I have a 00 automatic tiptronic transmission prelude and the transmission gave out.
i called several different shops and i got estimates between 2k-3.5k
i found a shop way inland, a tiny shop, and they charge me 1k-1.2k which i find a little weird.
Any thoughts on if i should go get it fixed there or if i should go with my gut.

 

1. what EXACTLY is wrong with your transmission? That will determine what needs to be done instead of some business trying to "estimate" your bill so they can line their pockets. I am no pro, but alot of businesses will replace your whole transmission even if you only need a small part replaced (i.e. torque converter, Transmission Control Unit)...be careful.

2. If you need a whole transmission, then check your local junkyard or get on eBay and find a reliable seller.

 

when i shift into gear it takes about 3 seconds for the gears to engage and the car moves slowly. when i put it in reverse it makes a popping noise. prior to all that the transmission would slip from going from 1st to 2nd and from 3rd to 4th. i havent used the car for about 2 months now and i took it out for a spin about a week ago and everything was working fine. then i took it out 2 days ago and had all the problems again

 

hmmm....I say this with everything I say as a disclaimer but: I am not a pro-mechanic. However, your symptoms remind me of a common ford taurus transmission problem/recall.. it was designed with a weak "forward clutch" something or something. anyways, this would wear out prematurely and it would cause the gears to stop engaging.

While "......and the car moves slowly", are you able to get up to highly speeds if you throttle lightly, or does it seem to rev up WITHOUT picking up comparable speed??

anyway, my advice is to search for "forward clutch" and get some knowledge on those symptoms to see if that is your issue. I still suggest a junkyard or reliable internet seller instead of paying even $1k to have it rebuilt. For $2k, you can usually find a used running honda to pull the transmission off of and sell the rest for scrap metal or part out.

What motor you got? If I didn't have an h22, i would atleast consider doing an h22 swap bc you can sometimes find a motor/tranny combo for way less than $2k.

 

now that I think about this.....this exact line sounds sooo much like a common problem with early 90's automatic accords. Their transmission control unit would go out and you would have to shift MANUALLY (Low......2......3......Drive) because the TCU would not tell something/er-other to shift it down/up.

That's why I say, ya gotta figure it out before someone rips you off. How does it drive if you shift manually?? i.e....put it in LOW when you are starting from a stop and move to "2"....."3"...."Drive" as needed (as speed picks up and rpms get too high for the current gear). If the gears are strong when you shift manually, search to see if you have a "TCU" that can go out and cause your issues.

--TJ

 

Depending on the miles on the car the transmission may still be under warranty from Honda, you should call them.

The few that I knew that let a aftermarket shop try to repair it never lasted more than a year which was the amount of warranty they were given. Honda will give you a 3yr 36k, they don't rebuild it, they have a re-manufacturing program so they'll swap yours for one rebuilt by Honda.

 

ok i just took it on a test run and they first gear was slipping into 2nd and 3rd into 4th.
i shifted it manually(1..2..3..4) and it ran fine only the gear slipped from 1st to 2nd
i tried tiptronic and on the dash the gear number doesnt light up but the tiptronic still functions.
when i put it in park and left the car on then tried to put it back into drive the transmission locked up so i have to turn the car off and on.
does this sound like the transmission giving out?

 

Do I understand this correctly: Turning the car off and then back on again makes the car driveable again? ANDDDD: the gears feel strong (for the most part) when shifting manually?? If so, that would IMPLY that some kind of electrical component ("TCU" or similar name??) is in charge of your shifting and is causing the problem. This would be very similar to the early accord TCU problems.

Hopefully I just saved you a whole bunch of money. Do more searching for words like "honda transmission controller"? I will look if I get time, but I usually don't do full-on research because I have limited time and just like to scan all the threads and point people in the right direction.

it's up to you if you want to try a cheap junkyard part swap before you send it to a shop, but if it drives well when shifted manually, I would personally drive it like that while I researched more, then probably try a couple of cheap parts: TCU (if that's what it's called) or maybe there is a relay that provides power to hypothetical TCU..maybe that relay is bad??

--TJ

 

https://honda-tech.com/forums/honda-prelude-4/97-prelude-auto-tranny-issues-345800/
Interesting reading, but implies that the trans is the problem. The very last 2 posts don't agree with my logic, but my logic is just theory....I just don't understand why turning the car off would fix make the "pressure plates" resume operation unless something electrical stopped working and started working again to tell it what to do...mechanical problems don't go away by restarting the engine (i am a firm believer in this theory).

http://www.ebay.com/itm/97-98-99-00-...sories&vxp=mtr

^^^<<<ebaymotors has TCM (trans control modules) available, so that means you can probably go to a local junkyard and buy one cheaper...I would try that before buying a trans or selling the car.

 

Yes you have that correct. The gears shift strong when i shift it manually. i will take you advice and look for a TCU

 

I don't give advice..lol ....just theory.. however, yeah, i would try a junkyard tcm before buyin a new trans.

Let us know if that fixes it.