Honda TSB 08-020 April 12, 2008 (3RD GEAR)

[Adlh29]

Originally Posted by jetdoc707

I am new to this site, and recently purchased a 08 Civic SI sedan. I have read a lot on this 3rd gear issue from this site, very informative. I looked at the above listed VINS, and mine doesnt seem to fit into this catagory. Are those VINS listed the only ones having problems, or are they the VINS that have reported problems? Again I am new to this site and currious about the future of my can and 3rd gear. Thank you in advance.

Hello and welcome. Apparently those VIN numbers listed are not the only ones having tansmission woes. As far as getting things fixed go you will likely only have your car repaired if the VIN numbers fall on the list. I have heard of members with 08's complaining about some of these symptoms. I would contact your dealer and if necessary file a complaint with Honda of North America if you feel you have a faulty transmission that needs repair.

[06civicsiguy]

i hear you ringpop im thinking bout ditching my si also. i got the fix done asap and the dealership didnt even need to replacate the problem. bt the car is emotionaly draining. its always something..

[Special Ringpop]

I'd keep the car, but the fix didn't do anything for me. Honestly, had I not known it was done, I'd never notice a difference. It popped out on me twice today (fully warmed up) going to work, and it's just as notchy and unwanting to engage as before.

[Johnold]

^ then that means that it's not the 3rd gear in the tranny. It's gotta be something else thats messing with our shifting.

[t85konrad]

Originally Posted by Johnold

^ then that means that it's not the 3rd gear in the tranny. It's gotta be something else thats messing with our shifting.

dude if that is the case then i dont know what i would do buti am gonna make sure they show me the old gear so i know they fix it and ill keep posting when i drop it off andim gonna mark up the screws on the tranny to see if they even tak them off

[FG2uner]

well, i have taken my car to the dealer 6 or 7 times now with the tranny issue. they tell me they never heard of this and they couldnt duplicate the problem in my car. so i printed the tsb and took it to my dealership yesterday and they said oh, i heard of this, but we cant fix it unless we duplicate the problem, which never happens.... idk what else to do. my 2nd gear is toast and my 3rd gear is just as bad.

[bluetroll]

Originally Posted by Special Ringpop

I'd keep the car, but the fix didn't do anything for me. Honestly, had I not known it was done, I'd never notice a difference. It popped out on me twice today (fully warmed up) going to work, and it's just as notchy and unwanting to engage as before.

maybe the dealership never really did anything... but they claimed they changed it... the techs didn't want to waste 2 days repairing the tranny.

[Special Ringpop]

I saw the box with the old parts. They've had me waiting for this fix for a few months.

They called in a special tech to do it who had done it before.

I have no idea why it feels exactly the same as before .

[FG2uner]

because they use the same parts... not the old torn up ones, but the same type/ part #.

[t85konrad]

Originally Posted by bluetroll

maybe the dealership never really did anything... but they claimed they changed it... the techs didn't want to waste 2 days repairing the tranny.

exectly what i am saying, those mechanics ae a lazy bunch thats y iam rigging it so i know that they changed it, all i am goin to pint my screws with a yellow pint pen and if the paint isnt off or chipped then i will let u know, but if they dont fix it and tell me they did well hell will fall upon that dealership, but my delership is a good place and i am sure that it will be done so if u live in the chicago area go to ed napelton honda in oak lawn, they are a good place and are very honest.

[08civicman]

Originally Posted by Special Ringpop

I saw the box with the old parts. They've had me waiting for this fix for a few months.

They called in a special tech to do it who had done it before.

I have no idea why it feels exactly the same as before .

I would take it back and have them do it again. The fix for others has made the tranny like it should be. Something was not put back together right, OR maybe they replaced your 3rd gear set but with the old part # and not the new one. Dealerships are dumb and I could totally see them doing it.

[Special Ringpop]

^ That is my thoughts on the matter, but the thing is, I nag this dealership so freaking much over so many issues. I know I have every right to, but I am getting embarrassed as much as they are getting annoyed, I am sure.

I will call my service manager tomorrow to tell her. I'm going to need to get it replicated again....last time it took 20 times to do it.

[08civicman]

Originally Posted by Special Ringpop

^ That is my thoughts on the matter, but the thing is, I nag this dealership so freaking much over so many issues. I know I have every right to, but I am getting embarrassed as much as they are getting annoyed, I am sure.

I will call my service manager tomorrow to tell her. I'm going to need to get it replicated again....last time it took 20 times to do it.

