dahonda1986

I have this problem where the trans will not shift below 20mph from 1st to second. all other gears are fine. I replaced the trans with a same MAXA rebuilt one. Same thing. The RPMs reach 3K when shifting from 1st to 2nd gear. If I drive like a granny then it shifts at 2K. Other than that I replaced everything but alternator, ac comp, internally leaking steering rack. When I bought the car last year, it shifted perfect, but then I WOTed it 5 times and a year later the tranny started making noises even after replacing all solenoids and at clutch switch and 3 time oil refill with DW1. No codes ever with Snap On scanner. No vacuum, compression, or transmission test at dealer was done.

My 99 Accord 176K miles, shifts perfect in all gears on original transmission. First to second never goes above 2.5K RPM or 15mph, and that's with more than 50% throttle.

I am guessing something happened and the PCM needs to be reflashed so that the tranny shift much sooner from 1st to 2nd.

What else could be causing this soft and delayed shifting from 1st to 2nd?

MAD_MIKE

Check your 2nd gear pressure switch and wiring to the switch. Verify there is no foreign material impeding the pressure switch from activating. Verify it is not leaking oil, it may appear as slight weepage. If it is not functioning correctly you may have a shift delay.
Often times a 'rebuilt' transmission will only have the friction discs replaced, the sensors/solenoids may still be original.

Backprobe your TPS, check for a linear voltage change. If there is an issue with the engine it will greatly affect the way the AT functions. Check MAP and temp sensors are functioning correctly as well. Verify the engine gets up to temp.

OBDII Accords were still PROM chipped equipped and are not flashable.
Check your wiring harness for damage, verify the battery is fully charged, verify all grounds are clean and tight.

dahonda1986

I went to the dealer and they told me everything is fine. Obviously a lie. It does seem fine when the engine is cold with not cold weather outside. If it's cold outside and engine is cold, then it won't shift to 2nd until 22mph. I will go to a transmission shop soon. In the meantime, I am putting in a transmission cooler to bypass the radiator in case it's clogged, and replacing the steering rack since it's leaking. By the way I found a really interesting video that may also be my problem since my car is straight from Japan. According to this guy and his mechanic, the PS system can affect shifting as well, and I noticed when my pump failed the shifting got fucked around the same time. I ordered the transmission rebuilt from Mac Auto Parts.

MAD_MIKE

A failing PS pump, or heavy fluid, will cause excessive load on the engine. This will affect how the engine operates, which in turn will affect how the AT functions.