Sam5

1998 Honda Accord LX
4-door
2.3L VTEC
Auto Trans
61,800 miles
bone stock, no mods

I noticed some puddles of fluid on the garage floor today. When I wiped it
up with a paper towel the fluid appeared red. I'm assuming it's
transmission fluid. I've read on this site and some others that this
particular transmission is known for premature failure. I think Honda even
extended the warranty on the '00 and '01 model years, but that doesn't help
me.

Some questions:
1. How panicked should I be? Is leaking fluid a sure sign of impending
tranny failure?
2. Is it possible to have this transmission rebuilt if needed, or is it a
"replacement only"?
3. Is it possible that it could just be a leaking seal that can be
replaced?
4. Anybody ever use one of those additive wonder products like "Bar's
Transmission Leak Stop"? Can adding this type of fluid do any harm?
5. Anybody else have their tranny go out on a similar model year? If so,
how much to repair? I've read that dealerships want $5K to replace, not an
option.

I'm going to crawl under this weekend and take a look, see if I can
pinpoint the leak. Maybe I'll get lucky and it's one of the fluid cooler
lines, but somehow I doubt it.

I've been nothing but good to this tranny. I'm the second owner. The
first owner had one trans service done and I've done 2 myself, the last one
at 50,000 miles The fluid has always been kept clean and I drive like a
grandpa for the most part. It's shifting fine right now, no strange noises
or anything.

Any help or advice is much appreciated.

jwogen1

get under there and see what you can see, and if you cant fix it yourself get it into the shop.

iam7head

I am not aware honda have the extened warranty on the 4cylinder model.

those, magic snake oil would do a thing.

the first thing i would do is take out the dipstick, look for little black/brown deposite, it's a sign of the tranny's going south.

alot of thing can happen to your car, jack the car up and see where is the leak from, the source of the leak tell us alot of the car.

it could be just a loose clamps on the tranny juice line, or the tranny housing is crack.

jlv55

so did you ever figure out the problem? my 98 accord has the same problem. im thinking the leak is coming from the line.

John Gordon

Just a thought - did you do anything to the tranny recently? Its possible to overfill, and then you will get a leak.

Otherwise, here's the drill. Clean thoroughly with Gunk and water to get rid of built up dirt and grime. Then drive it slowly (too fast and you will blow the leak away from source). Now look underneath at:

pan bolt and gasket
dip stick tube
transaxle oil lines
speed sensor

jlv55

im gonna check again tomorrow. btw, what is the correct way to check the fluid level on an automatic? this is my first car that is automatic and i dont know whether to check the ATF when the car is cold, warm, or running.

John Gordon

Not sure about the '98, but on my '90:

1. park it on level ground
2. move the tranny through the gears
3. shut it off and immediately pull the ATF dipstick and wipe it off, reinstall
4. pull it again and look at the level. should be in the crosshatch area

while you're at it drop one drop on something shiny and white, like a label in your engine area. color should be pink or reddish. when new it is bright pink and clear. if its brown it needs to be changed. if it smells burned you have problems. get it serviced immediately.

JimBlake

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by John Gordon &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Not sure about the '98, but on my '90:

1. park it on level ground
2. move the tranny through the gears
3. shut it off and immediately pull the ATF dipstick and wipe it off, reinstall
4. pull it again and look at the level. should be in the crosshatch area

while you're at it drop one drop on something shiny and white, like a label in your engine area. color should be pink or reddish. when new it is bright pink and clear. if its brown it needs to be changed. if it smells burned you have problems. get it serviced immediately.</TD></TR></TABLE>Same procedure for '98 Accord 4-cyl. Most other (non-Honda) cars you leave the engine running in park when you check, so Honda is sorta different with their procedure.

Elvis1977

Could very well be an overfilled transmission.
1) MAKE SURE YOUR PARKED ON LEVEL GROUND AND ENGINE OFF.
2) LET THE CAR SIT AT LEAST 15 minutes.
3) check dipstick. level should in cross section.

I have a 98 4-cyl. with 118k miles. My transmission does not leak, but upshifts and downshifts from first to second with a click/slight clunk sometimes. I think this is normal transmission behavior with age. All other gears shift smoothly and perfectly. Why can't Honda make good automatic transmissions?

jlv55

im gonna change the filter tomorrow. anyone want pictures?

AngryTroll

There isn't much that leaks on Honda automatic transmissions. Like a previous poster said, check to see if the transmission is overfilled.

The oil pan and gasket do not exist.
The dipstick tube does not exist on your particular model.
The speed sensor never leaks.
The cooler lines leak occasionally...usually at the banjo washer.


Check the axle seals. If either seal is leaking, grab the inner tripod joint and move it up and down. Any excessive movement will most certainly cause the seal to fail and is a sign of differential problems. (carrier bearings).

Use only Honda ATF (buy three quarts) and stay away from additives.

jlv55

what/where is the banjo washer? i was under the car today and the leak looked like it was coming from near the rear, next to the exhaust.

syclone

honda has extended the warranty on auto trannies for 98-02 honda accords.. 7 year 100k miles.. if you haven't been doing the maintenance on it.. let the dealer take care of it.. you wouldn't want them to deny your coverage because you messed with it right before you turned it in..

kehr

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by AngryTroll &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Check the axle seals. If either seal is leaking, grab the inner tripod joint and move it up and down. Any excessive movement will most certainly cause the seal to fail and is a sign of differential problems. (carrier bearings).</TD></TR></TABLE>

I have a transmission leak also, and the dealer shop thinks I DO have a problem with my bearings. But since I have a 94 Accord EX, I'm out of luck with getting help from Honda (even though I've faithfully brought this car to this shop for ALL scheduled maintenance since I bought it from them).

The leaking is very, very slow and intermittent, so I've been running it this way for over a year now, adding a little fluid maybe once every few months. The fluid on the stick is reddish, doesn't seem to be any hints of brown, yet, nor do I hear any "bad" sounds.

Anyway, money's tight, so I've been hoping to delay repairs as long as possible. The shop said my only solution is getting a rebuilt or a new car. Is there a third option? Are there new, "better" transmissions I can get installed, instead of a rebuilt? Any advice would be appreciated!

jlv55

well, turns out that the oil is leaking pretty badly out of the axle seals. anyone know where i can get instructions for replacing the axle seals and the carrier bearings? what else should i do while i am taking out my tranny?

lankan-balla

UPdateee..

The transmission levels were actually optimal friend who checked it didnt let it idle at first. However I do see dried up fluids from near the transmission under the car on my driveway. I'm guessing it drips extremely slowly.

CHOTTY

I see this is a very old thread, but if anyone is still out there, I have the exact same car in the exact same problem. Very little red fluid leaking in between the front tires on my garage floor. I’ve put a lot of money into this car because it is a true classic lately, that being said, I’m gonna get it looked at, but I cannot afford a new transmission. I guess I will add tiny bit of genuine Honda, ATFM – one into the dipstick, which is a yellow dipstick for the trans, I believe.