Symptoms To Detect Bad Transmission Solenoid On Honda CRV

Your Honda CRV’s transmission solenoid is responsible for controlling the flow of transmission fluid. This supplies ample energy to maintain a certain speed in your vehicle. 

The fluid pressure on the clutches of the transmission allows changing of gears. Many reasons cause the transmission solenoid to go bad.

In this article, I will show you how to detect a bad Honda CRV transmission solenoid by reading the signs and symptoms. Read till the end to find tips to fix it!

Signs of A Bad Honda CRV Transmission Solenoid?

A bad transmission solenoid usually leads to an oddly performing automatic transmission. 

Right from transmission shifting issues, poor gas mileage, engine stalling, poor running or dying can be diagnosed as a bad solenoid. 

You may notice check engine light flashing, along with the code P0700 appearing. Now let’s find out what exactly are the symptoms of a bad transmission solenoid in your Honda CRV. 

What Are the Symptoms of A Bad Honda CRV Transmission Solenoid?

Each sign will lead you to a cause behind it. These symptoms can be traced to a bad transmission solenoid. Here are some symptoms I found are most common:

1. Getting Stuck on a Gear

Vehicles that run on automatic transmission system depends on hydraulic systems that shift gears. Transmission solenoid in this case acts as a clutch. 

So when it has gone bad, the most common issue is the shifting problem. Usually shifting from 1st to 2nd gear is difficult. Shifting from 2nd to 1st or 3rd to 4th gear also becomes difficult. Shifting to reverse seems to be impossible.

The gear may get stuck in neutral as well. You also face difficulty in downshifting and your car keeps revving. In short, bad transmission solenoid causes gear shifting failure.

The gearbox skipping a gear is the symptom of a bad transmission solenoid. Moreover, one or more solenoids may get stuck in a closed or opened position. If this happens, it will be difficult to shift to reverse. 

This happens because the fluid transmission is hindered as the solenoid gets stuck. 

2. Delay in Shifting

Automatic transmissions rely on electric signals. It uses those signals to maintain the regulation of transmission fluids. So that the fluid pressure can be used to shift gears. 

Inadequate electricity supply, unclean transmission fluid can cause the solenoid to get stuck. As a result, the gear cannot be engaged on time. The response of the gear slows down. 

This is demonstrated in the gear getting stuck in neutral. 

3. Engine Goes to Limp Mode

With the onset of transmission problems, the check engine light starts flashing. Right in these conditions, the sensor of the computer receives a non pre-programmed signal. 

As it does so, the secondary programming is activated. This programme prevents further damage to the program. 

This is the limp mode. In which, the vehicle gets stuck at 3rd gear after automatically shifting from 2nd gear. As a result your car sort of ‘limps’ rather than running. 

The engine goes on a ‘failsafe’ mode that persists until the problem is fixed. 

4. Engine Dying or Stalling:

When the engine is cold, starting the vehicle may be difficult. This can be attributed due to many other issues. But transmission solenoid uissue can be one of them. 

Pro Tip: Bad transmission fluid can cause restriction in shifting. Make sure the transmission fluid is clean. The problem may start to subside with just that. 

What to Do When You Detect A Bad Honda CRV Transmission Solenoid?

When you detect a bad transmission solenoid on your Honda CRV, pay close attention to the A and B valves. In most cases, they cause all the trouble. 

What you can do is, replace the A and B valves. Check them with a voltmeter first to get the 12 and 5-ohm resistance respectively. Also, replace the transmission fluid. 

You can also take out the pressure switch and reinstall it after cleaning throughout. 

If these do not work, here comes the part where you need help! Your mechanic will come over, raise your car and unbolt the part from where he will visibly inspect the transmission system. After that, he can take out the transmission solenoid. 

If the problem persists, you can always buy yourself a new and functioning Honda transmission. In this case, buy a used or remanufactured transmission. Otherwise, go ahead and build yourself a transmission. 

Keep in mind that transmission problems also occur due to a faulty control module, faulty valve body, shift solenoid, or an open or short in the wiring harness. It doesn’t necessarily have to be the transmission solenoid always. 

Is Replacing A Bad Honda CRV Transmission Solenoid Typically Expensive?

In some cases, singular solenoid replacement is enough. In other cases, you might need a whole new pack of solenoids. 

The average time to replace the solenoids take about 2-4 hours. Billing ranges from $60-$100/hour. From this, it can be said that one job costs anything between $150 (minimum) to $400 (maximum). It might cost more depending on the model of your vehicle. 

A pack of solenoids costs around $50-$300. Whereas one single transmission solenoid costs around $15-$100.

Now, if you are looking to replace the entire transmission system, let’s roughly estimate the costs. Let me mention that usually it takes a long time (around 10 hours) for this work. And labor costs also skyrocket to around $500 to $1,200 the total work. 

It usually costs about $800-$1000 for a used transmission. It depends on what the junkyard is offering. 

However, rebuilding costs a bit more, usually between $1100-$2800 for an entire transmission.  

How Often Should You Inspect or Service The Honda CRV Transmission Solenoid?

Generally, a replacement of the transmission solenoid should be considered if you experience erratic shifting, gearbox jumping, problems in downshifting, etc. 

However, on average, the transmission is supposed to last for 130,000 to 180,000 miles. 

If you shift too hard often then you should check quite regularly (say once a week). Using clean transmission fluid and practicing proper shifting can enhance the transmission solenoid health. 

Final Thoughts

Transmission problems are pretty common for Honda CRVs. Unfortunately, it has not improved much. 

On top of that, the expenses to deal with this issue are also high. It usually takes a professional to fix the issue. Which adds to service charges and hassle to find a good mechanic. 

Driving a car with these issues is dangerous as well. So my recommendation would be to get a new car.

Similar Posts