Thats bullshit. you shouldnt have to get it replicated again. They should be putting a goddam new transmission in your car.

Weird how it takes 6 years for a TSB to come out to fix a problem that has been around since the 02 RSX-S.

This whole 6 speed thing is some huge honda conspiracy. I cant belive how many cars are affected by it. They really fubard big on this one. They should have fixed the problem years ago before it got way out of hand like it has.

[Tim]

I don't see it as a conspiracy. It's not as though third gear won't work. It's not as though the car dies when you put it in third. You get a grind. Or resistance. Or at its very worst, it pops out and you have to re-connect. No lives will be lost due to this problem. It's just a headache. And it's one that Honda's stepped up to the plate to fix voluntarily.

[Special Ringpop]

I wouldn't say voluntarily...

I don't think it is a conspiracy, but I do think Honda knew about it for a very long time and just chose to do nothing.

At the moment, I'm just sad because the fix didn't help my car...at all.

[Tim]

I found this quote from Edmunds.com regarding TSB's very interesting:

Though an apparent nugget of good hope for consumers, a technical service bulletin is actually an advisory issued by a manufacturer for use by dealership service departments. "Most TSBs are released during the first year that a vehicle is offered or the year following a redesign," our road test editor, Neil Chirico (a former service advisor for Ford, Lincoln-Mercury and Volvo), observed - in order to address areas that might have been overlooked when designing the car.

These bulletins differ from recalls in that they are not considered safety or emissions issues and they usually apply only when your vehicle is in its warranty period (whereas a recall is "open" until the work has been performed). TSBs frequently (but not always) address a recurring problem and include illustrated instructions for repair, a list of the parts needed, the warranty status and the labor charge.

...

And, of course, the best thing about finding a TSB that seems to cover a persistent problem in your vehicle is that dealerships will make the repair for free, provided that

• Your vehicle is under warranty;
  
• Your service advisor and/or technicians are able to confirm that the problem exists.

The second mandate is not to be taken lightly, Chirico warned. Even if your vehicle is within the warranty period, "the dealership is not going to do anything about it, if [technicians] cannot verify the concern.... The manufacturer pays for the repair, not the dealership, and the dealership has to treat the manufacturer like a customer.... The service writer can't write up an invoice with just the TSB number and expect the manufacturer to pay for the procedure. The manufacturer wants to know that the car is legitimately broken."

Rather than going into the dealer with the TSB number in hand, it is more effective, according to Chirico, to come to the dealer with a complete description of your vehicle's particular problem - what are the exact symptoms, and when and where did/do they occur. He offered this example: Suppose you have a cold-running concern with your vehicle. Don't drive the vehicle into the dealer before work in the morning and expect technicians to be able to duplicate the problem - the vehicle will be warm. Instead, bring the vehicle into the dealer the evening before and let it sit overnight. In short, someone in the service department has to be able to duplicate the problem, and the TSB number and a brief description of the problem won't always do it. "You don't want to go in there sounding bull-headed - you won't get good service," Chirico said.

If the technicians and your service writer seem to be having trouble resolving a problem with your vehicle and you've already given them the most complete description possible, our road test editor continued, then you might say politely, "Someone suggested that this TSB might cover it." "Did anyone try this TSB?" A customer who makes an effort to sound intelligent (that is, provides a full description of the problem and demonstrates a history of regularly maintaining the vehicle) and to treat service writers (and technicians) with respect is more likely to find resolution for her vehicle's problems.

A further option, he said, is to arrange a meeting with the service manager and then, calmly discuss the matter (bring applicable service receipts). Usually, service managers will respond favorably to customers who ask, "Could you help me out?", rather than ranting. The service manager and writers always have a manufacturer's representative (a field technician) whom they can contact. You might want to suggest that they try this, if they haven't already.

Forging civil ties with a service department over several years may have its benefits when something goes wrong with your car after it is out of warranty. If you know that a particular problem is covered by a TSB and have a reputation of spending money with the dealership, the service writer might be willing to write off all or part of the repair cost.

[hoonu]

My parts have been on order for over a week. Hopefully they come in soon so I can put my header and exhaust in soon.

[User_name:]

Originally Posted by Tim

I don't see it as a conspiracy. It's not as though third gear won't work. It's not as though the car dies when you put it in third. You get a grind. Or resistance. Or at its very worst, it pops out and you have to re-connect. No lives will be lost due to this problem. It's just a headache. And it's one that Honda's stepped up to the plate to fix voluntarily.