| troikgam |
2004 pilot with 5000 miles
last nite i started up the pilot .the engine light on the dash was on and also the D on the shift was blinking.can anybody tell me whats up.
thanks troikgam |
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| rocky |
| Did it go away when you rebooted? AKA turning everything off and starting again? |
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| tangotango99 |
| Read Jay's post and take it to the dealer ASAP.Transmission is a weak point with the Pilot |
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| Edog |
quote:
Originally posted by troikgam
2004 pilot with 5000 miles
last nite i started up the pilot .the engine light on the dash was on and also the D on the shift was blinking.can anybody tell me whats up.
thanks troikgam
We had this happen with our Odyssey on our way up to Tahoe. I called the dealer and they said to bring it in to them asap. It ended up being a sensor that had failed in the transmission itself.
However, the dealer said that the error code (blinking light) could be for numerous transmission problems, and to always take it in as soon as possible. |
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| pilotbob |
| What specific facts indicate that the Pilot transmission is weak/failure prone? Have owners here experienced excessive failures? I cannot find anything here that indicates wide spread problems. |
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| jl_ss |
quote:
Originally posted by pilotbob
What specific facts indicate that the Pilot transmission is weak/failure prone? Have owners here experienced excessive failures? I cannot find anything here that indicates wide spread problems.
The Pilot actually seems to be immune from the tranny failures that have plagued every other Honda/Acura V6 pre 2003. The 2003 Pilot was released with the 2001/2002 MDX drivetrain. There have been very few, if any, Pilot tranny failures while there have been many 2001/2002 MDX tranny failures. |
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| troikgam |
| thanks for all the input.i am going to my honda dealer today.will post results. |
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| markjmay |
I say it's "4th gear pressure switch".
My flashing D appeared shortly after I put slightly largers tires on (not sure if that was related).
Dealer did the 2nd gear transmission recall work shortly after, didn't find anything wrong with 4th gear. Haven't had the flashing D since.
Mark in MA |
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| troikgam |
retrieved code p0700,p0778 clutch ctl solenoid.
found broken wire from harness to control pack solenoid.
rejoined wire and reset ecm.
so far so good. thanks for all the advice |
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| Cali_Pilot |
| The dealer just found my tranny to be bad and I never had the blinking light. I guess the flashing indicator is just for certain tranny problems. |
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| N_Jay |
quote:
Originally posted by Cali_Pilot
The dealer just found my tranny to be bad and I never had the blinking light. I guess the flashing indicator is just for certain tranny problems.
Yes it is fort the ones that the transmission controller can detect.
Usually either electrical problems, or were the trans does NOT do something it was told to do by the controller. |
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| Tony1790 |
Honda tranny's having a wide series of failures, it would seem, that's why I don't like when these car companies put all of their eggs in the same basket. The pilot's tranny is used in the Pilot, Odyessy, Acura MDX and Ridgeline. That is great as long as the tranny is bullet proof, not a great idea when it's not.
So far this tranny is not a good idea, looking at the latest consumer reports, it's showing bad Odyessy trannies from 98-03, MDX's are bad 01-02 and the 03 Pilot is "average" which means in another year it should be listed as bad.
And following this forum, the tranny seems to be on here quite a bit as the primary failure.
If it was a Ford, some on here would be laughing and talking about "lemons".
I had a Pilot and I liked it for what is was, a AWD Minivan, no towing just people moving. But now that it may not be able to do even that without problems, what is one to do?? The last manufacturer that is solid is now Toyota. I suppose one could buy an extended warranty for the Pilot, or just buy a real SUV that can tow.
I don't know, best advice is buy what you need and like.....but some on here might want to curb the holier than thou Ford,Chevy (well maybe not Chevy) bashing because Honda's are Soooo reliable. I think that if my rig is only semi-reliable, ala Ford, Chevy, Dodge, and now Honda, then I want to drive the one that can do what I want, Tow, carry 8 adult sized people with plenty of power.
Good luck to all, btw the Pilot is nice......but I am having trouble deciding between the 06 Pilot (tranny issues), 06 Highlander (smaller), 06 Expedition (bad rap from CU, but no real reasons shown, yet)
Good luck with your Pilots, and no kidding, get the Honda Care....I hate extended warranties generally, but.....
