iirc, before the timing belt job, my auto tranny was able to shift from 1st to 2nd around 2000rpm but now it shifts anywhere from 2.5k to 3k going to 2nd from 1st (that is, light on the gas pedal)

is this normal for us accords? or am i off a tooth or something?

 

if the batt was disconnected the ecu reset so it will have to get used to your driving. i dont think that timing has anything to do with this issue. mine shifts when it wants doesnt seem to matter what the load is.....

 

i did not unplug the battery when i did the timing belt.

but i did unplug the green plug that goes into the alternator though.

but then i plugged it back in.

so should i unplug the battery and let it idle before i drive it?

thanks

 

If that doesnt do it, check the throttle cable going to the transmission throttle B pressure lever. If this cable was moved out of the way for the timing belt job. It may be routed incorrectly and changed the shift points. The cable should be routed across the valve cover. Check it out.

 

Actually, you might want to check your timing. The previous owners had the timing belt done right before I bought my '92 Accord and I just had the Honda garage replace the lower tube seals. They checked/adjusted the timing while they were at it and my car shifts significantly lower after bringing it home, lifting the negative from the battery for a few minutes and then driving around for a few weeks. Also, this wasn't the first time I've lifted the negative on the battery, so I'm pretty sure that a small timing issue can cause differences in shift points.

Just my two cents, nothing proven or scientific.

 

that is interesting, i will have to check this.

but it might not be this because the throttle cable have been put back to where it was originally.

im afraid that it was gonna come down to this but ive done it enough to be comfortable to take it apart and put it back.

do you think it could have anything to do with the balancer belt? its easier to set up compared to the timing.

it could be that this time i wanted to do a quicker job, so i kinda ballparked the TDC on the cam pulley.

 

I have just finished (yesterday) doing my own timing belt change. I will be able to start the engine tomorrow when I'm finish with other things on the engine. I don't think the balancer timing belt has anything to do with the engine's rpm. From looking in the Honda shop manual I have. But there is a proper way or method to set the balancer pulleys for timing belt replacement.
I think if you were off a tooth on the cam timing belt, you would notice a slightly rough running engine and loss of power. What I did to to line up the cam pulley is to use a small length of flat metal stock, rest this on top of the head along side of the cam timing pulley. you should see the cam pulley line mark even up with the bottom side of the flat stock (similar to the Honda shop manual illustration of the cam pulley marking with the top of the head). Also, the crankshaft timing pulley need to line-up with Triangular marking on the oil pump housing or block.

 

Yep, that'll do it.

Hope you get it sorted.

 

Yes, my engine seemed to gain some power when it started shifting at lower RPMs. I always suspected it was a tooth or so off, but never had the time or ambition to check it. The part that I find disappointing is that the previous owners had the timing belt done at a Honda dealer. Needless to say this wasn't the first job they didn't get quite right on the car. I've since found a different Honda dealer to maintain my car and have been thrilled with their workmanship and prices compared to the previous dealer.

Props to you for tackling this yourself. When I get to the next timing belt replacement at about 180k, I'll probably have the ambition to do it myself and be searching Honda-Tech for advice. Hopefully checking the timing helps!

 

oKay! I getting back with you about my 2002 Accord after I had changed the timing, balancer belts. I had to rake care of other things on the engine before starting it up. It started up just fine. Test drive it, I watched the rpm as it shift from 1st - 2nd - 3rd and 4th. My rpm gauge is not very precise (honda oem in the dash) most of all the shift occurred at around 2300-2500 rpm.
this was on level ground and normal acceleration (easy going with traffic). Ih ope this help for you. Good luck with your car.

 

by the way, I was taking a big risk by not having my timing belt change sooner. I have 173K miles on the original timing belt before this change. The original belts looks like new after taken off and replaced with new. This time I will definitely change at 260K miles.