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Honda Civic Transmission Questions

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  • iwara96iwara96 Member Posts: 1
    I recently bought a used Honda Civic 2003 LX coupe which has 56k miles on it. I have been driving it for th past 6 months and now I have run into a problem. When I excelerate it move for a while until it gets hot and will not move anymore, when I use the D2 gear it does the same thing, the reverse gear work very well,an auto mechanic told I have to change the transmission. Desperately need some help here, anyone with Idea on what to do should let me know
  • drmbbdrmbb Member Posts: 80
    Just so I'm clear.

    When you first start the car and engine and transmission are cold, the tranny engages and acclerates normally. But once you've driven for awhile and everything is warmed up, it slips (that is, if you press the accelerator, the engine rpm's go up, but the car itself does not accelerate forward).

    Is that correct?

    If so, I'm sorry to say I agree with your mechanic, it sounds like your drive gears are essentially burned out. The remedy would be to re-build the existing transmission, or replace it with a used or a new one.

    Either way, continuing to drive it will only make it worse, so I'd take it in to a transmission shop or Honda dealer a.s.a.p. and get a definitive diagnosis.

    P.S. if your reverse was out as well, I'd say you may get by with just a fluid and filter change. Sometimes enough water can condense over time in the fluid to cause slippage when hot, but usually then it's any gear. The fact that your reverse gear is fine makes me believe that this is not something simple like bad fluid, a plugged filter or such.
  • tonfamilytonfamily Member Posts: 1
    Hello,
    I don't know if the problem is the engine or the auto transmission but when the engine is cold and I try to drive it, the car will go for about 200' or so, then the RPM will quickly drop to very low (almost stall) and I can't even rev up the engine unless I slip the gear into "N". The engine then rev up right away and everything is back to normal and the car is ok to drive until I start out on a cold engine again. If I let the engine idle and warm up before driving then it works fine. It has been like this for over 6 months now. I thought the transmission fluid was dirty so I changed the transmission fluid for three time already...still didn't make any difference. The car has only 60K mikes. Please advise. Thanks.
  • jerrydupekjerrydupek Member Posts: 1
    Hi guys,
    I have a 96 Honda Civic DX with Auto Trans. I'm the original owner. This car was wonderful to me, never ever any problems (except for one I will describe below). The car never stopped, never failed starting, never broke down! I recently bought a new CRV. My neighbor would like to buy my Civic for his young son. However, for the last few months of my driving of this Civic, it was making small grinding noise when accelerating in about 36-40mph. Anything below that speed and above would not make any noise. It also does not make any noise within that 36-40 speed when it is cold. It seems to me like a transmission problem. I can fix anything including engines, but not automatic transmissions. What do you guys think about this problem? Would this require complete overhaul/rebuild?
    Honestly, I want to sell this car to my neighbor for a very little price, only because it's a nice family that I know does not have much money. If I could get someone to fix it for me for couple hundred dollars I would do it, since I hate to sell the car with this problem. I know he won't be able to afford major repairs. Could anyone help in troubleshooting this? Or maybe even looking at this problem in MA area?
    Thank you,
    Jerold
  • bartee6bartee6 Member Posts: 1
    My 97 civic auto trans. went out. It has the 1.6L vtec. Will only a vtec trans work or will a base trans work?
  • jdesrosiersjdesrosiers Member Posts: 2
    on my 96 civic wen cold goes into gear no prob. after warm the cor seems to jump out of gear nothing no reverse no drive nothing. put the car in park and shut it off start it back up and off you go like there was no problem. but only for a few minutes. then the same thing all over again. any suggestions.HELP PLEASE
  • dunham_johndunham_john Member Posts: 3
    Hi Tonfamily,

    I have a 2002 Civic LX Automatic, with the D17A2 motor. I just started experiencing this issue as well. Were you able to find a fix?

    Here is some background on my car:

    Prior to experiencing the issue you described, my Civic displayed a CEL with a diagnostic code of P0420. I removed the exhaust manifold/cat and replaced it with a DC Sports header, Random Technologies Cat, and Magnaflow muffler. As well, I installed a AEM V2 Cold Air Intake. I did this because the performance dropped to less than half (making me convinced that the cat was plugged).

    During my cold air intake installation, I separated the electrical harness that held the connections between motor and:

    Idle Air Control
    MAP Sensor
    and another sensor that is adjacent to the MAP sensor.

    The reason for me doing this was because the IAC sensor could not reach the new/higher grommet hole in the cold air intake.

    I've noticed depreciated gas mileage and recently was a quart low on synthetic oil after 4000 miles. Today, I had the oil changed and flushed the coolant. The tempurature runs between 190-206 degrees.

