Hi,
My car is the same matters to you... What will be good after changed it?
Transmission system warning
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.
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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My car is the same matters to you... What will be good after changed it?
Are you still under warranty ? Have the dealer check it out, and read any transmission trouble code. P0741 means torque converter lockup clutch is slipping. Probably need a new torque converter or new transmission.
I've had continual trans problems. Pilot is back in the shop at 66k. At 44k the trans was doing the juttering where it would have little power until you hit about 20mph then the system would drop into gear and shutter all without a warning light or code. 3 trans flushes fixed it, but last month developed an emissions problem and juttering happened one more time. Emissions problems were fixed by injector replacement. Now the trans light came on, back to the shop. They said it needed 3 more trans flushes. Got the car back and the first day and trans light came back on, back to the shop again. Now they recommend torque converter replacement. We'll see how this goes.Are you still under warranty ? Have the dealer check it out, and read any transmission trouble code. P0741 means torque converter lockup clutch is slipping. Probably need a new torque converter or new transmission.
Do you have the six speed?I've had continual trans problems. Pilot is back in the shop at 66k. At 44k the trans was doing the juttering where it would have little power until you hit about 20mph then the system would drop into gear and shutter all without a warning light or code. 3 trans flushes fixed it, but last month developed an emissions problem and juttering happened one more time. Emissions problems were fixed by injector replacement. Now the trans light came on, back to the shop. They said it needed 3 more trans flushes. Got the car back and the first day and trans light came back on, back to the shop again. Now they recommend torque converter replacement. We'll see how this goes.
Yes, EXL 2017Do you have the six speed?
We have a 2018 EX-L, we purchased with about 58k miles. It was most likely a lease return that was ridden hard and put away wet. Anyway, we had immediate transmission codes flashing on the dash. Long story short, Honda replaced the torque converter. I have installed S-VCM device to prevent future problems.Yes, EXL 2017
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.
Hi
I am new here. I have a 2018 Pilot with 26,000 miles which I bought brand new. In October 2020, after almost three years of driving, I had my first experience with the transmission system warning as you described. The dealer flushed the system and everything seemed fine until 2 days ago. Again, while driving in the freeway to my destination, transmission system warning. The message went away when the car was turned off and then on again. I drove back home and the transmission warning came up again. My car has been at the dealer for 2 days and they said they are speaking with Honda headquarters to decide what to do next. This is the third day I do not have a car and they just called and said they need to replace the torque converter but the part won't be in for a week! I want to know what your experience has been so far since your new tranny. I am afraid this will happen again and I will need one but luckily I am under warranty still. Had I known about these problems that seem common, I would have never bought a Pilot. I bought it because I love my Accord and it never failed me. I still have it....a 2004 and it never has needed a new transmission!
My 2017 Pilot has 48491 miles on it. About 6 months ago I had all these warning lights: hill start assist, trail stability, road departure, vehicle stability, emissions system, power steering came on. The service dept reset the alerts and told us to replace the battery. Seemed to run fine after that. Yesterday a new transmission warning came on, with a few others and the car won't move now. I fear the worst. This is my 6th Honda and I think I got a lemon.
I had the same issue on 2018 EX-L. We purchased the Pilot used with 58k miles. Transmission system problem flashed on display when I set cruise control at 65 mph. P0741 diagnostic code, just like you had. Dealer changed out ATF, said it's fixed. Problem repeated about one hour into a 3 hour drive. Again, at 65 mph in cruise. I could see by the wavering tach needle, that the torque converter lockup was slipping at 65 mph. Honda replaced the torque converter under warranty.
I am convinced that this is the result of the VCM system, which plays the lockup clutch back and forth as it tries to smooth out the vibrations of VCM. Excessive wear and premature failure of the torque converter lockup clutch is the result. At 58k miles, my torque converter was shot. By the way, my service rep had to delay repair almost 2 weeks, because Honda has a nationwide shortage of torque converters. Maybe because VCM is eating them up?
I just ordered an S-VCM unit, so I can disable this function. Just sayin--
I have a 2018 Pilot E-XL. I had some slight jerking when going up slight hills. The tach needle would move in time while this happened. The dealer recommended changing the transmission fluid. I did, and no more slight jerking. However, on Feb. 11, 2021, the transmission warning system light came on. I assumed it was a glitch as it was -44F. But the warning would disappear when I turned the car off and on and not come back on for days or weeks. This past Sunday we were coming home from Minneapolis and it stayed on the entire two hundred miles it took to get home. The car ran fine! So today I took it to the dealer and was told that it is the torque converter. They said they are on back order and have no idea when they are going to get any in. If that wasn’t bad enough, he then told me that it will cost $3705 to fix it. There are only 65,000 miles on my car, I haven’t even had it a year, I don’t have an extended warranty, and I don’t have $3705 to fix it. I used to love Honda’s as they would last forever. Now I sad and sickened that this happened. I’ll be paying on a dead horse. So depressed.
