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Transmission system warning

64503 Views 113 Replies 37 Participants Last post by  sequoiasoon, 
M
Hi
My wife has a 17 Ex with 45,000 miles. While on the highway driving she got a transmission system warning pop on the dash with a flashing D and P. When the car shuts off it goes away and I was able to get the warning to come back up on the highway again at about 65 mph. Car feels and drives fine. No apparent issues other than the warnings. I have a code reader but it says no codes found. Plan to take to dealer in am. Hope it’s covered under power train and hopefully nothing major. Just wanted to see if anyone else had similar.

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17EXLPILOT
Same issue with my wife’s 17 ex-l. 102k miles always did tranny fluid changes every 30-35k miles with valvoline maxlife. Never disabled the vcm. Car drives fine other than the transmission system problem message and no stored trouble codes. Did a 3x3 drain and flush and changed the external filter, no change. Has anyone just changed the tc and been good or is a full trans the better option? Will get the dealer to diagnose it before i throw parts at it. TIA
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17EXLPILOT
Nail Grease said:
Do you have any fluctuation of the rpm gauge when cruise control is set? If so, the VCM is playing havoc on your torque converter. I solved this issue by disabling the VCM and switching to VML ATF.
I’d monitor transmission temperatures just to see if this is not an issue.
Do you live where corrosion is a problem? There may be a grounding strap from the transmission to chassis that needs attention. Clean connections or replace if necessary.
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Yea live in NJ. No fluctuation in rpms (video attached. Ill check the ground wire tomorrow.

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17EXLPILOT
AVC said:
@17EXLPILOT ....Well, magic VML and (fairly) frequent fluid changes didn't keep your trans from trouble (surprise, surprise). Maybe too late for your torque converter, but for a $100 you can disable VCM and see if the message goes away and you get another 150k miles out of it. VCM is the ROOT CAUSE.
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Yea ordered an svcm to disable to vcm. We will see what happens. Thanks guys
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17EXLPILOT
Drove the wife's pilot today and I figured out that the transmission system warning comes on when constantly going 60-70mph. I installed the svcm and no change. Vehicle still shifts normal and no erratic rpms while set on cruise. Anyone know where the ground cables are located on the trans? Haven't had time to even look. TIA
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17EXLPILOT
Update: Tried to setup an appt at dealer but they were booked until next week. Stopped by local autozone to see if their code reader showed anything as my cheap reader had nothing and P0741 for the tc popped up. Guess im going to need a torque converter. Now since ill be doing this myself, Anyone got the best way to remove the trans from these 3rd gens? I dont have access to a lift at the moment either. TIA
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17EXLPILOT
Nail Grease said:
When the transmission light comes on, the trouble code will usually remain stored in the computer for some time. The idea behind having the trouble code now would be that you won’t go to the dealership uninformed.
From past experience, these 6-speed transmissions are known to have the torque converter clutch lock issue that’s caused by vibration from the engine due to the VCM function. There is a TSB for your vehicle that can be performed for free if the dealership determines that your vehicle has this problem. The symptom is an erratic rpm gauge while maintaining speed (especially when cruise control is set). The TSB requires that they do 3 separate drain and fills of the ATF and a software update. Do you know if this service has ever been performed? Keep in mind that a single drain and fill only removes 3.5 quarts out of about 9 quarts that are in the system. So it is common for the ATF quality to not be what it should if in rigorous driving conditions.
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Alright so I’ve done all the maintenance to my wife’s pilot and changed to valvoline ml at the first trans service. Never experienced a judder and dont have a rapid rpm gauge as ive seen in other videos. I can set cruise at 65mph and everything is smooth, but that transmission fault will pop up. Never took the vehicle to the dealer except to have injectors replaced and dont believe they did any software update for the trans. Vehicle does have 103k on it now so dont think they will perform that tsb for free but do u think it would actually solve the issue? Also i have performed a drain and fill 4x and replaced the external filter after the transmission fault illuminated with no change. The vehicle drives fine from what i can tell so i dont know. Thanks
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17EXLPILOT
Nail Grease said:
View attachment 163420
Have all these possible causes been ruled out?
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Has there been another issue that you have seen or heard of that has set this code off? Only reading that the tc is the only fix and with the amount of bad tc from these things, im almost certain this is my issue. TIA
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17EXLPILOT
Noxzema said:
I have the exact same issue with the same symptoms. P0741 code. drives Perfectly fine! warning comes on at about 65mph. I did the many drain and refills and no changes. But I have always changed my trans fluid religiously at 15K so i dont think it was broken down fluids... i have a 2017 6sp EX-L AWD. So now My mechanic will be replacing the torque converter... He said he will check the TC solenoid valve too. This reeeaaaally stinks$$
I put on the VCM bypass on at 50K now i have a bad TC at 77K. I do have a history of towing a small camper under the 5K limit. Mechanic said Pilots were never meant to tow a camper. Weak transmission etc... I have the trans cooler that was put on when i bought the car new! I certainly did everything right and i now have a bad TC. To double check the diagnosis i called the honda dealer and they said when that code comes on they replace the TC and all is fine.. So im hoping its the fix!
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My dealer stated the same in reference to just replacing the tc when that code pops up. Anyone else think these tc’s are ridiculously priced. My aftermarket diesel tc for my 800hp truck was about the same price. Just mind boggling to me. Anyway how safe is it to run with the bad tc? Wont be able to do this until after Christmas, but my wife still uses the car everyday and it drives fine. TIA
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