Tony |
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| jjmhawk |
quote:
Originally posted by Tony1790
So far this tranny is not a good idea, looking at the latest consumer reports, it's showing bad Odyessy trannies from 98-03, MDX's are bad 01-02 and the 03 Pilot is "average" which means in another year it should be listed as bad.Tony
I recently received my Consumer Reports 2006 Buyers Guide and I am not seeing the same numbers.
Year/Make - Trouble Spot Percentage
01 Acura MDX - 2-5%
02 Acura MDX - 2-5%
03 Acura MDX - Less than 2%
04 Acura MDX - Less than 2%
01 Honda Odyssey - 5-9.3%
02 Honda Odyssey - 5-9.3%
03 Honda Odyssey - Less than 2%
04 Honda Odyssey - Less than 2%
03 Honda Pilot - Less than 2%
04 Honda Pilot - Less than 2%
The 01-02 Odyssey seems a little shaky, but all others are rock solid from CR's perspective. I am not suggesting CR be your only source for reliability, but I just wanted to point out their latest consumer guide is not matching the numbers you are reporting. |
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| Tony1790 |
My print CR has expired, now I use the online version which is updated continiously. The current version gives the following:
01-02 Acura MDX: solid black dot (worst)
03 MDX: Half red circle, not bad, but not the best
Honda Odyssey: 98 - clear circle, not bad for year
99-03: Solid or half circle Black dots, very bad.
04: half red circle, not good for that new
05: full red on tranny, but trouble spot for the whole year.
Pilot: 03 has clear circle, for this new, that's bad
Ridgeline: 05 no tranny troubles, but has it as a trouble spot year.
Obviously the colors translate to a percentage of trouble, I'm just not taking the time to translate them.
Like I said, it's a great rig for what it is, but I can comfortably say, get the warranty, especially after reading these boards.
Good luck,
tony |
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| jjmhawk |
quote:
Originally posted by Tony1790
My print CR has expired, now I use the online version which is updated continiously. The current version gives the following:tony
I am with you now. I have an on-line subscription as well and see exactly what you are talking about. I agree on-line is updated more regularly, but it is a little scary the buyer's guide is that far off.
The "avoid the first year redesign" certainly seems to apply, since the 05 Odyssey is already rated "poor" for body integrity and power equipment. We considered the new Odyssey, but demand left little wiggle room on the price at the time.
Sorry for the confusion and thanks for the heads up on the transmission; hopefully, they worked out the kinks by 05 and my extended warranty will not be needed. I do not usually purchase one, but went ahead for the peace of mind this time around. |
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| cwa107 |
Just out of curiousity, have any of you ever owned a vehicle with an automatic transmission where the automatic transmission wasn't a weak point?
I actually started out buying automatics and soon after moved to manuals because every automatic I've ever owned was troublesome. In all honesty, I would have bought the Pilot with a manual if that were an option.
Drive past a transmission shop some day and you'll see a variety of vehicles in the lot, domestic and imports alike - why? Because, in general, automatics don't last the life of the vehicle.
Toyota is not immune in this regard either. |
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| Tony1790 |
CWA107,
Automatic tranny's have been around along time, and with care they should last 150-200k miles. Most manufacturers have a good record, Honda, Ford, Toyota, although some haven't had a good record, notably Dodge, Chrysler, etc.
My main point is that Honda's reliability record while still good is starting to tank, particularly in the transmission department. And Honda did themselves no favor by using the same tranny in half of their vehicles prior to it being a proven design. Ford did the same thing with the aluminum heads on their modular engines and now have spark plugs shooting out of the engine blocks.
I keep saying that the Pilot is nice, but it can't tow and worse yet, it now is saddled with an unreliable tranny. I hate most of what Ford makes, but I like some, I like most of what Honda makes but I dislike some.
Good luck, get the extended warranty and be happy with a nice pilot......just lay off my Expedition :-) I need to tow sometimes too.
Take care all.
