unknwnwh

Hey guys,

I have a 1999 Honda Accord 4dr DX with about 110,000 miles on it that I've had since 2001. About 2 years ago, I started experiences transmission trouble and the guy said that it was going bad. At the time I was figuring I'd just hold onto the car and buy a new one when it gives out. It lasted and drove fine up until today!

I was on the local highway here accelarating and felt a slight jerk between 40-45mph but that was usual because that's where my transmission has issues, the shift between 40-45mph. Well, I was slowing down to pay a toll and then started back driving again and then the gears were stuck for a while then shifted. For example...I'd drive and get to 15mph and usually feel a shift into the next gear, however, it'd get stuck and rev up to 5k RPM and then hard shift. It would do this until I got past 40mph.

Then I was slowing down again and this time the car wouldn't down shift right. I reached my destination and parked. 2 hours later I got back to my car and worried how bad it'd drive (I had to atleast hope the car would take me home!!!) So I started driving and drove relatively light and the car rode fine and shifter normally. I even slowed down fine. Then I got on the highway and got up to 80mph and stayed at a constant speed. Slowed down to pay a toll...again, no issues. Continued back up again and stayed at a constant speed. Didn't have issues until I got to the off ramp off the highway onto a local street. Here is where things went crazy. I slow down and it'd hard shift down. I started up from a stop and it'd get stuck at each gear and hard shift.....but eventually it wouldn't even shift past 40mph. I'd get up to 40mph and the car would just rev 5 or 6k RPM and not shift! I get home and check the transmission fluid and it's a brown color but doesn't appear to be low. I've known I needed to change to fluid but I've also heard that changing the transmission fluid on a car that has never had it changed before would just make the transmission worse. I was thinking about adding Lucas transmission fix to hopefully resolve it, anybody have experience with this?

I know it's a quick fix, but I'm actually looking at getting a new car this summer, just hoping to last that long. I typically don't do a lot of highway driving anyway.

P_Adams

You may hope it's a quick fix, but I can't think of one.
I wish you luck (I really do) but I think your best bet is to have a transmission shop evaluate it for you. As it is, you won't be able to sell it for anywhere close to what you expected. Who'd want to buy a car with a bad transmission?

shibbywhitedude

Mine's starting to act up as well (though it's been doing it for several years now). It only hard shifts when the motor is cold from 1st to 2nd gear. It's fine as long as I don't give it a bunch of gas. Anyways, I called some shops around here and the cost of REBUILDING(not new) my tranny is average $2500. Good luck!

Targa250R

It's toast. Clutch material is clogging up the shift solenoids and valve body, not allowing it to shift.

You're looking at installing a used or remanufactured transmission. Forget the Lucas crap; it won't do anything.

Don't have it remanufactured by any local shops; I've seen way too many get it wrong.

A remanufactured transmission from Honda is $1700-1800 plus freight (~$110), installation labor, and a $1200 refundable core charge if you have it installed by anyone other than a Honda dealer. It comes with ATF and a 3 year/36,000 mile warranty.

Our shop has installed at least a dozen of these and none of them have come back. Final customer price installed has been about $2300 for most models. The quality of the Honda reman transmissions has been stellar thus far since they've addressed the core problems; it's a shame they didn't get them right the first time.

transguy37

What's happening with these units is that the clutches are wearing down and peeling out in the 1st and 2nd clutch drum. I do anywhere from 5 to 10 a month. Vehicles that this is happening from I've seen so far, are the 98' and up Accord 4cyl and 6 cyl., Odyssey, Acura 3.2CL and TL and a few MDX's. The fliter is what gets clogged up the most, and because of that it burns the 3rd and 4th clutch pack up. Hope this helps.

unknwnwh

So I'm going check around next week to see how much this will all cost me at many transmission specialists. I guess I'll see if I can get it rebuilt. I really want to keep the cost under 1200. I looked at the blue book value of the car and it's about $2900. I can't justify to myself spending 2000 fixing the transmission for a car worth 2900.

transguy37

If you get it rebuilt somewhere other than a dealership, make sure they use Honda clutches. Nothing else will work.

