SCCAForums.com

Yeah, the AWD RL is the MDX/pilot.  We still do quuite a few now.  IIRC, that trans is going through a class action lawsuit likethe Accord/TL trans did.

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"Drag racing is for fast cars, autocrossing is for fast drivers"

Bobzilla:

Yeah, the AWD RL is the MDX/pilot.  We still do quuite a few now.  IIRC, that trans is going through a class action lawsuit likethe Accord/TL trans did.

 

That's what I thought.   I wouldn't tow with one of those.  And if I owned one, I would be sure I had some kind of warranty on that unit or trade it off before it was out of warranty.  Those are expensive units to overhaul.  We got $2500 wholesale.

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Steve Hoelscher
#27 DP - Toyota MR2
http://www.terriehoward.com

They are actually available in OEM reman now.  About $1800 for an OEM reman isn't bad, but it's still uber-expensive.

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"Drag racing is for fast cars, autocrossing is for fast drivers"

Bobzilla:

They are actually available in OEM reman now.  About $1800 for an OEM reman isn't bad, but it's still uber-expensive.

 Wow, then the price has really come down.  I assume that's dealer cost though.  We were doing them for $2500 flat rate and warrantying them to the dealer.  At the time I think dealer cost was something like $2800. 

 I remember when Chrysler was having so much trouble with the A604 automatics in their Caravans.  You could buy a Chrysler reman from the dealer (wholesale) for $650.  We bought a lot of them because we couldn't build them for that.   The Chrysler was subsidizing the price to take some of the sting out of the transmission problems owners were having.  Maybe that's what Honda is doing now.

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Steve Hoelscher
#27 DP - Toyota MR2
http://www.terriehoward.com

$1800 is retail, but still getting stuck on the road witha car in tow is not fun!

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"Drag racing is for fast cars, autocrossing is for fast drivers"

Bobzilla:

$1800 is retail,

 Wow, then Honda really is following Chrysler's model to try and soften the hit.  $1800 is about what most Chevy dealers get for a plain ol' 4L60E in a half ton pickup. 

 

bobzilla:

but still getting stuck on the road witha car in tow is not fun!

BTDT.  That's why I tow with a Ford instead of a Chevy today.

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Steve Hoelscher
#27 DP - Toyota MR2
http://www.terriehoward.com

well over 50k now and without a *single* issue of any kind and I load mine likely harder than most anyone else, while it shares similarities with the other Honda vehicles mentioned it's components are different in many ways

been over quite a few mountain passes, just added a 300# Leer topper while down at the San Diego Tour several weeks ago to boot

I'm very religious about replacing drivetrain fluids often due to the stress of towing, this is one area where a lot of people fail their vehicle and then get the same in return

There's a Mazda RX-8 in the trailer.  I had every intention of installing sway control, etc. but this rig tows so perfecty even in high cross winds and twisty mountain roads that I haven't gotten around to installing the components yet one year later ...

EDIT: deleted picture, posted in earlier reply  http://sccaforums.com/forums/permalink/294771/258051/ShowThread.aspx#258051

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"Understeer is when you hit the wall with the front of the car and oversteer is when you hit the wall with the rear of the car.
Horsepower is how fast you hit the wall, torque is how far you take the wall with you." --Anonymous

TeamRX8:

well over 50k now and without a *single* issue of any kind and I load mine likely harder than most anyone else, while it shares similarities with the other Honda vehicles mentioned it's components are different in many ways

been over quite a few mountain passes, just added a 300# Leer topper while down at the San Diego Tour several weeks ago to boot

I'm very religious about replacing drivetrain fluids often due to the stress of towing, this is one area where a lot of people fail their vehicle and then get the same in return

There's a Mazda RX-8 in the trailer.  I had every intention of installing sway control, etc. but this rig tows so perfecty even in high cross winds and twisty mountain roads that I haven't gotten around to installing the components yet one year later ...

 

how much weight are you towing?

krzastek:

how much weight are you towing?

just south of both the tow (5000#) and GVWR (10000#) limits

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"Understeer is when you hit the wall with the front of the car and oversteer is when you hit the wall with the rear of the car.
Horsepower is how fast you hit the wall, torque is how far you take the wall with you." --Anonymous

TeamRX8:

just south of both the tow (5000#) and GVWR (10000#) limits

 What brand of trailer is that?  I've never seen one built to open up that way.

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www.gearheadsgarage.com

I only have several inches clearance on each side, so it needs to open on both ends to tie it down

the side door allows the car door to open fully for easy ingress/egress, the entire top assembly is bolted on, it can be lifted and removed for open trailer hauling

it pulls like a dream, driving it on into the tight confines is not for people with a weak disposition

 

 http://www.montrosetrailers.com

http://sccaforums.com/forums/permalink/301356/301356/ShowThread.aspx#301356

.

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"Understeer is when you hit the wall with the front of the car and oversteer is when you hit the wall with the rear of the car.
Horsepower is how fast you hit the wall, torque is how far you take the wall with you." --Anonymous

just an update on this.  I have been towing my Miata with my Ridgeline since Jan and I couldn't be happier.  It does a great job

Steve Hoelscher:

dasto:

I am personally not aware of a pattern of transmission problems for Ridgelines used in a similar application as mine.  Different towing considerations obviously dictates a different tow vehicle.

 I have been out of the transmission business for about three years now but I owned a big Aamco Center for several years.  We did all of the transmission work for two local Honda dealers.  If I remember correctly, the Ridgeline uses the same basic transmission as in the Odyssey.  That transmission is the most problematic in Honda's history.  While its hard to argue with the success that the people here have testified to, the larger statistical sample doesn't bear this out. 