Tony |
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| cwa107 |
quote:
Originally posted by Tony1790
CWA107,
Automatic tranny's have been around along time, and with care they should last 150-200k miles. Most manufacturers have a good record, Honda, Ford, Toyota, although some haven't had a good record, notably Dodge, Chrysler, etc.
My main point is that Honda's reliability record while still good is starting to tank, particularly in the transmission department. And Honda did themselves no favor by using the same tranny in half of their vehicles prior to it being a proven design. Ford did the same thing with the aluminum heads on their modular engines and now have spark plugs shooting out of the engine blocks.
I keep saying that the Pilot is nice, but it can't tow and worse yet, it now is saddled with an unreliable tranny. I hate most of what Ford makes, but I like some, I like most of what Honda makes but I dislike some.
Good luck, get the extended warranty and be happy with a nice pilot......just lay off my Expedition :-) I need to tow sometimes too.
Take care all.
Tony
I think you might have missed my point. What I was saying is that in my experience there's no such thing as a reliable automatic transmission - I've never owned one and neither has anyone I've known. I was putting the question out to the group as to whether anyone had owned a vehicle with a reliable automatic - clearly you have.
That said, I think it's we Pilot owners that should wish you good luck with your Expedition. If the Pilot proves unreliable at least we won't lose our hind-ends on resale! |
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| jay |
quote:
Originally posted by cwa107
I think you might have missed my point. What I was saying is that in my experience there's no such thing as a reliable automatic transmission - I've never owned one and neither has anyone I've known. I was putting the question out to the group as to whether anyone had owned a vehicle with a reliable automatic - clearly you have.
That said, I think it's we Pilot owners that should wish you good luck with your Expedition. If the Pilot proves unreliable at least we won't lose our hind-ends on resale!
I've had several high-mileage vehicles, and the auto-tranny was rock solid; two come to mind - an '85 Volvo 740 with 160k miles, and an '89 Tercel with 170k+ miles. A/C systems, now that's a different story.:cool:
With the exception of two rear main seal failures, I've never experienced, knock on wood, a powertrain failure of any sort. The issues I've experienced were electrical or a/c, and I've not had a vehicle leave me stranded since my '84 Nissan Pulsar with the manual tranny and wierd automatic choke or distributor problem, that shut the car down and prevented it from re-starting for 45 minutes to an hour at a time. |
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| CMasten |
| I got over 300k miles on my Benz 300E transmission... like all the other fluids in that car I changed them out like a religion and it served me well. |
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| Tony1790 |
cwa107,
Good point about the resale, the Pilot definetly has a better resale value, for now anyway. I personally have never had any auto tranny quit on any vehicle I've ever owned, that's why it is so shocking to see Honda with the mess it has on it's hands. I'm hoping they have it worked out with the 05's, they have a lot riding on it.
I'm personally hoping that they beef up the tranny to be more reliable and have a good tow rating, I'd like to have another Pilot if it could tow.
Tony |
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| jjmhawk |
quote:
Originally posted by cwa107
I think you might have missed my point. What I was saying is that in my experience there's no such thing as a reliable automatic transmission - I've never owned one and neither has anyone I've known. I was putting the question out to the group as to whether anyone had owned a vehicle with a reliable automatic - clearly you have.
Do you live in a very hilly region? This is first I heard anyone say no automatic transmissions is reliable. Of all the vehicles, I have owned I never had major issues with automatic transmissions. The only vehicle that comes to mind is the 98 Accord that had some transmission work when first leased, but I chalked that up to first year redesign. The 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee had a software update to correct an abrupt downshift, but not sure that counts as transmission work. All other automatic transmissions only received preventive maintenance fluid changes or a flush as directed.
How about driving habits? I know I cringe every time I witness the following actions (well, the first two anyway):
o When backing up, throwing the vehicle in drive before it comes to a complete stop.
o Throwing the vehicle in park without the emergency brake and, after letting off the brake, allowing the vehicle to lurch forward briefly with a nice transmission thunk.
o Stomping the gas at every green light.
I cured my wife of the first two, but no chance on the third. :2: |
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| cwa107 |
Maybe it's just me then, but I seem to have particularly bad luck with automatics.
