Daughter has a 98 Accord LX with Auto trans. She accidently shoved trans into reverse while doing 20 or 30 mph!!! She was trying to restart the car on the fly. It now only makes a loud grinding noise when put into reverse without moving.

Reverse is out but forward gears seem ok for now. I would think that metal fakes would now be in the system but I do not know much about transmissions (she has been using the car for several days)

Can just the reverse gear be replaced, or should entire trans be replaced?

Should she get a rebuilt trans or should she try to find one with low miles at a salvage yard? Should I even consider Cottman or AAmco? Any idea on cost?

Thanks for any advice.

 

I would at least go for a rebuilt one but you could probably find a lower mileage trans in good shape in a junkyard. Just make sure you get a warranty on it because some of those trannies had problems. I'm sure the current trans would need a full rebuild because metal shavings would be all over in it.

 

Rebuilding it will probably cost as much, if not more than getting a good used unit.
Reason?
Unlike the typical Trans failure where friction material fails, looses internal pressure etc; your failure surely (don't call me shirley!) involves 'hard parts' clutch hubs, planetary gears etc. That's when the price really goes up.

Unlike early '60's detroit iron, you can't bump start an automatic. They no longer have a rear pump; thus have no way to generate pressure to engage anything without the engine running.

P

 

damn rebuilding a tranny that way could cost you pretty close to how much youd pay for a brand new transmission for that 98, so if i were you a rebuild would be the last thing in my mind. your best bet is the nearest auto salvage in your area.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by hondalite &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Daughter has a 98 Accord LX with Auto trans. She accidently shoved trans into reverse while doing 20 or 30 mph!!! She was trying to restart the car on the fly. It now only makes a loud grinding noise when put into reverse without moving.

Reverse is out but forward gears seem ok for now. I would think that metal fakes would now be in the system but I do not know much about transmissions (she has been using the car for several days)

Can just the reverse gear be replaced, or should entire trans be replaced?

Should she get a rebuilt trans or should she try to find one with low miles at a salvage yard? Should I even consider Cottman or AAmco? Any idea on cost?

Thanks for any advice. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Ouch......although only reverse gear and fork could be damaged i would advise to either have it, overhauled , install a used tranny from a salvage yard 98 accord u might find 1 with low miles , or install a reman tranny.. if u continue to drive car as is, it will stop working even in forward gears at any time..some of the metal filing mixed with oil, will go into valve body and lock up some valves ..
i would first call a salvage yard and hope u find a low miles one , make sure to ask the mileage .....if too high mileage, i would get prices on a rebuilt one and take it to shop to have replaced ..or have a shop do a complete overhaul..and make sure if they overhaul it , that they to go through every single valves in valve body ..

 

just go to honda. i got a rebuilt one for 2300 installed with new break pads and a 3/36000 mile warrenty, when my 98 auto went out.

 

Sounds like the time when I was goin 55 mph on the highway and I reached out to change a cd and my hand knocked my 96 ford aspire into reverse while my foot was on the gas (the push button on the shifter was broke so it just slid)....that bitch squeeled like a *****...pulled over...started her back up....and drove her for 3 more years..then sold it for $800 this summer

 

haha!!! sigged dude...

 

i have a 00' accord and i accidently shoved it into reverse but it didn't do anything. Does my tranny or ECU have a safe guard against doing this. it was basically put into neutral

 

Thanks for all the advise on my options. Will get some prices on each and then probably tell her to think about seling the car after repaired and buying new or cream puff.

Salvage yard part might be difficult. I think that most of our salvage yards were in New Orleans East and that they were under a few feet of H2O. Should be able to find one in other areas of state.

P. Adams says that you can no longer "bump start". I am assumiming this means that trying to "low gear it" with key on to get it started. I do know for a fact that daughter could put her car in neutral while driving and re-start it by turning the key. She was having some kind of gas tank sensor acting up that would stall her car out while driving.

"tsouyporta".....I did hear that Honda has some sort of safty feature that will lock out the gear from shifting into reverse for all speeds over 25mph. I guess that it must be on at least post 1998.

Thanks for all the good advise so far...will let you know how it turns out

 

[quote]
"I do know for a fact that daughter could put her car in neutral while driving and re-start it by turning the key. She was having some kind of gas tank sensor acting up that would stall her car out while driving" [unquote]

Let me do some research. I was looking at a Honda recall for defective Ignition Switches on certain year Accords (Etc) which addressed your complaint. Your unit could be involved.

I was correct. Here you go...

NHTSA Recall Campaign Number: 02V120000

Component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

Details: ON CERTAIN SEDANS, COUPES, HATCHBACKS, AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, ELECTRICAL CONTACTS IN THE IGNITION SWITCH CAN DEGRADE DUE TO THE HIGH ELECTRICAL CURRENT PASSING THROUGH THE SWITCH WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED.

Consequence: WORN CONTACTS COULD CAUSE THE ENGINE TO STALL WITHOUT WARNING, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Corrective Action: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JUNE 14, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT HONDA AT 1-800-999-1009 OR ACURA AT 1-800-382-2238.

Units Potentially Affected: 1000000

Recall Initiated By: MFR
Date added to NHTSA datbase: 05/20/2002
Internal use: 5/20/2002

 

You are correct in your interpretation of "Bump Start" (Better well known as the ol' "push it in low gear" cuz the Starter ^&%$* the bed) technique.

Although obviously still a valid practice with Standard Transmissions, it hasn't been possible with Automatics since the rear pump was eliminated for not only cost savings, but engineering improvements as well.