    One thing I noticed is that when the car is cold, my timing is advanced between 6-11 degrees. After warm-up, my timing is 0 degrees BTDC. The MAP sensor shows a slight drop before the car warms up. Cold at idle varies from 6 to 9 inches of Mercury. Warm is steady at 9.

    -John
  • nekocivicnekocivic Member Posts: 1
    hi all,
    i have the EXACT same problem as 'jerrydupek,' the odd rattle/grind noise b/w 36 and 40 mph that i also assume is transmission related. mine's a 97 civic DX auto trans, LOVE it, gets 42 mpg highway(!), no issues except this noise. i've had two different shops look at it over the past 9 months and naturally the noise didn't happen for either. after the 2nd mechanic trip, i headed to florida for the summer, and since here it seems to happen more often-- during the (virginia) winter, it only happened occasionally, after a couple hours of errand-running on surface streets, but during the florida summer, it's pretty much every time i drive. heading back to VA next week, searching the internet for a clue as to whether i should plan to drive only during daylight hours for safety in case this means something's about to fail... anyone have any advice for me?
    love this website!
  • Civic2004ACivic2004A Member Posts: 1
    I just recently changed the oil in my Honda Civic. It has 101K miles so I went synthetic with Valvoline, mobile 1 oil filter. Not even a week after oil change, I notice that from a complete stop, when on first gear and accelerating, I notice a grinding/shaking I think in the engine or the front tires. But when shifting to 2nd gear, the grinding/shacking goes away. Is this something related to the oil change that I just did or is it something totally isolated? I would appreciate the advice on what to do.
  • dunham_johndunham_john Member Posts: 3
    Civic2004A,

    Likely it is unrelated, but who knows what got bumped while underneath the car.
    I use valvoline 0-40w Synthetic and have some of the same issues. Understand, that is the oil I use in the motor and not the transmission. Manual Transmission
    fluid in a Honda is not the same as the motor oil you use. This can be a common mistake as some older American cars DO use motor oil in the gear boxes.

    Outside of the oil you used, there are other reasons you can feel a shudder in first gear. Here is a rundown list in no particular order:

