So I’m recently a new Honda owner. A 98 civic 5spd ex model. Love the car love the gas mileage. I started to hear a whining noise a couple days ago followed by what can only be described as a grinding noise. Okay trans is giving me problems. I’m no idiot when it comes to working on vehicles been doing it for a long time and when I went to top off the fluid in my trans which took darn near two quarts 😫 (I know that’s pretty much the entire capacity) , the fluid that came out of the fill hole was a dark red color. Please tell me that some idiot did not put atf in this and if he did what kinda damage am I looking at.
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Have you noticed the car leaking fluid? If the trans was empty the damage is already done.

 

I had not noticed it leaking. It was probably dry when I got it. I put some Lucas and 10w30 Castrol in it and it quit grinding in all gears except 1st (minimal) and 3rd (bad) and every time I let off the gas and start to decelerate it sounds like it’s grinding. It quieted down everything else tho. How long do you figure it’ll last? A month? A week? A year? Or just depending on how I baby it. I know a feller who has another trans but the bellhousing is broke. How hard is it to rip the guts out and replace it?

 

I can't guess how long it will last. To swap the internals/case you need some OEM Honda specialty tools and a dial indicator to shim the mainshaft.

 

Okay thanks. Still never got one of my questions answered not that it really matters lol but is there any mtf with red dye in it? Cause there was definitely red fluid that came out.

 

Honda MTF is clear with a slight pink hue.

Sounds like some dummy put ATF in. That alone will kill a Honda manual.