stay away from the shift kits.........they really do not work well in the newer automatics and can cause failure

 

I don't know much about shift kits either. Can you get stall converters for Honda autos?? If so, then you can power brake your car safely to like 3 or 4 g's, and then have a flawless start!! I know they're made for chevy's and stuff, but don't know about Honda's.

 

I guess that answers that question... Thanks. Anything anyone else wants to add before I go tracking again?

BTW, I appreciate the responses... I didn't know much about auto tranny's... Thank you

 

My 98 honda civic needs a new auto trans. Never been driven hard, fluid changed on time with honda fluid. And now it shifts like it has a kit in it. Only 94k miles mostly hwy miles to and from work. HONDA AUTO TRANS SUCK.

 

drain one quart and add some tranny conditioner to it. it will resolve that hard shif issue

 

auto tranny will give you MORE pull off of the line and also your launches are very consistant compared to a manual

the torque converter inside an auto basically gives you 2X the torque output when first launching allowing for a rather nice launch.....

as for auto being less reliable is completely BS Ryder/Budget rental trucks use auto trannys and they have a very low failure rate. The allison auto units in the Navastar (International) 4X00 series truck are warrentied for 5 years and UNLIMITED Milage. The major reason for failure on those transmission is failure of the renting dealer to do PROPER MAINTENANCE. The FORD and GM trannys have fewer problems than the Allison ones. Any auto tranny that can pull 26,000 pounds of loaded truck and get abused and still last 130,000 miles is OK in my book

 

I'd like to see you explain this... more pull and more torque? This really doesn't make any sense.

Your other points are valid, but the point is that those trannies were engineered to handle those loads. A honda auto tranny isn't.

 

it is simple really, the design of the torque converter is what accomplishes this

In 1948, Buick offered the first automatic transmission with a torque converter. The torque converter added a reaction element (or stator) within the fluid coupling, which multiplied engine torque at low engine rpm. This gave the automatic much more take-off power. It also allowed the engine to idle without the need to disengage the transmission.

 

ummmmm....what does a buick tranny have to do with ?>>>>

 

prior to 1948 automatic tranny did not have a torque converter and they were really slow off the line...usually taking TWICE as long as a stick would getting up to speed...

The first auto tranny was introduced by Hydra-Glide in 1939 (part of GM)

BUICK intro'd the auto tranny with a torque converter

Chrysler introduced the Lockup torque converter in 1979

Ford introduced the 4 speed AOD in 1980

I believe that Honda was the first to mate a 4 speed auto to a 4cyl accord in 1983

 

whoops...with honda's??

My civic is automatic and I love my car...yeah stick would be phat, but one I never learned how to drive manual, and two when I was buying my car there was no way I was learning how to drive a manual and deal with bumper to bumper traffic to and from work every day...

 

Automatic transmissions have many advantages over manuals, but very few of them have anything to do with performance.

1) Torque multiplication at launch
2) Vibration/impact isolation
3) Ease of use

The torque converter acts as a somewhat-CVT due to its design. A typical torque converter will have approx. 2:1 torque ratio at stall and near 1:1 at equal speeds (eg cruising). So, the gearing in the box can be taller and still get a good ratio spread. Some automatics back in the '50s had only 1 or 2 speeds due to the torque/speed ratios offered by the TC.

Drag racing is the only performance venue where conventional automatics have any advantage over manuals, primarily due to the torque converter's ability to multiply torque.

I cannot speak to their reliability, but the efficiency drain is high:

1) Higher inertia requires more engine torque to accelerate
2) Fluid couplings (TC, wet clutches) generate heat, consume power
3) TC always "slipping" somewhat until lockup clutch engages
4) Hydraulic pump needed to run tranny consumes power

The only reason automatics are anywhere near manuals for fuel efficiency is the optimization of the shift points according to the engine efficiency. A torque converter can be optimized for performance (acceleration) OR economy, but anything in between is a compromise.

They are a large disadvantage in racing due to the lack of direct control over the gear selected, thus the lack of chassis balance control via the throttle. In a manual, it is easy to make the car step out, or push, with the throttle, whereas an automatic makes it difficult, if not impossible.

http://www.howstuffworks.com has a good example, with diagrams, of how a torque converter works.

 

Wow great posts guys, just when I thought I knew everything about autos.

 

drain is something like this

gear box 55%
Pump 20%
Torque converter 25% (when locked up)

They are designing autos that use tighly controlled (via sylonoid) clutch packs vs now used bands

 

the first autos were 2 speed hydra glides

 

seeing how you all know so much about auto's

as far as maintence goes...instead of just draining the tranny fluid...would it be better to take it to someone to do a tranny flush when changing the fluid...also what would be the best tranny fluid to protect the tranny since most of is with auto's are also modding our cars and with any type of racing I would figure that this puts a lot of stress on the tranny

 

you can use a Wynns tranny machine to do a 100% fluid exchange. It gets hooked in line with one of the tranny cooler lines. Your tranny will suck in the new stuff and pump out the old stuff. it takes about 20 mins to do cause your car idles the whole time while the pump in the tranny does all the work

 

in 1929 chrysler introduced a semi automatic where you chaged the gears and the tranny handled the clutch action...It never really caught on.

Now they have manuals where they are shifted by a computer and are also clutchless but you still have to choose the right gear and time to shift

 

Changed the fluid two time and used BG trans stuff. Still not any better. It is alot harder when cold. Also no computer codes showing.

 

I would take the pan off and see what is up... you may have some varnish in there somewhere... I am afraid that I do not know much about honda tranny