    1. Clutch is engaging and the flywheel or clutch pads have worn or have hard spots. Replace clutch and flywheel.
    2. Master cylinder is low or has bubbles in the clutch fluid. Try a complete bleed and replace with synthetic brake fluid.
    3. Master or slave cylinder is having a problem (air leak or problems compressing fluid). Replace whichever is leaking or both to be safe.
    4. Front motor mount rubber is worn. Inspect and/or replace
    5. Transmission mount is worn. Inspect and/or replace
    6. Air filter is very overused and motor can't breath at low RPM. Replace air filter.
    7. Axels (half shafts) are worn. Stop the car. Turn the wheel all the way to one side or another and accellerate. Do you hear a clunk? If so, you will need to replace the half shaft on the side that is clunking. It is best to do this in pairs and you won't need to replace the mid-shaft unless you are pushing up to 800hp. Half shafts usually come with the CV boot pre-installed and I don't recommend you replacing this on your own. Its a pain. If there is no clunk, check for grease in the axel area. This can be a sign of the axel grinding and putting resistance on the motor and tranny.
  • kensciviclskenscivicls Member Posts: 1
    I was replacing the axles thought that I had them in. When I took it for a ride they popped out and heard a little scrapping sound. Put it in neutral and shut the car down. Got it home jacked it up and put the axles back in checking that they were both in . Now I have no gears, no park,no reverse. What could be the problem and how do I fix it.
  • b_a_mechb_a_mech Member Posts: 1
    Hey, did you ever get a answer as to what the problem was? I have the same issue on my 93 civic. it's like someone pushed a clutch in and you can't go anywhere. shut it off and back on and go...for a little while anyway. Please let me know...e-mail me direct @ b_a_mech@yahoo.com. Thanks, Ron
  • lashalasha Member Posts: 1
    I had the same problem. It was a sensor connected to the transmission that went bad that caused it
  • lmoreno3lmoreno3 Member Posts: 21
    I have a '95 Honda Civic EX, was checking the trans fluid two weeks ago, and it needed one pint, added the pint and all was well. Two weeks later, I check the trans fluid and find out it needa three pints. Car is not leaking it out anywhere, but it does seem foamy on the dipstick. What can be causing this problem? Thanx in advance for any and all advice.
  • dunham_johndunham_john Member Posts: 3
    I'm stumped. I suggest you call as many transmission shops as possible until you triangulate one with a good reputation. I've used yelp.com in the past and it worked out for me.
  • kab313kab313 Member Posts: 1
    Same issues with my 97 civic ex. No issues with transmission prior to this. No noise, dragging, hard shifting etc... absolutely nothing. Car is running great, I stop at the store, get back in start driving and about two minutes in car just won't go. Engine revs when accelerator pushed but just won't go. Like it kicked in to neutral. Put the car in park and shift into drive and nothing. Turn car off re-start and goes into drive fine but only for a few minutes then same thing. Had a "shady" mechanic look at it and he said needs new trans, but all he did was drive the car to diagnose. I find it hard to believe the transmission would go just like that with no previous issues and no other symptoms. Any help is much appreciated! Thanks.
  • iheartmyciviiheartmycivi Member Posts: 1
    I have a 97 civic DX, manual transmission. Lately when I am in 3rd gear and I take my foot off the gas pedal it makes a groan/hum sound that may sound a bit like metal. The sound is audible at about 26 mph. The sound doesn't last long and I have not experienced any problems with performance. I'm worried it may be my transmission. I may have heard this sound in 2nd gear too, again only when I release my foot from the gas pedal. Any ideas? I love my car! It has nearly 210,000 miles and I haven't had any major problems with it, only routine stuff for a car with so many miles! Thanks so much! I want to save my Civic! :confuse:
  • carollee3carollee3 Member Posts: 10
    I am interested in if draining and filling transmission fluid is just as good as flushing it at a mechanic's shop. I'm figuring instead of paying a shop the extra labor on top of the cost of the expensive Honda trans fluid I could drain and fill more often. Any experience advice would be appreciated.
  • jetawayjetaway Member Posts: 14
    A drain and refill is good enough.
  • denise20denise20 Member Posts: 1
    I recently bought a used 1993 Honda Civic DX and it rode fine for a few days, when shifting into gear it was hard, like it was stuck. Now, it won't go in reverse. A mechanic said to try spraying wd40 into the gears to loosen them. Where is it located.
  • s1bros1bro Member Posts: 4
    Does anybody have any info on a device that prevents the driver from slapping the tranny directly into 3rd (bypassing "D") ? I could swear that my daughter is not making sure that she is in the proper gear placement and is therefore wasting gas.
    No, she is not a hot-rodder, she probably is just not paying attention.
    Any device or other ideas would be appreciated.
  • s1bros1bro Member Posts: 4
    Please correct my earlier message (#75), it is a '07 Civic, NOT '02.
  • targettuningtargettuning Member Posts: 1,371
    I have seen the correction and I know it is a 2007 Civic and the short answer is "no" there is no device that inhibits ones ability to inadvertently place the transmission into other than D (of course there is a lock-out to prevent insertion into R or P ). Automobile testers have noted this "flaw" in their tests of the recent Civics and I think Accords as well...maybe all Honda products with auto transmissions. Only deliberate attention to which gear is selected works, sorry.
  • s1bros1bro Member Posts: 4
    Dang.

    OK, so I'll spend some time tinkering in my garage to come up with one. If it works I'll let you know, right after I patent it.
  • blueiedgodblueiedgod Member Posts: 2,798
    Does anybody have any info on a device that prevents the driver from slapping the tranny directly into 3rd (bypassing "D") ? I could swear that my daughter is not making sure that she is in the proper gear placement and is therefore wasting gas.
    No, she is not a hot-rodder, she probably is just not paying attention.
    Any device or other ideas would be appreciated.

    Make her drive manual. If she is not paying atention what gear she puts her automatic in, then she is probably not paying attention to her driving either. Driving stick will force to pay attention to the vehicle and the road.

    Problem solved.
  • s1bros1bro Member Posts: 4
    I agree that driving a manual causes the driver to pay more attention, one is more "connected" to the car than just sloughing about in "D". However, my daughter has not been trained to drive a stick, even though I have been doing so since I first learned to drive. Additionally, as you can see in post # 77, even auto "experts" have had the same problem with the Honda auto. On the rare occasion that I have driven her car, I too, have found myself banging it into 3rd before leaving my driveway.
  • jims5jims5 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 1999 Honda Civic w/5 speed. The transmission seems to make a noise when in gear and at certain mph speeds. I checked the fluid level and added a little to top it off but it still makes the noise. Should I worry about the noise and is this something to worry about? Thanks!
    Jim
  • coopersc89coopersc89 Member Posts: 1
    edited October 2010
    Have a 93 Honda civic with AT trans. I had replaced the motor a couple of months ago and the tranny was out as well. Trans goes in/out of gear easily/quickly, BUT slips when you start driving and as it's shifting, sometimes it does work good though. Any info would be greatly appreciated.
  • nglsstarnglsstar Member Posts: 1
    Hello everybody,

    I'm thinking of buying an automatic transmission 2001 Honda Civic with about 79k. The guy who's selling it told me that he has only changed some soft parts of the transmission when fixing the car but he didn't rebuild the transmission. Does anybody know if this is a serious issue or it's something that can be replaced and the transmission will work with no problems.