...and no, I don't live in a particularly hilly area and since my first transmission rebuild, I've been very careful to never shift from Reverse to Drive without stopping (although I see plenty of people doing this - another good reason not to buy a used car). |
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| tangotango99 |
quote:
Originally posted by cwa107
Maybe it's just me then, but I seem to have particularly bad luck with automatics.
...and no, I don't live in a particularly hilly area and since my first transmission rebuild, I've been very careful to never shift from Reverse to Drive without stopping (although I see plenty of people doing this - another good reason not to buy a used car).
I just wish I can get my daughter to stop before shifting from Reverse to Drive |
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| Heifzilla |
quote:
Originally posted by CMasten
I got over 300k miles on my Benz 300E transmission... like all the other fluids in that car I changed them out like a religion and it served me well.
I think this is the most important thing. Too many people never, and I mean never, bother changing the tranny fluid. Out of sight, out of mind. Of course there will be the trannies that get excellent care and still blow up, but I bet the numbers of trannies that go probably still had the original tranny fluid.
Show me a car that never has any issues and I bet it will be a car that never gets driven :) |
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| jjmhawk |
quote:
Originally posted by Heifzilla
I think this is the most important thing. Too many people never, and I mean never, bother changing the tranny fluid. Out of sight, out of mind. Of course there will be the trannies that get excellent care and still blow up, but I bet the numbers of trannies that go probably still had the original tranny fluid.
I agree. It's called preventive maintenance for a reason. Speaking of which, this is a little more on the extreme side but true. A neighbor bought a new Ford Expedition for his wife and a year later the engine ceased and would not turn over. Why? After pulling the oil plug and concluding the pan was bone dry (little if anything came out), the dealer assumed they NEVER changed the oil. The dealer told them they would replace the engine under warranty if they could produce ONE oil change receipt; they could not, so they had to pay for the new engine and installation. Not too bright. Lucky for us, they moved short time later. :) |
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| Heifzilla |
quote:
Originally posted by jjmhawk
I agree. It's called preventive maintenance for a reason. Speaking of which, this is a little more on the extreme side but true. A neighbor bought a new Ford Expedition for his wife and a year later the engine ceased and would not turn over. Why? After pulling the oil plug and concluding the pan was bone dry (little if anything came out), the dealer assumed they NEVER changed the oil. The dealer told them they would replace the engine under warranty if they could produce ONE oil change receipt; they could not, so they had to pay for the new engine and installation. Not too bright. Lucky for us, they moved short time later. :)
OFGS!
:twak: |
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| sjlee |
quote:
Originally posted by Tony1790
I'm personally hoping that they beef up the tranny to be more reliable and have a good tow rating, I'd like to have another Pilot if it could tow.
Tony
How much are you towing? The Pilot is rated to tow up to 4500 lbs with the towing package. |
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| jl_ss |
quote:
Originally posted by sjlee
How much are you towing? The Pilot is rated to tow up to 4500 lbs with the towing package.
Not entirely true:
Towing Capacity (lbs., 2WD / 4WD) 3500 / 4500†
†Towing requires installation of power steering fluid- and automatic tranmission fluid-cooler, both available exclusively from your Honda dealer.Premuim unleaded fuel is recommended when towing above 3500 lbs. Capacity of 4500 lbs. is for boat trailers and 3500 lbs. for all other trailers. Refer to the owner's manual for additional towing information.
2wd is only rated for 3500 lb and 4wd can do 4500 lb boat trailers only. |
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| sjlee |
quote:
Originally posted by jl_ss
Not entirely true:
Towing Capacity (lbs., 2WD / 4WD) 3500 / 4500†
†Towing requires installation of power steering fluid- and automatic tranmission fluid-cooler, both available exclusively from your Honda dealer.Premuim unleaded fuel is recommended when towing above 3500 lbs. Capacity of 4500 lbs. is for boat trailers and 3500 lbs. for all other trailers. Refer to the owner's manual for additional towing information.
2wd is only rated for 3500 and 4wd can do 4500 boat trailers only.
