so yesterday I was driving around just like normal and I noticed a certain sluggishness about the car but didn't think anything of it because it has a d16y7 lol.(car is a 1998 Honda civic coupe) but I was doing a small u-turn in a parking lot and half way through the turn, it sounded like the transmission slipped into neutral on its own but was still in drive and then I automatically assumed the transmission had gone out but when I let the car sit for a minute or two it drives just fine again for a wee bit and then starts doing it again. I've never changed tranny oil for as long as I've had it which is about a year. ideas?

 

It does sound like slipping clutch packs. Do a 3x3 drain/fill. Drain your transmission fluid (DO NOT FLUSH IT), refill it, drive for 3 miles (gets the transmission through the gears, gets the new fluid fully circulating). Repeat this process 3 times. Use Honda ATF.

 

Check the axles. One may have popped out of the differential.

 

okay, I just checked my axles and i found the boot on the drivers side closest to the wheel was torn






drivers side and that's in the tranny. none of the axles were popped out but the boots on them sure we're torn. and they may have been that way since i had the car. could that be in connection to my transmission issue? and there's play in it too, enough to notice on the first pull

 

The axle may pop out under the stress of full lock turns.

 

well I've decided to go the oil route first and then look at the axles even further. would the tranny oil be glittery if the gears are toast?

 

With the condition of those boots, the axles should be replaced anyway, and when you pull them, you're going to lose some fluid. Replace the axles, then do the 3x3 drain/fill. "glittery" could just be from the worn clutch packs, which is normal.

 

Not really...well when I replace an axle no fluid comes out...i don't know how to explain it.

 

It depends on how well elevated the car is, and what angle it's sitting at, but it's normal for someone who doesn't know the tilting trick to lose some fluid when doing an axle.

 

I recommend 2 qts amsoil and a qt of lucas stop slip. Worked better than honda ATF in my experience. My .02

 

Don't use any stop slip **** or other additive unless it's a last resort.

 

nope. mechanic in a can is pure bullshit.

 

Blue devil and lucas heavy duty stabilizer don't do anything! /sarcasm

 

not this **** again. oil is and has been plenty stable since the dawn of crude. tell me, h/t scientist- how is it that i can road race and beat the living **** out of my car, including very high rev hairpin turns, without starving my engine of oil? is it because engineering negates the need for overpriced snake oil in a bottle? my two d/d's have a combined 628k miles and have never ever had any kind of "innovative" fuel system crap put into them. must be some kind of miracle that they both continue to run great. (maybe it's just basic upkeep and maintenance?)