Honda Malaysia is running a Product Up-Date Exercise on their Honda City cars. If you’re affected you should have received a letter informing you about the exercise. If you have a second hand Honda City perhaps you want to contact the previous owner to see if they received any letter on whether the car you bought from them is affected.
Anyway the exercise updates your ECU software and replaces the CVT gearbox fluid. Honda says the CVT fluid deteriorates under certain conditions and causes judders during acceleration. To avoid these symptoms, the fluid replacement and ECU upgrade is necessary.
The work is about 1.5 hours long and it is free of charge. Thanks to Wingz for the heads-up.
After dabbling for years in the IT industry, Paul Tan initially began this site as a general blog covering various topics of personal interest. With an increasing number of readers paying rapt attention to the motoring stories, one thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history. An avid electronic gadget aficionado as well as big-time coffee lover, he's also the executive producer of the Driven motoring TV programme.
….i thought replacement of transmition lubricant suppose to be a routine kind of thing?…especially auto transmition…
….i think the problem is with the ECU….
Update? I'd call that a Recall. Marketers are trying ever hard to trick us stupid Malaysians.
ingolstadt said,
February 8, 2006 @ 9:36 am
Update? I’d call that a Recall.
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Right on. Recall is the correct term . What nonsense is UPDATE. Might as well said upgrade.
Maybe Honda is giving some morale support to Proton
" You'll never walk alone " ? ha ha ah
This product update is for Honda City which is approximately 3 years old. By three years you need to change the CVT fluid anyway.
The ECU update is to nothing more than a software upgrade. It can be anything from recalibration to changing how the CVT transmission behave for Malaysian roads perhaps.
Tune up for free? why not.
What if it was previously a faulty tuned ECU? Hence they found out, then they say "UPDATE" ….. anyway good for manufacturers to stay transparent. rather than mitsubishi did last year… recalling a couple of million cars after the scandals broke (in which they are tryin to cover up…. lol)
if you say faulty, then what is or how far your definition of faulty goes?
Correct me if I'm wrong, if you say faulty tuning, I assume CVT transmission fail straight away the minute you engage the transmission the first time.
But this product up date is for Honda City batches roughly 3 years old. Newer batches of Honda City does not need tune up because their CVT system is already up to date. So what is the fuss? Same thing for softwares in your computer, if got update and its free why not download it?
Honda don't make the car 100% themselves. Honda's CVT transmission is from Jatco (http://www.jatco.co.jp/ENGLISH/index.html).
You may hear alot of stories regarding CVT failures and yes there are many. But many users whom have problems with CVT does not know this:
1. CVT transmission though it is classed as automatic transmission, they cannot use the usual torque convertor type transmission fluid. Dedicated CVT fluid is required. Alot of technicians whom are not familiar with CVT will dump torque convertor fluid to CVT trannies anytime.
2. Like all automatic transmissions, transmission fluids need to be changed out when it is due. CVT is not like torque convertor that have more tolerance than CVT before it fails. Think if CVT as a precision equipment. You get it dirty, it will go funny on you.
3. CVT transmission, to minimise cost have been designed specifically within a certain power band. You cannot install a K20A type R engine to a Honda City with its existing CVT transmission coz the transmission was not built for that kind of power at the first place.
Read further to understand the fundamentals of CVT:
http://www.lasercannon.com/cvt.htm
Peace
Honda has twice change my CVT fluid for free. 1st during scheduled service and 2nd a year ago due to juddering and this time to CVT fluid. It has been going on smootly till now. Received a letter to upgrade EUE & change CVT fluid recently.
Hi, I just bought a 2nd hand City IDSI(4 years car, make 10/2005, with new 2006 facelift).
Any advice on how to take care of this car? I mean in terms of engine & important parts maintenance? Any important thing to take note?