So I have my 97 Civic LX auto, 174,6xx miles. It's just a transportation appliance so it's all stock, unless you consider a cd player and 'salty road lightening holes' starting to form by the rear fenders a list of modifications. I do regular maintenance, so even the transmission fluid gets changed (with Honda OEM stuff) on a bi-annual basis.

The other night at the in-laws, backing out of their driveway the car backed up a few feet than jerked, then continued backing up a little, then jerked again. In drive going home, everything was fine.

Reverse worked fine for a couple days, and then this morning it sounds like a gear is stripped out, kind of a brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr sound. I ended up pushing the car out of the driveway. Once in D, everything was fine.

At work, I thought I'd try to back into a parking spot to find out if it works better warm. Same brrrrrrrrr noise, and very little movement. So no. After work I thought I'd try reverse again to see if it was a sort of intermittent problem (shift solenoid not working quite right perhaps) and sure enough the same 'stripped gear' noise.

So... obviously something is not right! Wife wants it to get looked at and fixed ($$$! I'd rather spend it on better things than being able to back up an otherwise functional car), I figure it'll be okay so long as I pull through parking spots and parallel park.

What kind of reputation do these little slushboxes have? I know in the larger vehicles (Pilot and such) they don't have a great reputation.

Well, any help, ideas, thoughts, or whatever is appreciated.
Matt

 

pretty sure autos were a weak spot.....and it sounds like yours is gone. (well at least the Reverse) Do you have any blinking lights? like the D as in Drive? how about check engine lights?

You can find them in junkers for 150-300 and its about a 8 hr job in a driveway laying on your back if you have half way decent mechanical ability.

ask me how i know

 

All the lights work, no blinking or anything... no idiot lights on or blinking, and yup D=Drive.

 

Sounds like your reverse gear selector sleeve teeth are striped. Pretty common on the older Honda trannys, (90's). I would start looking around for another one with a good warranty. car-part.com. Or you can always buy a helms manual and start overhauling. transtar sells rebuild kits and reman. torque converters, of course you will still need a new gear selector sleeve.

 

Sounds like a transmission issue, though you may also want to check whether both axles are fully inserted into the differential.

 

The filter is internal on these and mine died a slow death. It was in an 01 Civic EX.
I put in a used JDM transmission with 40,000 miles on it.
Due to the Jap transmission computer program it throws a check engine light that no one knows how to make go away.
So I drive it with the check engine light on, until the bulb burns out.
The transmission works flawlessly otherwise.