Hey, I did say "up to" afterall. :)
By the way, your posting from the owner's manual brings up a question I've been wanting to ask. Does using premium unleaded give the Pilot more power? It sure sounds like it from the context in the owner's manual. In addition, I remember reading in a USAToday article a while back about the Accord. In the article, one of the Honda engineers was qutoed as saying that you could get more HP out of the V6 by using premium unleaded.
Normally you cannot get more power out of an engine simply by using premium unleaded, but I'm thinking that Honda tunes their engines for premium unleaded (for their Acura lineup), but then only recommends regular unleaded for their Honda lineup. Using regular unleaded in a car that requires premium usually results in loss of power. |
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| N_Jay |
quote:
Originally posted by sjlee
By the way, your posting from the owner's manual brings up a question I've been wanting to ask. Does using premium unleaded give the Pilot more power? It sure sounds like it from the context in the owner's manual. In addition, I remember reading in a USAToday article a while back about the Accord. In the article, one of the Honda engineers was qutoed as saying that you could get more HP out of the V6 by using premium unleaded.
Normally you cannot get more power out of an engine simply by using premium unleaded, but I'm thinking that Honda tunes their engines for premium unleaded (for their Acura lineup), but then only recommends regular unleaded for their Honda lineup. Using regular unleaded in a car that requires premium usually results in loss of power.
The issue is that towing raises under-hood temps, and also tends to use more power at lower RPMs.
Both are conditions that increase the likelihood of knocking.
The higher octane gas provides more resistance to knocking and the power REDUCTION that occures when teh ECU adjusts to prevent it. |
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| markjmay |
quote:
Originally posted by jjmhawk
I agree. It's called preventive maintenance for a reason. Speaking of which, this is a little more on the extreme side but true. A neighbor bought a new Ford Expedition for his wife and a year later the engine ceased and would not turn over. Why? After pulling the oil plug and concluding the pan was bone dry (little if anything came out), the dealer assumed they NEVER changed the oil. The dealer told them they would replace the engine under warranty if they could produce ONE oil change receipt; they could not, so they had to pay for the new engine and installation. Not too bright. Lucky for us, they moved short time later. :)
My jaw dropped the first time I read this post, but then I reread it. You said one year after purchase the engine seized. One year of driving on average is 12-15k miles, so with Honda's recommended interval of 7500, then only one oil change should have occurred during that year. If, by missing one oil change, you are in danger of running your engine dry and seizing it then I say there are some design flaws in that engine.
I generally did the maintenance on all my family's cars...one day, about a year after my sister bought a new mazda, she asked me to change her oil. I did, and noticed a mazda-brand oil filter. I thought to myself...I doubt if she would've gone to the dealer for an O/C, so I asked her who changed it last. She said this was the first oil change. I checked, she had 19k miles on it. I flipped out on her a bit for potentially destroying her new car. But I guess I was wrong...that car gave her well over 100k with no problems when she traded it for the next one.
(BTW, it had plenty of oil in it when I changed it at 19k).
Mark in MA |
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| sjlee |
quote:
Originally posted by markjmay
My jaw dropped the first time I read this post, but then I reread it. You said one year after purchase the engine seized. One year of driving on average is 12-15k miles, so with Honda's recommended interval of 7500, then only one oil change should have occurred during that year. If, by missing one oil change, you are in danger of running your engine dry and seizing it then I say there are some design flaws in that engine.
I agree... one year for all the oil to run out is really fast. Either there were some serious oil consumption issues or there wasn't enough oil in it when they took delivery.
One thing is for sure... they never checked the oil level. |
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| jjmhawk |
quote:
Originally posted by sjlee
I agree... one year for all the oil to run out is really fast. Either there were some serious oil consumption issues or there wasn't enough oil in it when they took delivery.
One thing is for sure... they never checked the oil level.
I see your point. This happened several years ago, so I might be off on the time period but I vividly remember the one oil change receipt which they could not produce. This was dumbfounding.