That's the reason that towing RWD automatics recommend lifting by the rear, and FWD's are towed from the front

 

I would suggest a Quality reman if your pocket allows for it. A lot of the reman's have corrected the engineering issues that were present with the factory transmissions during those years...even the ones going on with the new ones! Our sister company H&A transmissions has done thousands of Honda/Acura transmissions...even got a lot of people through the whole Odyssey failure wave!

 

I would spend the cash and get it rebuilt. Don't put a used one in as it has been my experience that they usally fail within a short time.

 

Went to AAMCO today. Gave me a price of $2500 give or take a hundred or two depending on what they find to rebuild it. OR can get a remanfactured one for about $3k from AAmco supplier. AAmco recommended i let them rebuild it, unless they find something very drastically wrong that would prevent them from rebuilding it. They said that the reman is our of state and IF I ever had another problem with it under waranty with the reman that I would be at the reman's mercy and that it would take longer to get me back on the road. Either way there is a 1 yr warranty and the Ammco owner seems honest and knowledgeable.....I know....I know....gawd help me.

I am guessing that the 96 Accord with 140k miles in excellent cond before was worth about $6K. If I thought I could get about $3K now as is, I might just sell it, but could be difficult getting anywhere near that without reverse unless a mechanic with conections wanted it.

Will let yall know how it turns out and check back in case anyone has any more suggestions. Thanks for all the input...it helped a lot.

 

i persoanlly would get a used tranmny from junkyard that will offer a 90-180 day warrnaty on it. Should not cost you more than $500 for that.

For $2800 you can probably get a brand new auto tranny from honda as well.

and your estimate of $6k for the value of the car seems very high, i see cars like that go for 3500-5000 all day long.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by P_Adams &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">...Although obviously still a valid practice with Standard Transmissions, it hasn't been possible with Automatics since the rear pump was eliminated for not only cost savings, but engineering improvements as well...</TD></TR></TABLE>I've started cars manual cars before by having somebody push them and popping the clutch, you mean that it was possible in automatics as well? How was this done? (I know it's not possible anymore, but just curious)

Also, as far as putting the car into park, reminds me of a story a girl once told me. At her high school in driver's ed (this would have been mid '80s), a kid was on the highway and was told to pass the car in front of him. So he put the car into "p" for pass. I'd have loved to have seen the teachers face at that point. From my driver's ed days (same time frame), there was a kid nobody liked. The teacher was late one day so somebody told him "(the teacher) said he wasn't going to be able to come today and you are to take the car out and put some miles on it." So he did. I don't believe that he was suspended from school, but he was kicked out of driver's ed for that semester.

 

In the days of GM Dynaflow and Ford Ford-o-Matic transmissions, they were built with two pressure pumps; on in the front (traditional position) and one in the rear (driven off the output shaft). This was primarily done b'cuz of problems designing proper lubrication techniques with one pump.
They had the long lost advantage of being able to be push started via the rear pump would supply enough pressure to apply the required clutches to engage the trans.
Alas, technology and Bean Counters caught up with transmission technology; and the rear pump went the way of the Dodo bird.

P

 

Aamco Transmission has always been EXTREMELY high with regards to their repair costs. In effect, <U>you're paying for the repair twice</U>; the second being the anticipated warranty coverage if their repaired tranny fails. Nothing like covering their bases, Right?.
I'd get a quote from a second National Chain (if you've got one in your area) b4 you make your decision.
If you're anticipating going for a used unit, I'd suggest hooking up with a local Honda Independent Repair shop and have it installed thru them. I'd let them supply the trans and do the installation. That way, they are responsible for both the parts AND Labor; and you suffer no further out-of-pocket expenses if anything should go wrong.
If you buy it and install it yourself, the only warranty you'd have is with the salvage yard. (no labor coverage)

P


Modified by P_Adams at 7:18 PM 10/30/2005

 

I thinks it's unlikely that any repair shop would put a warrenty on a used trans, at best 30 days, if they did.

 

i think the only option you have is auto -&gt; manual

when i had an auto my ex shoved it in park all the time

 

Yes, the $6000 was a max of what I thought retail value might be....have not looked it up yet. Of course book value and actual values can sometimes be way off.

Yes, I think that I will contact Honda and see what they might be able to offer me. I have bought a couple of Hondas over the years from our local dealership and perhaps they can offer me a goodwill price or have some other recomendation.
I am reluctant to use AAmco or other type national to do the job and I agree that getting it done by Honda or by an individual shop owner with a good rep might be the way to go.

I will also consider a salvage yard swap if i am convinced it is probably a good one. I wonder if salvage yards sometimes have shops on the premises for doing swap outs on trannys etc. ?

Regarding the starting of the car while it is moving.....what happened was that the car stalled because of a faulty gas tank sensor and she was trying to put the auto shift into neutral to TURN THE KEY and restart, NOT to drop shift it into DRIVE. Anyway, she moved the shift to far forward and instead of going into neutral, it went into reverse. Hope I learned my lesson of getting stuff like that fixed right away. Putting off repairs will usually lead to other related problems. Had I, or daughter, taken care of it right away the cost would have been peanuts compared to what we are dealing with now!

latter....and thanks.

 

the salvage yard i work does do honda repair. and they do offer warranties on their work as well. being in business for over 17 years is a big help in credibility for the mechanic there.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by P_Adams &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">...planetary gears etc. </TD></TR></TABLE>
Hey, I thought Honda automatic transmissions used constantly meshed helical cut gears?

And btw OP, I busted the trans on my '91 EX sedan quite awhile back and paid $2,200 for a local Honda/Acura repair shop to rebuild it. It went again and we had them fix it again at no out of pocket expense. Soon after that my dad got me a car with a manual transmission. hehe.