A/T Whine - Test Drive Tip

SOURCE:
Honda Service News September 2003

TITLE:
A/T Whine? Make Sure It's the A/T Before Replacing It

APPLIES TO:
1998-04 Accords, 1997-03 CR-Vs, 2003 Elements, 1999-04 Odysseys, and 2003-04 Pilots.

SERVICE TIP:
Got a customer complaining of a whining A/T? Before you go off and order a reman unit, make sure the culprit isn't tire noise (beware of aftermarket wheels and tires) or wind noise. Both of these noises can easily be mistaken for A/T gear whine.

For an accurate diagnosis, you need to test-drive both your customer's vehicle and a known-good vehicle long enough to get the A/T fully warmed up. Some noises can take up to 20 miles of highway-speed driving to duplicate the complaint.

Keep in mind, though, that unless the noise is really worse than other vehicles, installing a reman A/T may not offer sufficient improvement to satisfy your customer.