Reply to your question about repairs to my MDX

2003MDXRESNAV

MEMBER
2003 ACURA MDX
6 CYL
4WD
AUTOMATIC
140 MILES

Hello, Thanks for your quick response to my 03 Acura MDX tranny question. You asked if any repairs were done prior to this. The radiator failed, and it has tranny cooler coils running thru it, and a some coolant got into the tranny. When this happened, I was only 1/2 mile from the house, so I only drove straight home. I replaced the radiator, flushed all trans. Fluid from cooling system, and then I "drive & flushed" the vehicle for a total of (6) six fluid changes. This issue with the shifter and pressure in the dipstick tube has developed since. We have parked it now after only around 300 miles of use since last fluid change for fear of the tranny going out completely. Is there anything I could have done different? Thanks, Don.

Friday, May 27th, 2011 AT 1:21 PM

3 Replies

KHLOW2008

MECHANIC
41,814 POSTS

You should reply to your previous post and not post a new question. The persone attending to you would be would be notified and can response.

Flushing the trans is the correct thing to do and you have done it correctly but you should not have diven the vehicle until the oil has no signs of water in it, ie color is red and no more milky pink.

Disconnect the shifter cable from the transmission and manually turn the shifter lever. If it is hard to turn, the coolant contamination has affected the lubricacity of the lever bushes and you might not be able to get it loose without disassembling the transmission.

Check the transmission fluid again and if the color is still milky pink, there is still presence of water and you need to have the breather hose cleared of clogging. When the breather hose is breathing correctly, any water within the transmission fluid can evaporate when fuid heats up.

You need to run the engine to operating temperature to allow the water to evaporate. Remove the dipstick while idling the engine to expedite the process.

There is a possibility water has gotten to the shifter lever within the transmission.

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Friday, May 27th, 2011 AT 1:37 PM

2003MDXRESNAV

MEMBER
3 POSTS

Hello, sorry I did not do my reply correctly, first time here for me so I did not see this area, ok. I did the "flush & drive a few miles" thing because everything I could read on line said to do it that way. The fluid was dark, very dark and almost a brown-ish burgundy color. After draining it into containers for disposal, the anti-freeze separated from the fluid in the containers, and there was a line between the two where the top half was dark red, and the bottom was dark green. Where is the breather hose located so I can clean the clog? Thanks so much, Don.

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Friday, May 27th, 2011 AT 1:51 PM

KHLOW2008

MECHANIC
41,814 POSTS

I could not find any diagram to show you the location of the breather hose. At top of transmission you should see a hose that leads to nowhere, that should be the one.

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Friday, May 27th, 2011 AT 3:54 PM