Heat

There is the option of doing an auto to manual swap - would be less expensive, maybe even in the $1,200 neighborhood. Do a search once the site fixes it's search issues, there are quite a few threads on auto to manual swaps.

I haven't done this myself, all I know about it is what I've read here. My '99 has always been a 5-speed manual.

Targa250R

Most sleazy local shops that rebuild automatic transmissions will quote you a low price ($1000ish) to get you in the door, then jack it up later once they have the car in their possession. I've seen a lot of people get suckered in by a low up-front price, only to have the shop call them once the trans is apart and tack on $1500 worth of additional parts and labor.

You're not going to get a Honda automatic transmission rebuilt right for $1200, period. If that's all you're willing to spend, then you should find a good used transmission with a 6-month exchange warranty from a salvage yard and pay someone to swap it in for you. You'll risk having to pay the labor again if the trans goes bad, but it's the only way to get another trans into the car for that kind of money.

I don't know what kind of shape your car is in, but I'm willing to bet that it's worth more than the $2900 book value to you. Don't just look at absolute numbers; look at the big picture: How much would you have to shell out to replace that car with another one of similar condition? You're not going to get much in the way of another good running car for $2300. Sure, it amounts to a small down payment on something newer, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. Even if you only got 3 years out of the new transmission, that's still $64/month - certainly less than a car payment.

eertkao

Your problem could also be a recalled transmission. I used to own a '00 accord lx and I had similar problems, mainly alot of slipping when the tranny shifted from 1st to 2nd. Contact your nearest Honda dealer and see if your accord has the same transmission recall. I ended up paying the dealer for parts and they ended up paying for labor (due to not hearing about the recall sooner, I had no other choice but to pay for labor which isn't too bad)

Targa250R

There was no recall; it was a warranty extension. Only '00 and '01 was covered, and it was limited to to 7 years and 9 months from in-service date or 109,000 miles. The original poster qualifies for none of these.

I've heard of Honda offering to split the bill with some '02 owners, but I haven't heard of any '99s being covered at all.

unknwnwh

Thanks for all the info....

So here is where I'm at now....

Called Aamco transmission ( i don't know if they're anywhere else outside of south florida) and they wanted to check it out...diagnose it and what not before quoting a price over the phone. I told him what I thought was wrong and he kept telling me it he'd still have it checked because it might be other things besides the transmission. They rebuild them and have a 1 year warranty.

A friend of mine who runs a shop used worked at a Honda dealership here and was a mechanic at that dealership and said that he'd see tons of the Accords in with my body style all the time with the same problem. He tried to get a used transmission from them but that ended up failing on him. He was telling me they give him a discount on a accord transmission which comes warrantied for $850 and he could put it in. Total cost $1200. I'm probably going to sell the car as soon as I get it fixed.

Targa250R

Why would you get it fixed at all if you're going to sell it? You'll never reap the benefits or make up the cost of repairs with the sale, so why not just sell it as-is with a bad trans and take the hit in value?

P_Adams

Aamco Transmission is a chain of National Franchaised, locally owned Businesses which trains from a centrally located school. Technical ability and knowledge varies from business to business. The bad thing about Aamco is their pricing schedule.
"So what" you say, "they offer a lifetime warranty"!
Nice, until you realize you're paying the equivilent of doing the job twice. Aamco is very $$

Their favorite trick is to offer a free multi-point inspection which progresses to a more extensive inspection (costs you money) and then with the tranny partially disassembled hits you up with the Repair Estimate from Hell

P

journeyforce

Yes $2300-$2500 is a lot of money but in the long run it is cheaper then making a monthly car payment.

110,000 is low miles for a 1999 and unless there are other problems with it, the car should last you for 200,000miles+ as long as it is taken care of and maintained well.

By the way the $2900 is trade in value when trading the car to the dealer. If you were to privately sell the car, you are looking at about $4400 in excellent condition.

As has been said there is really nothing you can buy that would be on par with your current car for $2300 except as a nice down payment on a new car.

It all depends on how much do you like the car or whether you can make or want to make payments on a new car. If the car has treated you well and you like the car, then fix the transmission and drive it for the next 5-10 years.

As for worth in book value, that is to be held with a grain of salt.

