My 2001 Honda Odyssey needs an ATF cooler

[Vincent Komara]

Informed by the dealer this morning that my 2001 Honda Odyssey with 67,000 miles is getting its 2nd new transmission installed. Luckily Honda has an extended warranty and is covering the cost but I made the window just by a few months. Looking at the Ody forums tells me this is a common issue. Very disappointed in Honda. Anyway the solution seems to be adding an ATF cooler and filter, which FWIW Honda has done on later models but it does not retrofit to the 2001.

The Ody forum has some advice for aftermarket coolers but I am trying to do some more research since I have never dealt with ATF coolers before and perhaps find some local sources for them.

So my questions are what are the quality brands, how do you size them, should I add a thermostat? How about filters, what do I look for?

Vince

[Bob Beamesderfer]

Any of the good brands of oil coolers will have ATF coolers. Filter is probably a spin-on, like an oil filter. Ideally, you'd get the Honda filter and fitting if possible and add that to aftermarket ATF cooler.

[Will Kalman]

There was a recall on these transmissions that affected our 2003 Ody. Make sure you have it serviced according to the recall. I never did put a cooler on it but we don't tow or haul heavy loads so it lives a pretty easy life shuffling kids around (yeah, OK, there was that one practice day... }:) ).

Apparently, an internal component made of a composite material would start to disintegrate and the residue would eventually clog a hydraulic passage, causing the transmission to spontaneously shift into 2nd gear. I hear it caused some wicked accidents as the FWD vans would undergo brutal deceleration with no brake lights to even warn following cars!

[Larry Andrews]

Best Honda mechanic I've ever known: Gary Egeland @ H&A Auto in Costa Mesa. He told me that the transmission is an Accord unit that can't handle the weight of the Ody because there isn't any lubrication to one side of a (countershaft?) spindle. The trannies fail consistently and IIRC the only good fix is a new tranny from a newer car. Rebuilding only starts the clock at zero again - failure is inevitable. Later units have an additional fluid path to both sides of that particular spindle.

[Vincent Komara]

There was a recall on these transmissions that affected our 2003 Ody. Make sure you have it serviced according to the recall. I never did put a cooler on it but we don't tow or haul heavy loads so it lives a pretty easy life shuffling kids around (yeah, OK, there was that one practice day... }:) ).

Apparently, an internal component made of a composite material would start to disintegrate and the residue would eventually clog a hydraulic passage, causing the transmission to spontaneously shift into 2nd gear. I hear it caused some wicked accidents as the FWD vans would undergo brutal deceleration with no brake lights to even warn following cars!

Wow that's a failure mode I am not comfortable with. This tells me it's time to find something else for the wife. FWIW my van has been serviced by the dealer at all recommended intervals and is used for around town driving, no towing, no long trips up the grapevine etc. a very easy life.