This made me think of another oil story. My sister asked me to check her car out, because it was not running right (we were both teenagers at the time). The first thing I checked was the oil which registered nothing after a couple of dips and I finally got what looked like bits of gravel at the end of the stick. I went inside and told my sister, "There is no oil in your car." and her response was (ready?), "Oh ok, did you put some in?" and I just responded, "There is no oil in your car!" Needless to say, her Mercury Tracer (a Mazda 323 twin if I recall) died before it reached 90,000 miles. Anyway, I digress from the original purpose of the thread. |
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| BanannaGapNavy |
Long time ago (20 years?).. my mom gets home from grocery shopping. We had a 1980, maybe '79 Mercury station wagon. Inline 6, 3 spd auto. Man, what was the name of that thing? "Mercury Zephyr" I think.
Anyways, she comes bad from grocery shopping, and the car is steaming coolant slightly.
I say, "hey mom, is the car running right?"
She says "yes, but I think it needs more oil. The oil light on the dash keeps coming on. Its been doing that for a week or two now that I think about it. I was going to take it to Jiffy Lube and get more oil this weekend" It was Monday.
So I drain the oil (whats left of it) Its got m-a-y-b-e 1 quart in it. The most god-awful black sludge oil Id ever laid eyes on. And I had a 1969 MGB, I knew about ugly oil.
Would you believe that car ran till 200k miles? The oil incident occured at probably around 75 to 100k miles.
Ah.... they dont build 'em like they used ta! |
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| mclairmo |
| My 05 LX just stranded me with the same problem. At the same time, the transmission seemed to slip very badly and I could barely move the thing off the road. Dealer towed it and said the Powertrain Controle Module (ECU) went bad. They fixed it under warranty. |
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| mixxmstrmike |
You mentioned your transmission seemed to slip very bad. Is the "slipping" similar to a little hesitation during accelerating from a full standstill stop?
I mention this because I've had something similar happening with my 03...
The "D" shift light blinked a few times while I was driving but I didn't think anything of it. It has happened 2 to three times since the initial time. I'm going to err on the side of caution. I now have an appointment with my Honda dealer this coming Monday. I doubt they can replicate the problem because the blinking has been VERY intermittent at best.
-Mike |
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| SDPILOT |
The D on the gear indicator starting blinking in our '03 also on 12/01/06. We took the car into the dealer the first day it happened to check for a code. They said that code P1740 (Problem in 4th Clutch Pressure Switch Circuit) came up. We were told that there wouldn't be any immediate problems with driving but eventually the transmission would start slipping. I noted that someone on this board replaced the 4th clutch pressure switch. They explained that they had done the same on some Pilots but the problem was not solved. They recommended replacing the tranny.
We were quoted $4200 for replacement The service advisor called the regional Honda rep and he agreed to provide a remanufactured tranny at no cost and charge us for the labor of $540. He said that he couldn't cover the entire cost of replacement because the vehicle has 94k miles on it. The same service advisor has handled the car since it was new in 10/02, so I think that we are being treated fairly by Honda. Let's hope that I can get another 94k miles. |
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| vellinga |
quote:
Originally posted by SDPILOT
The D on the gear indicator starting blinking in our '03 also on 12/01/06.
Did ever stop blinking between the first time that you saw it and the time that you brought it to the dealer to diagnose?
quote:
The D on the gear indicator starting blinking in our '03 also on 12/01/06. He said that he couldn't cover the entire cost of replacement because the vehicle has 94k miles on it. The same service advisor has handled the car since it was new in 10/02, so I think that we are being treated fairly by Honda. Let's hope that I can get another 94k miles.
It sounds like you went with the replacement tranny. Yes? |
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| SDPILOT |
I literally drove it straight to the the dealer as soon as I noticed the blinking D indicator. It stopped blinking after they checked the code.
Yes, the old tranny was replaced with a remanufactured unit from Honda. I dropped the Pilot off on a Tuesday night and picked it up the following Monday. It runs great. |
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| vellinga |
quote:
Originally posted by SDPILOT
I literally drove it straight to the the dealer as soon as I noticed the blinking D indicator. It stopped blinking after they checked the code.
Thanks. The reason I asked is that our 'D' started blinking back in the summertime. On restart, it did not blink again. I went in for a transmission fluid change (it wasn't flashing that day) and have only seen it flash once more in 4 months. No slipping in the tranny or change in how the Pilot performs.
Glad that your tranny issues went away for only a fraction of the initial quote. |
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