njfastlife

please bare with me as i am not a car guy and this might come off as rambling, but i'll explain as best i can:

i am having some "issues" with my 2009 honda accord ex coupe with about 95,000 miles and hoping you can assist.

basically it's a feeling AND a sound and i think both might be related to the transmission. i am not a car guy so i am going to explain this as best i can and probably sound ridiculous, but here goes.

firstly in low RPM's and in low gear i can hear a slight rattle from the engine bay. i can't put my finger on it BUT i have heard it from other honda's driving by me. not sure what that is.

now, the more obvious issue. the transmission is very jerky. it doesn't downshift or upshift when i think it should. for instance, it will sometimes downshift on a downgrade for no reason, throwing it into high RPM's. other times it won't upshift when it should, again throwing it into high rpm's. it eventually DOES, but there is a huge delay. furthermore, almost every shift, even if the timing is normal, kind of feels like the car is pushing back at me.

another, unrelated issue is that the car burns oil rapidly. i usually have to refill it at least 2-3x before a normally scheduled oil change. due to this, when i first got the car i was going by the onboard computer and i ran it really low on oil. the light came on, i pulled over asap and had it towed to a mechanic. not sure if that is where any of these issues stem from, but it's a definite possibility.

now, the weird thing. i've brought this car to two independent mechanics who told me they didn't hear or feel anything and a honda dealer who said the same thing. granted, i am new to my area and have no idea the reputation of any of these guys, but it's worth mentioning.

anyhow, sorry for rambling. i really hope you can shed some light on what i should do. at this point i am considering trading it in/selling it before any
REAL issues arise.

thank you!

4dbull

Address the transmission first by doing a series of drain and fills with Honda DW-1 atf only.You will get all kinds of suggestions, but personally I prefer a three quart drain and fill at 5k miles apart, for a total of three changes.Honda recommends a three quart d&f at 60k and 120k.Forget the mileage minder.If your oil is black,consider it ready for a change.I would suggest 5k max between changes.If you do your own oil changes or are on good terms with your garage,let the oil drain as long as possible.Most contaminants are in the oil right before it starts to drip.I would also recommend using Honda oil filters,if possible.Most quick change places will put the drain plug in while oil is still draining out.Try to find out what brand and type of oil the previous owner used and use that.Sometimes synthetic oil will burn quicker than dino.If that is what your using,try conventional oil.Most newer cars use 5w20 weight.Hope these suggestions help.Most are derived from previous experiences.

njfastlife

update:

dropped it off at local dealer yesterday to have them poke around and do an oil change

just got a call from them today saying i need:

new heat shield

new control arm bearings

new brakes

new links

transmission fluid change

and was quoted at $1700

all this for a car with less than 100,000 miles? that price seems outrageous. makes more sense to me to trade it in.

thoughts?

4dbull

Sounds like you need to find another dealer or an Indy that specializes in Honda/Acura.Buy the fluid from the dealer(my dealer charges $7 qt by the case) as you will need it.Changing it is probably one of the easiest jobs you can do and even at an Indy garage shouldn't be that expensive.Get second opinions on the other work as they sound like"upsells".

BLKFLSH

Trading it in sounds like a good idea at this point, BUT! if you neglect the next car, as you have this one, it will end up with the same problems. When the oil level gets low enough to make the oil warning light come on, the maintenance has been neglected. ALWAYS CHECK YOUR OIL LEVEL, and keep up with regular maintenance. Things add up to big money repair bills when you don't. The problem is finding a mechanic you can trust to do only what is needed, at a fair price. They can be hard to find.

njfastlife

thank you. unfortunately, when i got the car i had no idea i had to physically CHECK the oil especially since the MM was telling me it had 30%.


NOW i know to never trust the MM.


may i ask why you suggest trading it in now? seems most say to keep it.

tamboo

maybe you can find an honest shop on yelp or here:

Mechanics Files | Car Talk

4dbull

The heat shield is probably causing the rattle/buzzing noise, possibly by touching something.Just doing the first three quart transmission fluid change will make a noticeable difference in the way it shifts.