You should still be covered by the 60k mile powertrain warranty on the transmission. I hope that you called the dealer and had them take the vehicle in for service. They should be able to read the trouble codes that were triggered by the transmission problem. Ask them what the trouble codes were. Have them put this information on the service record, and save your copy. If you indeed have a bad torque converter (and I don't want to make that assumption), then the trouble codes will reinforce this diagnosis, and Honda will be responsible for a warranty repair.My 2017 Pilot has 48491 miles on it. About 6 months ago I had all these warning lights: hill start assist, trail stability, road departure, vehicle stability, emissions system, power steering came on. The service dept reset the alerts and told us to replace the battery. Seemed to run fine after that. Yesterday a new transmission warning came on, with a few others and the car won't move now. I fear the worst. This is my 6th Honda and I think I got a lemon.
My experience was that the dealer did a transmission fluid change and told me that everything was now fine. Within 100 miles, the same transmission trouble code appeared, and my Pilot went back to the dealer. Initially, the service advisor told me that they would be installing a new transmission. Then, the Honda tech support advised the dealer service dept. that only a new torque converter was required. I was ok with this, as shifting was fine, and the problem that I observed was torque converter lockup slip at 65 mph. My advice is to ask a lot of questions about what is really happening, ask them what trouble codes they read with their diagnostic computer, take notes, have the dealer document everything they say in writing, and save the paper.
This almost sounds like what happened with our 2018 EX-L , purchased at Bloomington Richfield Honda with 58,500 miles. Did the first transmission warning light occur before you had 60k miles on the Pilot? Is there any way to document this? I am not sure, but I believe that when this warning triggers, the vehicle computer stores the information on just when and how this light appeared. The dealer should be able to read when this trouble code appeared. If you still fall outside of the 60k warranty period, I think that you should have a good case to appeal to Honda corporate for consideration and sharing the cost of a new torque converter. And then, please install an S-VCM unit!I have a 2018 Pilot E-XL. I had some slight jerking when going up slight hills. The tach needle would move in time while this happened. The dealer recommended changing the transmission fluid. I did, and no more slight jerking. However, on Feb. 11, 2021, the transmission warning system light came on. I assumed it was a glitch as it was -44F. But the warning would disappear when I turned the car off and on and not come back on for days or weeks. This past Sunday we were coming home from Minneapolis and it stayed on the entire two hundred miles it took to get home. The car ran fine! So today I took it to the dealer and was told that it is the torque converter. They said they are on back order and have no idea when they are going to get any in. If that wasn’t bad enough, he then told me that it will cost $3705 to fix it. There are only 65,000 miles on my car, I haven’t even had it a year, I don’t have an extended warranty, and I don’t have $3705 to fix it. I used to love Honda’s as they would last forever. Now I sad and sickened that this happened. I’ll be paying on a dead horse. So depressed.
Don't give up yet. I would definitely fight with Honda if the problems started before the powertrain warranty was up. If you had the work done at the dealer then you have evidence of the early problem. Another option is this: others have had similar symptoms and dealt with it (without replacing the torque convertor) in the following way.I have a 2018 Pilot E-XL. I had some slight jerking when going up slight hills. The tach needle would move in time while this happened. The dealer recommended changing the transmission fluid. I did, and no more slight jerking. However, on Feb. 11, 2021, the transmission warning system light came on. I assumed it was a glitch as it was -44F. But the warning would disappear when I turned the car off and on and not come back on for days or weeks. This past Sunday we were coming home from Minneapolis and it stayed on the entire two hundred miles it took to get home. The car ran fine! So today I took it to the dealer and was told that it is the torque converter. They said they are on back order and have no idea when they are going to get any in. If that wasn’t bad enough, he then told me that it will cost $3705 to fix it. There are only 65,000 miles on my car, I haven’t even had it a year, I don’t have an extended warranty, and I don’t have $3705 to fix it. I used to love Honda’s as they would last forever. Now I sad and sickened that this happened. I’ll be paying on a dead horse. So depressed.
