Nai

Hi all I'm new here, having just acquired a 93 del sol a few months ago, and I know next to nothing about cars, so i would much appreciate your help! Its got about 184,500 miles on it and has been running great so far, and still is; but last night, as I was leaving work, the transmission slipped once, or so I imagine, going from Park to Reverse. On the dashboard, the light around the Reverse indicator was lit up, but when i stepped on the gas it just revved as if i was still in Park, but it moved a little bit, like shifted slightly (may have been in neutral) but it def. wasn't really in Reverse. I put it back in Park, and then put it back in Reverse and it worked fine after that.
Now it was kind of cold out, but not freezing, and I didn't give the car a chance to warm up. Often when its freezing or very cold out, when I start the car the Transmission Shaft is very sluggish to move until the car warms up some. I'm not sure if thats a factor that may have influenced this occurrence but my question really is the best way to go about treating the Transmission.

The previous owner was pretty rough on the car, most likely raced it. The engine is in great shape but I can feel the transmission moving kind of clunkily when I drive the car. The transmission fluid is at the right level, it was actually too high before I had some drained. Its light brown and the mechanics (who i trust) when I took the car in for an oil change recommended i do a transmission flush, but i'm hesitant because I have heard a lot of people say they didn't actually start to have Transmission slippage until after they got it flushed. What have been yall's experience with this? Should I get it flushed or not? I don't want to neglect my car's care but it is also my daily driver and i'm too poor to do anything if my transmission starts to slip regularly. So should i put it off, perhaps until I have some money saved, or are my worries unwarranted?

Second, I have a friend who drives a 2000 Dodge Ram Van which he neglects pretty awfully. A few years back the automatic transmission started to slip and stall and otherwise horribly malfunction. I was riding with him and recommended he check out the fluid. He blindly went into an Auto Parts store and picked up a bottle of "Lucas Stop-Slip" transmission fluid additive, dumped a bunch in, and VOILA the van drove like a dream after that, at least for a while. **** before it was ever in the shop we drove it daily for a few more months, then took it on a long distance road trip, lived in it for a month or so driving it around the city constantly, then drove hundreds of miles back without even another chirp from the transmission. Should I buy some of that supposedly magical goop and add it and just not worry for awhile? Thoughts?

Thanks all in advance! I look forward to learning a lot from this forum!

mk378

Likely the shift cable is out of adjustment, which is why it doesn't always go into reverse unless you move the lever again.

Do not flush. Drain and refill the fluid, drive a few miles, then drain and refill again. This takes about 3 quarts of fluid each time. Use Honda fluid.

The car can be pretty readily converted to manual transmission if you have a manual parts car to take the parts from. The automatics were never very good.

Nai

OK. So there is a difference then.
The Automatic Transmission Filter should be replaced as well, correct?
I will probably have to have this done at a shop, I don't have the tools, experience, space necessary to do this safely myself, sadly. Perhaps I could find a savvy person to do it on the side for me, but otherwise, is it really necessary to go through the process twice?

What kind of transmission fluid is best to use? Besides Honda? When I bought the car there was a bottle in the trunk, I forget the brand but it was labeled Merkon V.

civic402lx

Oem

mk378

Drain and refill is simple like changing the oil in the engine. Raise the front of the car (e.g. ramps), take the drain plug out and let the old fluid run out into a container. Put plug back in and refill with new fluid.

On the other hand, the filter is buried inside the transmission. You have to take the transmission out of the car and take it apart to replace it. Most people will rebuild or replace the transmission at that point.

Someone has been putting the wrong fluid in, that does not bode well.

98civdx

You can try draining and refilling 3 times. DO NOT POWER FLUSH,. Use OEM fluid.

These transmissions weren't that great to start with, and don't last forever.