set on his only child having the knowledge to fix her car if she had to! So I did most of my own work when I brought him my car. It comes naturally in our genetics. So when I tell someone what is wrong with their car just by a sound it makes I'm typically spot on or the actual problem led to what I pointed out. Being a girl, I don't get taken seriously to often, but once they realize that I know what I'm talking about, I'm always getting asked to check out their cars. Best satisfaction ever! Anyway, thank you again! 😊

 

There have been several internal upgrades to the design made over the years; even still, the transmission is considered "glass" due to its fragility. Unlike some of the six cylinder models which can benefit from a swap to the Accord V6 transmission of the 2006-2007 vintage, there really is no later transmission for you to swap to, if for no other reason than the Gen 6 Accord was the last generation of 4-cylinder models which featured the engine over on the left side of the car.

Were I in your shoes, I would run a few queries on the internet to come up with the various companies which have developed remanufacture kits for your transmission. I don't remember any of the names off hand (I'm a manual transmission bigot), but they are out there. I've heard through the grapevine there is at least one company which sells three different levels of kits; the most expensive is supposedly pretty bulletproof. Once you find a kit you like, you can either rebuild the transmission yourself (I've heard it isn't all that difficult), or find a shop to do it for you.

The other option which is possible, but not really advisable for anybody but the most experienced wrenches, is to convert your car to a 5-Speed manual transmission.

Please keep us posted on how you make out.

 

You can stop by an autoparts store and have them scan for codes. I highly doubt based on your description that you have a sensor/solenoid issue, but it is worth a shot.

Your description sounds like you have an internal problem with the hydraulics on your transmission. The clutch material wears out and can clog fluid passages and cause shifting issues. The rattling sounds like a bad internal bearing.

At minimum, drain a bit of transmission fluid and look for debris or metal shavings to get an idea of what is happening inside your transmission. Draining and refilling the transmission fluid may be worth a shot. You drain approximately 3 quarts, then drive. Repeat 2 more times.

The description of you brake wobble sounds like warped rotors. Since you replaced the rotors, it is possible that you have a warped hub. You would need a dial gauge to verify. You may want to clean any corrosion off the hub face to ensure the rotor is seated flat against the hub, as this can cause a vibration when braking.

 

To be honest, it sounds like your trans is reaching it's end of life. What you're experiencing is the death knell of these transmissions. Like Shipo said, there's not a good upgrade for them, due to even more electronics involved with them (later units like from 04 on, as some of the early 03's still had issues). It seems that every year got a little more than the previous year got.
To make things even more complicated, the trans interchange years are 98-99, then 00-02 due to some changes Honda made to them. A friend of mine found that out when he was changing the trans in his 99 V6 Accord. He already had an 01 out sitting there, but the Honda dealership told him/pointed out (it's in the FSM too) that he can't use that trans in the 99. So he got 1 from a 98 with low miles. He also asked them how much a new Honda trans sold for...10K Canadian. That was without labor too.

You might want to do a search for a good used JDM unit. Shipping could get expensive, so try and narrow it to somewhere semi close by. That's the plan I have for my wife's 00 Accord when the trans gives up in it. It's a 4 cylinder car, so they seem to last just a little bit longer than the V6 units.

Also, as Shipo mentioned, doing a 6 speed swap isn't as easy as it's made out to be, mainly due to having to work around with the electronics in it (speedo, cruise control, and stuff like that for example). That's not even mentioning the shifter linkages, trans mounts, and other related bits too. If I remember right, the average cost of the 6 speed swap is about 3500. And the parts aren't getting any cheaper either.

I hope this helps.

P.S. Needless to say I've done some research on these transmissions used in 6th gen Accords (98-02).

 

Thank you for the advice. I have not considered a auto to manual swap. I agree, the manual is a blast to drive, but with the vtech motor, so is the auto. Unfortuneately, I have had 3 lumbar surgeries and permanent chronic neuropathy. Continually pushing in that clutch completely kills my back and leg. So, the alternative is the auto. I do actually own a manual as well, but this one my boyfriend drives. It's a 2002 EX and the auto (mine) is 2001 LX. They're even the same color.