1. Buy a install a device to disable the cylinder deactivation system (Variable Cylinder Management); I recommend the SVCM controller or the VCM Tuner II Advanced. This turns off the VCM system and stops the extra torque converter slip that the car does to smooth out vibrations when running on 3-cylinders.
2. Buy 12 quarts of compatible (with Honda DW-1) synthetic transmission fluid and do 3x drain and fill procedures (driving some between each one) to get rid of the burned up DW-1 that is probably filling your transmission. Some have had success with Valvoline Maxlife or Amalie Universal Synthetic. I've been happy with Amsoil Signature Series Fuel Efficient.
Between those two you're only looking at $200 plus maybe labor if you don't do the work yourself. The error code comes up when the transmission detects excessive slipping, and the steps above should help with that.
I have a 2018 Pilot E-XL. I had some slight jerking when going up slight hills. The tach needle would move in time while this happened. The dealer recommended changing the transmission fluid. I did, and no more slight jerking. However, on Feb. 11, 2021, the transmission warning system light came on. I assumed it was a glitch as it was -44F. But the warning would disappear when I turned the car off and on and not come back on for days or weeks. This past Sunday we were coming home from Minneapolis and it stayed on the entire two hundred miles it took to get home. The car ran fine! So today I took it to the dealer and was told that it is the torque converter. They said they are on back order and have no idea when they are going to get any in. If that wasn’t bad enough, he then told me that it will cost $3705 to fix it. There are only 65,000 miles on my car, I haven’t even had it a year, I don’t have an extended warranty, and I don’t have $3705 to fix it. I used to love Honda’s as they would last forever. Now I sad and sickened that this happened. I’ll be paying on a dead horse. So depressed.
This almost sounds like what happened with our 2018 EX-L , purchased at Bloomington Richfield Honda with 58,500 miles. Did the first transmission warning light occur before you had 60k miles on the Pilot? Is there any way to document this? I am not sure, but I believe that when this warning triggers, the vehicle computer stores the information on just when and how this light appeared. The dealer should be able to read when this trouble code appeared. If you still fall outside of the 60k warranty period, I think that you should have a good case to appeal to Honda corporate for consideration and sharing the cost of a new torque converter. And then, please install an S-VCM unit!
I don’t know if the warning light came on before 60,000 miles. I know the slight jerking did and then they flushed the transmission fluid and that seemed to help. You’ve given me a few things to look into and I appreciate that. Thank you.
HiThis almost sounds like what happened with our 2018 EX-L , purchased at Bloomington Richfield Honda with 58,500 miles. Did the first transmission warning light occur before you had 60k miles on the Pilot? Is there any way to document this? I am not sure, but I believe that when this warning triggers, the vehicle computer stores the information on just when and how this light appeared. The dealer should be able to read when this trouble code appeared. If you still fall outside of the 60k warranty period, I think that you should have a good case to appeal to Honda corporate for consideration and sharing the cost of a new torque converter. And then, please install an S-VCM unit!
I am new here. I have a 2018 Pilot with 26,000 miles which I bought brand new. In October 2020, after almost three years of driving, I had my first experience with the transmission system warning as you described. The dealer flushed the system and everything seemed fine until 2 days ago. Again, while driving in the freeway to my destination, transmission system warning. The message went away when the car was turned off and then on again. I drove back home and the transmission warning came up again.
My car has been at the dealer for 2 days and they said they are speaking with Honda headquarters to decide what to do next. This is the third day I do not have a car and they just called and said they need to replace the torque converter but the part won't be in for a week! I want to know what your experience has been so far since your new tranny. I am afraid this will happen again and I will need one but luckily I am under warranty still. Had I known about these problems that seem common, I would have never bought a Pilot. I bought it because I love my Accord and it never failed me. I still have it... a 2004 and it never has needed a new transmission!
My question to you is this...what is a S-VCM unit and what does it do?
Thanks!
S-VCM is a device to disable the Variable Cylinder Management system. S-VCM is one of many devices out there, also known as "muzzlers" from the name of the early devices. VCM causes multiple problems on all Honda V-6s (Odyssey, Pilot, Crosstour, Ridgeline, Accord), and on 3rd gen Pilots it'll cause torque convertor problems, especially if you rack up a lot of highway miles in 3-cylinder mode. If you own a V-6 Honda, you should install one of these, period.My question to you is this...what is a S-VCM unit and what does it do?
These are the best 2 devices out there right now (in my opinion).
