I have an Automatic 1991 Civic Sedan, and out of the blue yesterday it wouldn't drive in reverse. When I shift from park to reverse and try to drive, it acts like it's in neutral and just revs the engine. I can get out and push the car just like it was in neutral as well; it almost seems as if it's skipping right over reverse and into neutral, but I don't hear any grinding or anything of that sort. The car still drives forward fine though, I just can't pull out in reverse. Any ideas on what the problem would be? We checked the shifter cable underneath the console to make sure that it was connecting properly and it is. Remember it's an Automatic, not Manual transmission. A guy at the auto shop told me it's possible that I just need to flush my transmission fluid and it should be good after that, could that just be the case?

Thanks for any help in advance!

 

a flush WONT help the situation. dont buy that BS.. sounds like you need a new trans plain and simple... and just some advice, while its in reverse not moving i wouldn't get out and push it, last thing you want is it to suddenly start working and now your chasin a run away civic down the block.

 

I decided to drive it around the block today and something interesting happened. I pulled up into a driveway, and put it in reverse as i rolled back down to drive the opposite way i came, and it almost sounded like a toy car. The pitch was really high and as i revved the engine the high pitched sound revved with it. I drove around some more and stopping in the middle of my neighborhood and decided to try reverse again. It made the same sound as before, but then it popped really loud and started rolling back; I could now drive in reverse haha. I drive around some more and as i'm driving i hear another popping noise. When i pulled up to my house i decided to try reverse again, and it went back to not moving again. So, it seems as if I haven't completely lost the reverse gear, i tried a few times in between then and it still drove in reverse fine. Any opnions?