I believe Steve (& others) are correct that there were problems with the early 2nd generation Odyssey transmissions. Lots of problems. I believe that those problems were addressed a couple of years into the model run and any problems with that transmission were addressed before the Ridgeline was introduced. I also agree with Sam that Dan & I do indeed live in 'flatland' and I probably would not be as happy if I had a lot of hilly or mountain towing (like Sam) to do. For the vast majority of people towing less than 4,000# on an open trailer I don't think there is any reason NOT to tow with the Ridgeline.

Scott

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CSP49

csp49:

Steve Hoelscher:

dasto:

I am personally not aware of a pattern of transmission problems for Ridgelines used in a similar application as mine.  Different towing considerations obviously dictates a different tow vehicle.

 I have been out of the transmission business for about three years now but I owned a big Aamco Center for several years.  We did all of the transmission work for two local Honda dealers.  If I remember correctly, the Ridgeline uses the same basic transmission as in the Odyssey.  That transmission is the most problematic in Honda's history.  While its hard to argue with the success that the people here have testified to, the larger statistical sample doesn't bear this out. 

I believe Steve (& others) are correct that there were problems with the early 2nd generation Odyssey transmissions. Lots of problems. I believe that those problems were addressed a couple of years into the model run and any problems with that transmission were addressed before the Ridgeline was introduced. I also agree with Sam that Dan & I do indeed live in 'flatland' and I probably would not be as happy if I had a lot of hilly or mountain towing (like Sam) to do. For the vast majority of people towing less than 4,000# on an open trailer I don't think there is any reason NOT to tow with the Ridgeline.

Scott

Scott,

Thanks for the information.  I am now up to 65,606 miles.  Hopefully the good service will continue until the next model change.

Dan

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Dan Stone
C-Stock 94

I rolled over 71,000 miles on the way back from Nats.  I leave it in OD as I've done on all my tow vehicles, but change the trans fluid often.  No issues to date other than the OE front rotors warped.

I installed a set of EBC Yellowstuff brake pads and new Centric rotors on the front before Nationals.  The OE pads were barely worn, but didn't look glazed or anything suspicious.  The new pads stop much better.  This is not the same compound as the EBC race yellowstuff pads, but a modified version intended for trucks/SUVs doing towing duty.  They do dust more than the OE ceramic pads though.

By my estimate I was probably close to 11000 lb combined GVWR towing back from Nats, which exceeds the recommended 10000 GVWR combined limit.  It wasn't intentional, but we were a bit shocked at how heavy the truck was when we drove over the HPT scales empty but with two adults and a Leer topper; 5150 lbs.  I ended up hauling back extra wheel tire sets too, so the two combined put the load on the heavy side.

 

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"Understeer is when you hit the wall with the front of the car and oversteer is when you hit the wall with the rear of the car.
Horsepower is how fast you hit the wall, torque is how far you take the wall with you." --Anonymous

just putting the "it's a Pilot/Odyssey/MDX trans" myth to bed, it's not

 http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050303.wxwhvaughan03/BNStory/specialMegawheels/

 

Vaughan: But it must share a lot with the Pilot.

Flint: Well, it is part of the Honda family and it shares a number of components.

The engine is fundamentally similar to the engine in the MDX. The transmission, however, was specifically developed for application in this vehicle, primarily because of the towing and truck needs. So gear ratio and torque converter and a lot of the clutch backs are actually specific for this model.

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"Understeer is when you hit the wall with the front of the car and oversteer is when you hit the wall with the rear of the car.
Horsepower is how fast you hit the wall, torque is how far you take the wall with you." --Anonymous

Vaughan: But it must share a lot with the Pilot.

Flint: Well, it is part of the Honda family and it shares a number of components.

The engine is fundamentally similar to the engine in the MDX. The transmission, however, was specifically developed for application in this vehicle, primarily because of the towing and truck needs. So gear ratio and torque converter and a lot of the clutch backs are actually specific for this model.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>  <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

 

Just changing the torque converter stall rpm, the clutchs and the gear ratios doesn't make it a different transmission.  Its the same transmission with application specific converter, clutche and gear ratios.  This is a typical of most manufacturers.  As an example; GM builds more variations of the 4T65E than I can count.  They went in everything from the minivans with 3.2 liter pushrod V6s to the Grand Prix with the supercharged 3.8.   They all had different gear ratios, torque converters, pump and valve bodies.  But they are all aflicted with the same issues. 

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Steve Hoelscher
#27 DP - Toyota MR2
http://www.terriehoward.com

 

 

Steve Hoelscher:

 But they are all aflicted with the same issues. 

Apparently not given my own experience to date, but then we're known to disagree on more than this point

In this particular case you have no direct Ridgeline experience though, people can decide for themselves.

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"Understeer is when you hit the wall with the front of the car and oversteer is when you hit the wall with the rear of the car.
Horsepower is how fast you hit the wall, torque is how far you take the wall with you." --Anonymous

TeamRX8:

Apparently not given my own experience to date, but then we're known to disagree on more than this point

In this particular case you have no direct Ridgeline experience though, people can decide for themselves.

I was referring to the 4T65E from GM, as having issues.  As I have previously stated, Honda likely updated the transmission to fix the known problems but since that would have happened after I left the industry, I don't know.  However, until there is more data, I am a skeptic. 

And a hand full of guys with Ridgelines isn't an adequate data sample. 

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Steve Hoelscher
#27 DP - Toyota MR2
http://www.terriehoward.com

it's more adequate than a handful of sceptics with no actual experience

but start here if you dare to care

http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums/

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"Understeer is when you hit the wall with the front of the car and oversteer is when you hit the wall with the rear of the car.
Horsepower is how fast you hit the wall, torque is how far you take the wall with you." --Anonymous