I took the chance to drive my Grandad's Honda Accord SE 2.0 auto last night to the hospital to pick up my Grandma (my own car picked up a flat tyre and I didn't have time to change it - I'm on his insurance under some weird Saga emergency use thing so I'm pretty sure it was legal).
Anyhoo - it's X reg and only has 26000 miles on it, doing less than 2000 a year. My Grandad is 87 and doesn't drive so much any more. Put it this way - the only time the windscreen washer gets filled is at the annual service....
While shifting between drive and reverse and park there's a loud bang from the gearbox - does anyone know if this is normal? Apart from that it drives and shifts fine. I have a horrid suspicion it might be to do with the fact that my Grandad shifts into neutral at every set of traffic lights he comes to.
One other thing - the engine seems to idle when cold (according to the rev counter) at under 500RPM when in drive. This seems a bit too low to me, but again, it does drive normally and has never stalled to my knowledge.
It's going to be driven even less now he's just coming out of hospital - any advice I should give him?
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Advice #1
Get rid of the car. Its costing a lot to keep on the road for just 2,000miles pa. It would be far cheaper, and safer if he got taxi's everywhere. Get an account with a local minicab firm.
Advice #2
If he really wants to keep the car. then let you drive it every couple of weeks for at least 20 miles on the motorway or similar fast road. The car should have the oil changed every six months and get it serviced now, and have those problems checked out. Moving into neutral will no effect at all on the banging noise. How loud is it? A lot of autos do make a thumping noise when coming out of park even the Merc and Hondas I used to own.
Idle speed is irrelevant as long as the car performs OK and passes its emmissions test.
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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Thumping noise is when passing through reverse. I don't think he cares any more about the cost, and while I've mentioned taxis, he doesn't want to lose the convenience of having a car.
Will ask him to get it serviced now, and I can do the oil changes.
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Don't expect a Honda dealer to be an expert with the autobox. Worth asking them to diagnose, I guess, in case it is a known problem, but if they don't know pretty quickly then it's probably better to take it out of their hands and give it direct to the autobox specialists to whom they might have subcontracted any work anyway, which would result in a cheaper bill and the opportunity to talk to the specialists and gather any advice to avoid the problem in future.
All that said, it may well be under-use that's causing not only that but other problems too. As suggested above, you would do the car a real favour by taking it out for some fast fresh air every week or two.
Your grandad's reluctance to give up the car is a familiar attitude. The lady across the road from me didn't give up until she was 90; we all knew when she was trying to get into her garage because of the red-line revs and sooty exhaust fumes every time, and we all crossed our fingers and held our breath when she ventured out, only after I released the handbrake for her each time. Expense apart, it really doesn't make any sense for someone in their late 80s to be driving themselves around, no matter how hale and hearty they feel. It's just too dangerous out there.
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drain and refill the autobox with new fluid.
This often takes away the 'knock'.
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As Ian says, drain and replace the 'box fluid. The bang is not normal, but it may not be catastrophic. And just about any other fluid in the car should probably be changed as well depending on when the last service was.
Get someone to take the car out for a good drive every month or so. You'll hear cries of "no, no it needs to be driven properly every 38 minutes" or some other excessive stuff, but the reality is for what your Grandad needs that just isn't worth the effort.
Get it serviced properly every year and keep an eye on the brakes and the battery.
It'll be fine and, just so long as he is safe, let him enjoy his car, his money, and his right to do whatever he likes with either.
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