S-VCM Controller - Disable VCM / deactivate VCM and stop ECO in Honda Acura
Deactivate Honda VCM in 3.5L V6 SOHC engines. The S-VCM Controller is an automobile grade, high precision tool that can reliably disable VCM 100% of the time, and would safely bypass in case the engine overheats. It does not use a fixed resistor or manually adjusted potentiometer, and is a much...
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VCMTUNER II - Advanced - 2007+ for Honda Acura 3.5L I-VTEC Disable VCM / ECO mode
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In answer to your question regarding my experience with this warranty repair: When the transmission system warning symbol came on, I immediately drove back to the dealership where we had purchased the Pilot and left it there for service. They did a 3x drain and fill of the transmission with Honda ATF, did a test drive, and pronounced the problem solved. A week later, the transmission warning reoccurred during a out of town trip. It seemed like cruising on the freeway at 65 mph would cause the torque converter lockup clutch to slip and trigger the warning. If I cruised at 75 mph, the slip did not occur.Hi
I am new here. I have a 2018 Pilot with 26,000 miles which I bought brand new. In October 2020, after almost three years of driving, I had my first experience with the transmission system warning as you described. The dealer flushed the system and everything seemed fine until 2 days ago. Again, while driving in the freeway to my destination, transmission system warning. The message went away when the car was turned off and then on again. I drove back home and the transmission warning came up again. My car has been at the dealer for 2 days and they said they are speaking with Honda headquarters to decide what to do next. This is the third day I do not have a car and they just called and said they need to replace the torque converter but the part won't be in for a week! I want to know what your experience has been so far since your new tranny. I am afraid this will happen again and I will need one but luckily I am under warranty still. Had I known about these problems that seem common, I would have never bought a Pilot. I bought it because I love my Accord and it never failed me. I still have it....a 2004 and it never has needed a new transmission!
My question to you is this...what is a S-VCM unit and what does it do?
Thanks!
When we returned home, I left the Pilot with the dealer again. It sat in their lot for two weeks while we waited for shipment of a new torque converter. I also insisted on a new external transmission filter at Honda's expense, and I paid for the installation of an auxiliary cooler (they charged me for the parts only). When I got the Pilot home, I installed an S-VCM device to disable the Honda VCM system. As was noted by Viper in the post above, the S-VCM unit tricks the car's computer into thinking that the engine is not quite warmed up. The computer then does not activate the VCM program. The VCM program gives a slight increase in fuel economy, but causes multiple reliability issues.
Since that time, the Pilot has worked fine, with no trouble codes and no slip during cruise, as shown by watching the tachometer.
It is interesting that Honda still has a shortage of new torque converters in their supply chain. My guess is that there is a steady rate of TC failure in the Gen 3 Pilots, due to the Gen 3 VCM system.
Thanks for this information. It took a week to get the TC installed but it finally happened and I am well within warranty since I only have 27,000 miles. My husband wants to get rid of the car after all fo the horror stories I have told him about from this forum. We have not finished paying the car off and I feel that it would be money down the toilet.In answer to your question regarding my experience with this warranty repair: When the transmission system warning symbol came on, I immediately drove back to the dealership where we had purchased the Pilot and left it there for service. They did a 3x drain and fill of the transmission with Honda ATF, did a test drive, and pronounced the problem solved. A week later, the transmission warning reoccurred during a out of town trip. It seemed like cruising on the freeway at 65 mph would cause the torque converter lockup clutch to slip and trigger the warning. If I cruised at 75 mph, the slip did not occur.
When we returned home, I left the Pilot with the dealer again. It sat in their lot for two weeks while we waited for shipment of a new torque converter. I also insisted on a new external transmission filter at Honda's expense, and I paid for the installation of an auxiliary cooler (they charged me for the parts only). When I got the Pilot home, I installed an S-VCM device to disable the Honda VCM system. As was noted by Viper in the post above, the S-VCM unit tricks the car's computer into thinking that the engine is not quite warmed up. The computer then does not activate the VCM program. The VCM program gives a slight increase in fuel economy, but causes multiple reliability issues.
Since that time, the Pilot has worked fine, with no trouble codes and no slip during cruise, as shown by watching the tachometer.
It is interesting that Honda still has a shortage of new torque converters in their supply chain. My guess is that there is a steady rate of TC failure in the Gen 3 Pilots, due to the Gen 3 VCM system.
I have some more questions. First, is installing the S-VCM unit difficult? Could someone like my husband do it if we do not know a lot about cars or should we have the dealer or a mechanic do it? Second, will doing this void my warranty?
Thanks!
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