Can anyone help me figure out what is causing this problem with the auto trans on our 1999 Accord EX 2.3L? It's been going on for a year or more, and now more often than before.
This does not happen all the time, but when putting it in reverse and trying to back up, the car acts like something is holding on to it, and it seems to take more power to move at a normal speed. If I put it in neutral and then back in reverse, it works just fine.
Other times, if it was working OK from the start, if I put on the brakes to stop backing up, then when I start backing again, it now acts like it is being held again. The shift lever was not moved, once it was first put in neutral. However, now if I put it in neutral, then back in reverse, it works fine again.
It does not matter if it is the first time in the day for driving the car or if it has been driven around town all day, so operating temperature would seem to not be a factor.
The car has about 93,000 miles on it, and the trans fluid has been changed at about 30,000 miles each time. At 50 to 60,000 miles it was changed 2 or 3 times, to try and clear up the problem, shortly after it first occurred. Other than the first ATF change, all fluid changes have been with Honda ATF.

Any recommendations as to a course of action would be appreciated.

 

take to the dealership..i think theres extended warrenty on those faulty trannies

 

From what I understand, the warranty does not apply to the 1999 2.3L. Can anyone confirm, or advise differently?
Besides, wasn't the extension for 7 years or 100,000 miles, whichever is first? We have ownded the car 7 years and 7 or 8 months!
Thanks!

 

Call your local Honda Dealership and find out

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by AMSOILERMAN &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">if it was working OK from the start, if I put on the brakes to stop backing up, then when I start backing again, it now acts like it is being held again.
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How do you know it's your tranny? To me, it sounds like your brakes aren't releasing fully.

 

Using the brakes to stop is only one symptom concerning this problem. In that case the problem goes away as soon as I put it in neutral, and then back in reverse. Do you really think that is enough to cause the brakes to release, IF they were actually dragging?
No matter what is going on to cause the problem, it only occurs when backing with transmission in reverse. As soon as the tranny is shifted to neutral, it goes away. That means that in neutral it will coast backwards without hardly slowing down, whereas when backing with tranny in reverse, sometimes the car seems to barely want to move.
It seems almost like someone is holding the car back, while moving in reverse gear. But as soon as it is shifted into neutral that feeling of being held back goes away, and the car coasts as freely as ever.
Maybe there is something I am not understanding here, and someone can explain how that would be a symptom of brakes not releasing?
Thanks.

 

Okay,
I just talked on the phone to someone at my local Honda dealer service department. After he looked up the VIN on my Accord, he told me that the 1999 models are not covered under the warranty extension, and that only the 2000 & 2001 models are. He also said that he has heard of these symptoms a couple of times before. It means that the the transmission is starting to fail.
He says that the tranny should be replaced, and not to let anyone around here try to convince us to rebuild it. He also recommended that since replacement is the preferred fix, we should just continue driving it until the problems get bad enough for us to want to replace the tranny.
He did not tell me why it should be replaced, rather than rebuilt. Is anyone familiar with the reason for that?

Thanks


Modified by AMSOILERMAN at 10:12 PM 10/13/2006

 

 

Okay,
I just to someone at my local Honda dealer service department. After he looked up the VIN on my Accord, he told me that the 1999 models are not covered under the warranty extension, and that only the 2000 & 2001 models are. He also said that he has heard of these symptoms a couple of times before. It means that the the transmission is starting to fail.
He says that the tranny should be replaced, and not to let anyone around here try to convince us to rebuild it. He also recommended that since replacement is the preferred fix, we should just continue driving it until the problems get bad enough for us to want to replace the tranny.
He did not tell me why it should be replaced, rather than rebuilt. Is anyone familiar with the reason for that?

Thanks

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by AMSOILERMAN &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Okay,
I just talked on the phone to someone at my local Honda dealer service department. After he looked up the VIN on my Accord, he told me that the 1999 models are not covered under the warranty extension, and that only the 2000 & 2001 models are. He also said that he has heard of these symptoms a couple of times before. It means that the the transmission is starting to fail.
He says that the tranny should be replaced, and not to let anyone around here try to convince us to rebuild it. He also recommended that since replacement is the preferred fix, we should just continue driving it until the problems get bad enough for us to want to replace the tranny.
He did not tell me why it should be replaced, rather than rebuilt. Is anyone familiar with the reason for that?

Thanks

Modified by AMSOILERMAN at 10:12 PM 10/13/2006</TD></TR></TABLE>

OK I would have to agree. No one really knows outside of DR evil how to rebuild those things. I had a '98 that ate 3 transmissions within 11K miles (ie it had to be rebuilt twice) and it was acting up when I sold it........

 

I seem to have some trouble with my 98 EX 4cyl AT as well. My symptoms are different from yours. Mine is starting to make a very subtle sound..kinda like running a tire with a flat spot. I'm trying to find out what options i have now and am planning to take it into a transmission shop this week to see what they have to say. I am almost sure that they will tell me to have it rebuilt.
A usual rebuilt typically runs around $2200 around my area and i'm trying to find out if replacing the tranny is a better option. I would have the tranny rebuilt if i know that the work will last another 60k or more but seems like the general consensus is that these trannys are not very reliable. With costs like that, I'm also exploring the idea of trading the car in. What is difficult for me to believe is that a honda A/T will break at 115k mi.

 

Well, I'm not terribly surprised.
We traded a 1987 Accord coupe in on this '99 Accord sedan. That one had 120K or so on it. An independent Honda repair shop stated that he was suprised the auto tranny had lasted that long, as that model had a great many trannies redone by about 70K miles (at least according to that shop). My wife purchased the '87 new before we met, & we purchased the '99 new, so we know the service to have been done on both.
I've never been real pleased by the way the tranny shifted, from the very start, especially downshifts. The amount of road and wind noise in this top of the line "EX" model, that we complain about, is frequent complaint I've also read in some other places. All of that points out to me that Honda does not have the quality control it once MIGHT have! I do not know if the 2000 & '01 models have had the tranny changed appreciably since the previous model years, but to me, it all seems like Honda cars no NOT live up to their previous supposedly great reputation!
And before anyone says that it is because of Hondas being made in the U.S., yes my wife's '87 was made in Ohio, but this '99 was made in Japan! It reminds me of the reputation for cheap quality that all things "made in Japan" had some 40 years ago!
If we could afford to, we would be trading cars soon, but we need to pay off the other vehicle first.
Good luck to you!

 

Your best bet is to get a remanufactured transmission rather than having a trans shop try and go in to repair it. Good luck!