I previously owned a Lexus IS250 Sport with Paddle shifters. I really expected a lot more out of that car. I was disappointed! Looks and driver (only) comfort is all the Lexus has, in my opinion. I have also owned 2 Acura TL and by far my most favorite vehicle I have ever owned! I am partial to the Honda line!

On that note...I have considered a swap to the V-6. What I would really like to do just for fun is go for performance and slap the 3.2 under the hood. Or...of course the logic here is to just get another car with what I want and mechanically sound. As us Accord owners already know the mechanically sound is few and far between. The point here is that I want to project my car. The other factor here is that I'm in audio competition and my car is near complete audio built with 2 years in the making. I have more money in the stereo than the car is worth, but she's my love!!

The letdown recently was when some punk kids cruised the neighborhood blasting car windows. They hit my rear windshield which is the most expensive window and the money spent there should have been going into the dam tranny! Thank God they were unaware of the equipment inside!! So as of this moment my baby is chilling in the driveway with everything, but the wire pulled, wrapped in a tarp!! May KARMA visit those little punks and in 10 fold!

Thanks again for taking the time to read and answer my thread! I will look into the kits you mentioned.

 

I was wondering about an internal bearing. Considering the burning rubber I smell occasionally your advice makes a lot of sense. It doesn't seem to lose any transmission fluid at all. Nor does the fluid look discolored. I had a dealership tech tell me to not drain all the tranny fluid unless I was certain that the tranny had always been serviced as suggested by the manufacturer maintenance specifications. Reason is the build of debris that settles in the bottom over time could get left behind and then cycle through causing detrimental issues later on. At first I thought he was crackerbox. Then thinking logically I imagine he is right because it makes a little sense. With auto mechanics sometimes you have to think outside the box and not everything can be done by the book. However some of these outside of the box tips and tricks work better with the classics that didn't have all the sensors and computers.

 

Any debris in the fluid can and likely is running through the transmission with old fluid.

It does sound like your transmission is at the end of its life. Inspecting a bit of fluid from the drain plug for metal shavings is not a bad idea. You can pull the shift solenoids and look for debris clogging them.

There are some examples on this site where changing the fluid fixed a shifting issue. I don't recall where changing the fluid caused the death of a transmission. I've read about it elsewhere. Fresh fluid will not repair worn clutch material inside the transmission, and fresh fluid may help with shifting. There is some risk that fresh fluid may cause worse shifting.

I think you will eventually need a used/rebuilt transmission. You may want to check pricing on them. Car-part.com is a search engine for inventory at junkyards. I like that site, because you can sort by distance to see what is available locally.

You might be able to use a 96/97 accord transmission. You'll have to search the web to see what was required to use this transmission. The 5th generation (94-97) had less issues than the 6th generation (98-02) accords. I've read more V6 trans failures in the 98-02 accords, but the 4-cylinder transmissions had issues too.

 

I thought the automatic transmission in a 2001 I4 EX Accord had an internal transmission filter. If so then it would be impossible for debris to be circulating through the transmission with the old fluid. Yes, no?

 

I've heard that too. But, you have to disassemble the trans to get to it.

In my above post, I must have transposed the numbers (3.2 vs 2.3), sorry about that. I thought you had the V6. But I'd still look for a good used trans. The 98-99 and 00-02 split still applies, as that was/is a Honda deal.
I think the 96-97 can't be used due to the extra electronics Honda added for the 98 MY.

PAhonda's point about doing a 3 qt drain and fill is good too, in that it could help buy you some time looking for a replacement. It's just hard to say if it'll help.

 

Metallic particles can circulate through the transmission even with the internal filter.

The drain plug is magnetic to try to catch some of this.

The attached image is from a 2003 Honda Service News article regarding checking the transmission fluid to try to help diagnosis a sick transmission.