I have a 96 gsr tranny that's been whining in 2nd since i got it at 126k mi. it's not crazy loud but i know its there. does that mean i should rebuild it soon or change tranny fluid and maybe it'll go away? how much would it cost btw

 

could be a serious problem. go to the local honda dealership and get a bottle of
synchromesh trans. fluid. if that doesnt help it sounds like tranny swappin time for you my friend. as a rule of thumb......if you ever hear grinding, whining/howling noises in your tranny it's usually a bad thing.

 

and if you want a price on a gsr tranny rebuild try to stay away from tranny shops and the local honda dealer, theyll both rape you on labor and most likely the tranny shops will bend you over on the price of the parts first. my advice to you is call the dealership and inquire a list of parts needed for a rebuild. once you have this and the prices of the parts go to a local tranny builder and ask how much to rebuild a tranny if you bring it to them. it will be much cheaper this way.
if youre lucky you might have less than a grand in it. if you take your car to the tranny shop and have em do all the work its probly gonna cost 2 grand or more.
also......use honda oem parts to rebuild it as they are the highest quality available of oem or replacement.

 

describe when, how , etc. so we can pinpoint the problem

does it do it at idle?
only in 2nd gear?
does it go away if you press on the clutch?