Anytime a leak comes with a noise, you can bet they are one and the same. Simply put, find the noise and you’ll find the leak, or find the leak, and you’ll find the noise. The vehicle I’m writing about today came from a used-car dealer, and not knowing what was done to the vehicle can hinder your diagnostics process.
So here we are again. This time we’re working on a 2009 Honda FIT with an SP5A automatic transmission and a 1.5 Liter engine. While I think this name is very appropriate for this vehicle, some may ask, what’s so funny? Well, it’s because this vehicle is so small that it will fit anywhere. It reminds me of my Hot Wheels collection when I was a child. (Figure 1)
While talking to a friend of mine, Steve from Gold Coast Transmission in Hollywood, Florida, he shared a vehicle he was having issues with. This car was driving him up the wall! As we started getting into the problem, it was one of those “Can you hear that?” over-the-phone moments. As he continued to explain the problem, he mentioned that the noise was rotational. He also mentioned that it leaked at the front of the transmission.
Well, being sarcastic, I asked him which noise he was referring to. The hammer, the air gun, or the compressor? Once he got a bit closer to the vehicle, it was apparent that the noise was coming from the converter area. At that point, I asked if there was a leak associated with the noise, and Steve confirmed with me that there was.
It turns out the vehicle came from a used car lot, and they weren’t sure if it was a trade-in or if there had been repairs performed on it. Sometimes the trade-in or auction locations have their own repair shops that work on the vehicles, usually light-line work. In this case, this vehicle had definitely been worked on before showing up at the shop.
After removing the transmission for inspection, the R&R technician noticed the converter bolts were hard to remove, like they had been cross-threaded. When he removed the last bolt, there was a “pop” noise and the flywheel quickly released from the torque converter. This was a sign that there was definitely something wrong. After the transmission was removed, we were able to see the problem. There was a bushing-like race attached to the converter pilot shaft just dangling there, almost like the pilot shaft bushing walked out of the crankshaft. After seeing that, it seemed like that was the issue. (Figure 2)
Once the transmission was out and the converter removed, there were signs of the converter rubbing on the case (Figure 3). The flywheel looked warped, like a bowl. This also could have been the problem, but after taking a closer look, we narrowed it down to the extra bushing. That’s right, the original bushing in the crankshaft was already there but, when the transmission or engine was replaced, the shaft bushing must have come out with the old unit (Figure 4). Once the new flywheel and converter were installed (without the extra bushing), the vehicle was good to go.
When doing work for the local used cars guys, make sure to have your eyes and ears on. It’s not about what you hear but rather what you see.
Don’t forget about the Powertrain Expo live at Bally’s in Las Vegas. I’m looking forward to seeing old friends and faces again. C’ya!