I had a Chevy Beretta that had a clutch go out and it was going to cost me $1100 to replace it. The car was only worth $900 but I went ahead and replaced the clutch because there was nothing I could get to replace the car for that $900-$1100 and also because I did not want to be stuck for a monthly payment on a new car.

You car unless it is covered end to end with dents, has a lot of life left in it

Good luck

L

YeuEmMaiMai

after my experience with AMMCO and Kennedy Transmission, I will advise you to go straight to honda and have them install a properly rebuilt auto for that car that comes with a 3/36K warranty

a lot of shops don't have access to all the trans updates and will rebuild it to the original specs and therefore you are screwed

Targa250R

Well, we got another Honda reman trans in for a '98-02 4-cylinder Accord today. Looks like there has been a price hike. Used to be roughly $1800 with freight; new price is $2310 with freight. That brings the customer's total bill with replacement labor up to about $2750 before tax (your installer's labor rate will vary). Not chump change, but still not extreme for an OE reman transmission with a 36/36 warranty.

transguy37

What P Adams said is very true. Aamco and Cottman are Chains just like Mcdanolds. I use to work for 2 Cottman's. Which Aamco bought them out, so there you go. But their goal is to get your vehicle in there and get it tore apart and then hit you with a price, NOT. We get around 2100 to 2300 to do a job like that. we give the price straight up. We rebuil them like they are supposed to be done with Honda clutches, solenoids and fluids. That's the only way to do it. Our standard warrant is 2 yr/ 24,000 mile.

Own4

My recommendation would be to contact Honda America. I currently own 4 hondas and have contacted them on 4 occacions; including the replacement of my Accord 99 transmision. Each time they picked up the tab for labor. I keep my service records and I only contact them when I feel the component failed prematurely.

Edison99

Hi Targa250R!
I drive 2000 Honda Accord LX 4 doors automatic with 96,000 mileages. I'm the single owner and well maintained, all maintenance and tuning done by same Honda Dealer only. In last oil-change dealer identified like I need replace transmission, also I need start feeling jerk and slipping while merging with traffic i.e. say 0 to 20 mph after that driving is smooth. But engine light is good i.e. Not turned on yet.
Dealer suggesting remanufactured transmission with warranty 3years or 36,000 mileages cost around $2600 including labor. My question do I need to change transmission very soon or go with transmission flush and once Engine light turned ON then I need to go for remanufactured transmission. (fyi, I did transmission flush @ 85,000 mileage).
Please advice!

BetAda0064

The same exact thing happened to me. Cept my tranny just decided to stop working the other day. Luckily my dads a Mechanic so the new tranny costs $1399 with a three year.

Smok3o3

Man I'm going through the same thing and my accord has been just parked ever since the gears took too long to grab. My car is a 99 accord lx at 250 thousand miles. Every transmission I find for this car someone just picked it up and for rebuilding it cost around two grand and I don't have the cash. With two grand I could buy a h22 possibly with tranny and throw it in or convert it to a v6 or even change it to a manual. Times tough and money is tight so good luck op

clempot911

Is there any way to clean the filter to get more life out of these things?

94EG8

Define flush. If it was flushed with a power flusher you may have killed it that way, if it was just drained and filled a few times then it wasn't a contributing factor.

If you feel like pulling the transmission and then disassembling it then yes. Otherwise no.

retiredman2006

My 2000 Honda Accord SE's automatic transmission just started shifting harshly in 1st to 2nd gear when it's cold. After a few blocks the transmission shifts fine. Got 66K miles and ATF fluid was drained to replace a drive train seal, then again because I overfilled the fluid level (by the shop wanted to just to start over with the ATF-Z1 fluid). I've put 1K miles on the last ATF fluid drain & replace so I'm going to ask my shop to do it again. On a hot day like today 86F, the tranny shifted fine and normal. Oh, yeah I asked the shop to clean the screens to the solenoids and it didn't seem to help. But looking at the engine today I can tell the lock up solenoids were not touched so I'm going to try to find the Honda manual and do these myself. The most expensive set of solenoids run $170-250 and the cheaper ones run $50-80.

Has anybody done the solenoid cleaning of the plugged passages? and gotten the tranny to shift quietly?

I'm looking to trade notes on getting this fixed; any suggestions would be welcomed.