Automatic Transmission Overheating Problem

My son has a 2002 Odyssey which is experiencing overheating of the automatic transmission fluid. The fluid turns to a black discoloration which indicates overheating. Otherwise the transmission seemed to work fine. He was told by the dealer that that was a design problem by Honda and just to have the fluid replaced every five thousand miles. Also that there is an after market cooling coil kit available designed to help cool down the fluid. I'm a little skeptical about this report. Do you know of anyone experiencing or know of this type problem?

Thanks

I have an 03 Odyssey and never experienced anything like that. The car has 120 000 kms (approx 75 000 miles). I had 2 flushes of the tranny done so far and the liquid has never been black. Even though flushing the tranny is important, what you've been told by the dealer (i.e. replace it every 5K) seems like nonsense to me. I would have the tranny checked by tranny guys who know what they're doing. Also keep in mind that doing a tranny fluid change at home by just opening up the plug, will drain 2 - 3 litres of fluid... however the tranny holds 8 to 9 litres I think... so you need to go to a garage where they have a tranny flush machine that can drain the entire system. But again, replacing the tranny fluid every 5K sounds crazy.... In Canada, a litre of Honda tranny fluid is 7 - 8 $. Multiply this by 9 plus add labour.... pretty expensive maintenance for every 5K

I was informed by most Honda shops that force flushing the system is a no no because it may cause some of the seals to leak out prematurely. I'm skeptical about going to transmission shops. I'll take it to a Honda shop and have the fluid changed and do a drive test. The car already had a "recall second shift inspecton" in 2004. Warranty for the recall is 109K miles or 7 years.

Thanks for the advice.

I was informed by most Honda shops that force flushing the system is a no no because it may cause some of the seals to leak out prematurely. I'm skeptical about going to transmission shops. I'll take it to a Honda shop and have the fluid changed and do a drive test. The car already had a "recall second shift inspecton" in 2004. Warranty for the recall is 109K miles or 7 years.

Thanks for the advice.
the reason for the fluid to be black is because of excessive heat from the torque converter also
problem in the valve body.or there is a code in the system for a lockup problem.

These years of odysseys are subject to transmission overheating even in climates that aren't particularly hot. One of the best things you can do is add an external cooler to bring the transmission temps down and an inline magnefine transmission filter. Tru-Cool 4544 is about the largest cooler that is easily installed. The Honda cooler is basically a small drinking straw, completely insufficient. It's also far more expensive than aftermarket solutions.