so long story short i was approached with the offer of a 1999 accord LX with a 2.3 Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle VTEC 2.3 Engine and Automatic tranmission, the car has been hit on the D/S, the Driver door is red and painted silver, the P/S fender and hood need to be replaced, the trunk lid needs to be replaced, and the interior needs ALOT of attention, but for the price i paid, i cant argue, 230k miles, pulls to the left a bit (IDK if this is due to the hit it took or the alignment actually being off)

I figure i can get what i paid just for the engine Alone, but i am selling the whole car on CL for 1500obo until someone comes with 800-900, IF NOT, i will fix it up.... change the carpet, door panels, fender, D/S door, Hood then paint it its original color

but after driving it, i noticed the A/T is not functioning as it should, kicks when it goes into gear, and kicks if your heavy on the gas and then slow down, when it down shifts it kicks pretty hard, I dont know much of anything about A/Ts, i may just replace it, i do know the ATF is not red, its rather Dark, idk if this could be solenoids, or if i need to just replace the whole thing

 

First thing is get a OBDII scanner and check for any stored codes. Not all codes will trip the CEL/D4 warning lights.

If there are hard up/down shifts it may be the 2nd or 3rd gear pressure switch issues, possibly a solenoid issue. If the fluid is dirty there could be clutch material impeding flow to the pressure switches or solenoids.

But the main thing to check before blaming the transmission, verify the engine is in proper working order. An engine fault or issue will affect how the transmission operates.

If you do plan on selling the car, do yourself a favor, remove those goofy Otterzone fender escutcheons. Next would be to toss those gaudy wheels, might be able to find some kid willing to trade you for stock wheels. And if you can find the proper air cleaner airbox that would also be a plus. The less the car looks like it was owned/driven by a muppet the more serious offers and less tire kicking you will get.

 

Many engine DTC's will force a maximum line pressure shift to prevent damage to the unit. Tell us if there are any DTC's, or if you cant recover them.

Honda automatics are known for clutch material shedding, which can lead to shifting problems. Normally the unit will slip, not grab hard.

Discolored ATF is a sign of burned clutch material. A DEEP dark red is pure clutch wear without fluid changes, could be a candidate for a rebuild. Burned, smoky, blackened, or awful smelling fluid is sheer neglect and abuse . Prepare for a converter, a rebuild, and possibly bearings and a pump body.