I thought I was getting a great deal on a 1999 Accord V6 with 93k miles.

Now after having bought it and after reading about the problems with the transmission, I'm paranoid as sh*t.

The car definitely lags switching between 1st and 2nd (gets up to 3k RPM), and when gears change there's a jerk. There's also a slight jerk, sometimes, between P & R. It drives fine after that.

I feel like 93k miles is way too soon for tranny problems. Has anyone had any luck with Honda picking up some/all of the tab for the repair?

I'm also not sure if I need to be taking any action *right now*. How much longer can I reasonably expect this relative gravy train to last? I'm interested in the WRX but waiting for the '16 model, but I would like to drive this car into the ground if I can...but I also don't wanna drop $3k to fix a car I bought for $2800. Help!

 

If you haven't already, try changing the ATF (use only Honda DW-1) and see if that helps any. Regular fluid changes in these transmissions are beneficial.

 

I bought a 98 Auto Prelude once and was paranoid as hell too. I couldnt wait to get rid of it. That's why I'm a die hard 5-spd fan. I hate the unpredictability of an Auto tranny.

 

My 99 accord has done this since before I owned it and the previous owner even mentioned it but said it never got any worse. My transmission still works 30,000+ miles later and hasn't gotten any worse. I've got a little over 213,000 miles on the car too. My advice is to leave it alone for now besides changing the fluid. You can buy a repair manual that will tell you how to check the shifting solenoids, I believe it's just an ohm test.

 

Verify the 2nd gear pressure switch is not leaking, has damged wiring, or is clogged up with debris.
Located screwed into the top of the bellhousing under the distributor.

 

The 1-2 slide bump is very common on most B7 transaxles. Fluid may change this a small amount, the problem is the accumulator springs are too weak leading to excessive shift delays, and the transmission oil temperature getting too high because of a mostly non-linear pressure control valve.

Honda frictions will clog the screens, cleaning them may restore some performance, but will not return it to proper operating conditions. Once a clutch wears, its worn out. Of all the 3 shaft 4-speeds I have rebuilt, 2nd gear is the worst, 1st and 3rd actually stay in pretty good shape in an Accord. The Odyssey has load problems in 2nd and 3rd.

Sonnex and Translab make kits to address these problems, with great success. While most of us may not want to rebuild a transmission, no transmission is perfect. At least you don't have hard parts like gears tearing apart inside the unit.

The P-R lag is caused by poor oil volume from the pump, or a leaking reverse servo shaft seal. Most B7 oil pump bodies have minimal wear, the problem is that oil flow is blocked due to a saturated filter, hardened o-rings, etc. Your problems are textbook, and worthy of a rebuild.

With a rebuilt converter, parts will run you 600 bucks, using your own labor (which I suggest). If you own a house, plan to change out the water heater. The same goes for a car. I suggest you undertake this rebuild yourself and learn from it.

I buy 98-02 Accords every day for $1000 bucks or so with "bad" transmissions. Its close to the easiest $2,000 bucks you'll ever make.

I suggest you perform a stall test in the 1 and 2 position. Chances are, you'll noting jerking in the 2 position during the stall test.