rocket3004

Okay, well earlier this year (or late last year), I noticed a smell comming from my car, esp. after "hard acceleration" - getting on the freeway, passing, etc. My friend suspected the trans, so we pulled out the auto trans dipstick, and it kinda had a smell to it, not too bad, but it was in need of a changing. I changed the oil, but I didnt do a full flush, I just pulled the plug, and refilled it with about 3 or 4 qts. Ive been checking my dipstick every so often, and it's at the line where it needs to be so no worries there. Anywho, Im still getting a smell after hard acceleration, but its not really a burnt smell, its kinda sulfury, hard to explain. Ive asked some ppl with good honda knowledge and they say if it is a burnt smell comming from the trans, then some damage to it has been done. But, some other people have told me it could be something else. (exhaust leak, oil leaking/burning). But.. a few weeks ago, in some ice, my car slid and kinda went over a rock/curb. Now, ive noticed almost like a clunk/clanking sound comming under the car when i shift from P-R, R-N, N-D(4). I was praying to God that it was perhaps my exhaust just banging against a mount, or my cat got jacked and was just like making a noise from the movement of the trans when it was being shifted. I also have noticied that I only get this small clunk sound when its especially cold outside, it kinda goes away when its warmer outside.

So is my trans failing? How can I diagnose whatever is wrong with it? What are my next steps?

Thanks alot for your input!

p.s. i was sifting through old files on one of the civic yahoo! groups, and saw a post from a guy with a similar problem after he installed a new exhaust... he got that clanking sound when shifting, so I am keeping my fingers crossed that it is my exhaust, but it could very well be me trans!

rocket3004

anyone got any ideas?