[d_himan]

I have a 9 yr 75K+ Accord AT. The current running is pretty harsh - bumper to bumper 35 Km commute everyday (1.2 hr + each way).

I felt up-shifts were becoming more noticeable (esp 1-2), and throttle control in 1st gear was a bit jerky.

Did a bit of R&D in forums like driveaccord.net/bobistheoilguy etc.

Things I understood:

1. AT usage under my conditions is classified as 'Severe'/'Extremely Severe'.

2. Heat is the no.1 enemy of AT failures. A good synthetic ATF (RedLine seems to be the most preferred) + Magnefine In-line filter + Transmission Cooler is a common modification to extract life out of older ATs.

3. Changing of ATF every 30K Kms (4 times Drain and Refill - not Flush) is highly recommended.

4. In case a synthetic ATF is not available, the one additive which people felt was good was Lubegard ATF additive to the standard Honda Z1 ATF.

LUBEGARD Automatic Transmission Fluid Protectant

Since sourcing RedLine in Mumbai seemed impossible, I tried sourcing Lubegard ATF Additive.

Got this from a seller in Baroda, who is the official importer of the Lubegard products. The price was reasonable as well. (Rs.1000 incld. delivery charges)

INITIAL IMPRESSION post driving 350KM

DEFINITE improvement in shift quality. Jerks are less noticeable. Kick down is faster. Throttle feels 'smoothened' out. The car has become quieter - which meant the transmission might have been slightly noisy earlier!

Will keep updating!

[revintup]

Good your accord is back and healthy.

But why didnt the service centre rectify the same? What did HONDA say about the problem? Why did YOU have to do all the searching?

[d_himan]

Originally Posted by revintup

Good your accord is back and healthy.

But why didnt the service centre rectify the same? What did HONDA say about the problem? Why did YOU have to do all the searching?

Here's what I figured revintup

1. Honda A.S.S is good and VFM for basic servicing.

2. Their solution for anything related to AT related issues is standard - replace the unit. There was a NHC CVT lying around for 6 months at the dealership I service in waiting for parts (or maybe expertise?)

3. There are AT repair specialists in Mumbai who do a reliable job at a far cheaper cost, esp torque converter type. I personally have had a good experience.

4. Even here, the idea of installing a tranny cooler + Redline AT + better In-line filter was not forthcoming.

In all, I think as ATs become more common, expertise/opinions would become more commonplace. Until then, Uncle Sam leads the way!