hi everyone. my 98 civic EX auto transmission is shifting harshly since this past saturday. its most noticable when taking off slowly on the 1st and especially the 2nd gears. also when slowing to a stop light then trying to take off, the gear would grab abruptly. i took it to honda and they said they don't fix transmissions and they told me i had to get it replaced. they want $3500 for the trans and another $1200 or so for the install.
i know you guys think i'm nuts but i don't want to do an engine swap. i was on the lines of trying to either buy a used tranny or rebuild the one i have and do the work myself. how hard would it be if i did the work myself? a local shop here says they can rebuild it for me but they want around $2000 to $3000 for the job. i can't afford that kind of money.
this is my first post but i do read this forum religiously since alot of you folks are very knowledgable about engine swaps and all. thanks in advance for any help you can give me.

 

I would try changing the fluid and adding a bottle of "trans-magic" or "trans-x". these chemicals have varnish removers in them in case you have a stuck solenoid or valve in the trans. DO NOT pay a dealer for a trans. I also wouldnt reccomend rebuilding a trans either. best bet is OEM used low mileage (less than 75K) trans from a wrecking yard or on the net. try http://www.uneedapart.com. You should get one for less than 1000$.Salvage yards check this site for your request and compete for your business. Also, it mihgt be a PCM problem I know the PCM controls the lockup solenoid and it might control the shifting too. your lockup solenoid might be sticking??? good luck.

 

hi jetdriven. thanks for the reply. i'm not really too keen on some of the terminology and parts you mentioned. i will definitely get a helms manual soon and study my vehicle a bit more. the dealer changed my transmission fluid under the 40,000k maintenance service, which was done 2 days ago. the car still shifted harshly, exhibiting the same jerkiness pull from the first 2 gears. the other gears don't pull as much. i will try the trans-magic or the trans-x as you suggested.

what is a PCM and where is it located at? also, do you think it has anything to do with my torque converter? i think that it's connected to the flywheel and acts as a clutch.

thanks again for the help.

 

PCM= powertrain control moduel. what I was saying is the transmission may be electronically controlled to some degree, and it might be a computer problem. The torque converter has a lockup feature which effectively eliminates the slippage inherent in a torque convertor. When you put in in gear and the car is not moving the torque converter is slipping , and the car doesnt move. there is some slippage present in all city driving, during steady state (highway) driving above about 40m mph the converter clutch recieves a signal from the computer and "locks up". you can imagine what happens if the conveter clutch is locked up prematurely, it would be like shifting gears in a 5-speed car without using the clutch. this might be your problem. good luck.

 

Ok I have a 98 civic ex also and my tranny just started to slip a little!!!! WTF is up with these honda trannys???? I dont beat my car to death, dont do stupid things like neutral dropping it...so what is the matter with my car?!?!?!?? Some old man owned my car before I got it....it only has 30k on it!!!! How can my tranny be going!!!! Anyone know what to do to fix this!@!!!!

 

did you check the fluid level?? Isnt the car with 30K on it still covered by the factory warranty??

 

hey again. ok, let me break down what happened from the start. this past saturday was when the problems began with the harsh shifting. on sunday, i decided to check the transmission fluid. it was at the bottom line of the dip stick, which is low. i went to k-mart and bought a quart of transmission fluid as a temporary fix until i get the car serviced on monday. i took the car in on monday for servicing. i asked honda to replace the transmission fluid while doing all the other 40k maintenance. when i got the car back, it was still exhibitng the same harsh shifting. yesterday (wednesday), on the way home, my shifting was all smooth as if nothing ever happened. do you think it took some time for the new transmission fluid to work its way into all the gears and also may have loosened up any sludge binding any parts within the transmission itself? i am puzzled as to what's going on but at the same time relieved to see that everything seems to be shifting out smoothly (keeping fingers crossed). i have spoken to at least 3 transmission shops locally and the first thing they mentioned was what you folks suggested...."have you recently replaced the transmission fluids". also, the service tech at honda told me that the transmission fluid was burnt also, possibly meaning that the previous owner never had it changed. by the way, the previous owner was a pastor. i'm not sure if that's any indication of how well the car was driven. i will post if any changes takes place. thanks again for all your help.

 

hmmm I'm not sure...I bought the car used from a dealership near me...it didnt come with the extended warranty, they were charging a lot to buy it...I'll have to call and see if the origional warranty covers it

 

hey loki. i think the warranty is covered under the 3 years or 36k miles, whichever comes first and in our case, it is no longer under warranty. i may be wrong.