1st post,glad to be here and thanks for the info in advance...

Short version is this-Just bought 97 accord,seems clean,runs well (mostly) etc,but the transmission is rough.Shifts a little hard,doesnt shift at exactly right time and just overall not to my satisfaction.

I am aware of the 3 drain and fill procedure,but Im at a crossroads of sorts.The ATF seems EXTREMELY clean,not dirty in the least,but I dont know whats in it?Is it DW1? Is it multi vehicle?Or worse? Maybe fluid picked up at the local"jiffy lube"when some unknowing folks got it flushed? So not knowing the history of the vehicle,its shifting rough,yet clean fluid...WHats my best option here? Do nothing,or do the 3X drain and fill? Or what about adding lubegard? I know it has a good rep,but not knowing the type of fluid,which one should I use?

Again I thank you guys.Ill be checking the thread often.

 

OK my 2nd post Would it be OK to just do 3 quarts now,and then at next OC do another 3 quarts and keep on that routine till Ive done the full "flush"?

 

Assuming it is an auto (you did not say) three quarts would overfill it by half quart. Drain and fill is 2.5 quarts....

 

For roughness check that the front mount is not cracked/torn/broken.
Check the cable from the transmission to the throttle is correctly adjusted, remove the slack from the cable but do not have it pulling the transmission lever open before the throttle is opened.
If erratic shifting check the NM/NC sensors are not fouled with ferrous material.

http://techauto.awardspace.com/transmission.html

When you change the fluid the plug has a magnet on the end, if it is fouled in material the NM/NC sensors will most likely be fouled as well. Read that link and have fun.

 

Thanks guys!!! Yes it is an automatic.
I just got it back from the shop about 20 min ago and is running much better.It had a little"tick"or"slap" and was a little loud.The mechanic said he did a valve adjustment (was apparently way outta whack) and put in a set of valve cover gaskets (Had oil in my plugs).Runs 10X better now,but still shifting "hard"for lack of a better term,although whatever they did seems to have helped with at least one of the symptoms I thought was the tranny....
It was dropping the RPMS to idle and coasting down hills,eg;I would be doing 40mph and start going down hill and instead of dropping to say 2K rpm and still having a little pull,it would literally drop the RPM to 8K and coast until I hit the gas,kinda weird But now thats all gone,and the erratic shifting at,what I would consider the wrong time,is also a little better.Seems its just rough shifting now but it went in only for the "tick"and am gonna try to restore some life to the tranny myself...