Let me tell ya about this headache with my old 2003 Honda Element. Bought it cheap for hauling stuff, but the transmission started actin’ real funny last month. Figured I’d tackle it myself before payin’ some shop an arm and a leg.
First Signs of Trouble
Noticed it right after work one Tuesday. Pullin’ out the grocery store parking lot, felt like the engine was revvin’ high but not goin’ anywhere fast. Like steppin’ on wet mud – a lotta noise, little movement. Then came this awful clunk sound when shiftin’ from park to drive. Uh oh.
Started Digging Around Online
Hit up some Element forums real quick. Turns out these old Hondas? Known for weird transmission gremlins. Common stuff folks talked about:
- Weird shifting delays – like the car needs coffee before deciding to move
- Hard banging into gear – makes your teeth chatter
- Slippin’ gears – feels like clutchin’ thin air
- Rough shifting between 2nd and 3rd – like a kid jerkin’ a toy car
What I Tried In My Garage
Toolbox open, shirt already dirty – here’s what I did step-by-step:
1. Checked the Transmission Fluid: Parked it flat, engine warm, pulled that dipstick. Color looked murky brown like bad gravy, not that nice clear red. Smelled burnt too. Cheap fix first – changed the fluid and filter. Drained it out old-school. Filled it back up with Honda-specific fluid only. Made sure the level was perfect. Test drive? Still clunked like a dump truck.
2. Hunted Down Leaks: Got under it crawlin’ on cardboard. Wiped every hose and seal I could reach. Found some dampness near the axle seals – not a flood, but enough to make levels drop over time. Tightened clamps until my knuckles hurt. Wiped ’em clean again and kept eyeballin’ next few days. Still weepin’. Didn’t fix the shifting mess.
3. Looked Into Shift Solenoids: Those things tell fluid where to go. Bad ones cause lazy shifting. Pulled mine out – looked cleanish but who knows? Didn’t wanna just guess which one was dead though, and replacements ain’t exactly pocket change. Left ’em alone for now.
4. Adjusted Throttle Cable: Saw someone mention a loose cable tricks the transmission. Opened the hood, traced it down, gave it a quarter-turn tighter. Barely moved. Felt pointless afterward. No difference.
5. The “Kick It” Method (Don’t Judge): Heard folks swear by resetting the computer. Pulled the negative battery cable, touched it to positive for 30 seconds like some backyard ritual. Started her up, let it idle 20 mins like waitin’ for paint to dry. Took a highway run afterward… smooth as butter for maybe 3 shifts. Then back to judderin’. Total letdown.
Where It Stands Now
Still drives. Still clunks into gear on cold starts. Learned to live with the laggy shifts like an annoying passenger. Fluid changed, leaks slowed – keeps it limpin’ along. Gonna save pennies for a full solenoid kit or maybe hunt a junkyard transmission. Lesson learned? Old Elements stay alive, but their transmissions got personality problems. Sometimes ya just gotta work around the grumpiness.