    The other thing he changed is the speed sensor which I don't think it's a big deal. The car is priced about $5k. What do you think about the price considering the age etc of the car. Carfax is perfect with no issues.

    It's gonna be my first car and I'm really nervous.

    Thanks
  • ewwcwfewwcwf Member Posts: 1
    I have a 1988 Honda Civic Hatch 1.5L 16 valve carb/fuel injection technology auto transmission (so it says), when I first turn it on and it's cold I then put it in reverse or drive and the idle wont go down for the gear to go in and the gear slams in kind of hard. When the car is warm everything is fine, the issue is only when its cold. Is there anything I can check/replace to make the gear go in better when the car is cold.

    Thank You
  • itsfighteritsfighter Member Posts: 1
    I got a 08 Honda civic lx 37k miles last month. It used to be smooth during initial 2 weeks but after that when winter /snow started I started noticing an intense vibration in steering and gas pedal b/w 27-30 and 37-40 mph. If I slightly press the gas pedal the gear downshifts, sound changes and becomes smooth. During this vibration the rpm nears 1000. But I noticed after driving for 20-30 minutes I am not feeling this vibration much.

    I took it to the dealer (mine is Honda certified and also I got the extended warranty) , we went for a test drive and I replicated the vibration. The technician said it’s because the torque converter is locking up the gears for fuel efficiency and this is normal for all Hondas with 4cyl. He also mentioned since I am driving slow and steady you will feel this. Finally he gave me the report as working as designed.

    I am wondering is this normal for Honda? Or its due to winter temperature drop.

    Thanks in Advance
  • tonyvoidtonyvoid Member Posts: 1
    I have the same problem with a honda civic hybrid 2005. did you get this resolved? if so what did you do?

    -tony
  • splashessplashes Member Posts: 1
    my partner just had the same problem as this and I had this same problem with my Toyota 4 months ago..............does the noise stop when you press the clutch then start again when you take your foot off the clutch............if so then unfortunately it was the same for both our cars and it was the gearbox going....mine took a while but his went rather quickly

    Gail
  • bratley72bratley72 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 93 civic with a manual transmission that i replaced the clutch plate, pressure plate, and throwout bearings in and it still makes noise like the bearings are going out , so what could it be from?
  • bratley72bratley72 Member Posts: 2
    How hard is it to change out the gears in the gearbox for a 93 civic dx transmission.? Anyone know?
  • ram8nycram8nyc Member Posts: 1
    I've had this car a number of years, odometer reads 180,000 miles. I was driving the car on the highway 60mph and with no indication whatsoever the tranny just felt as if I hit the shifter and it went into neutral. I shifted to S then L and still nothing. When I finally was able to pull over I braked, placed the car in park and then tried to reverse, nothing. The car never showed signs of slipage only when the AC was on and it has always been slugish with the AC on. The past few days have been cooler around here so I can't understand what happened. My question is: is there a sensor on the transmission that could have gone bad? Any and all sugestions are greatly appreciated.
  • alallooalalloo Member Posts: 1
    I took my civic to the mechanic for service (automatic) - he changed all fluids, brakes, control arm etc - cost me $1500. It was leaking smth - took it back. He changed the camshaft rear oil seal. As I was driving back it wouldn't change gears & just stopped moving. had it towed back to him & found out that the transmission was gone. Is it possible that it was leaking transmission fluid & that he misdiagnosed the problem. Can I get anything bcak from him. It's not worth fixing the transmission. Not sure what are the options. All I know is that I am 1500 in the red & have no car. Any advice?
  • newcarguy14newcarguy14 Member Posts: 1
    I have been searching for hours online to see if my 93' Honda Civic LX has a transmission filter that's actually serviceable, but I keep getting conflicting reports and I can't seem to find my specific model car anywhere. I really don't want to monkey with the transmission pan if I don't have to so I was hoping someone on here could help me out. My question is this: Does anyone know if my specific car has a transmission filter that can be physically swapped out? Any input would be much appreciated. Thanks!
  • lmcarroll7868lmcarroll7868 Member Posts: 2
    Do not get an 06 honda civic!!! So many problems with that year's civic from cracked engine blocks to transmission, and honda will not do anything in most cases. Just a tip to save you money and stress down the line. These problems are very common!! Beware!!
  • catocatcatocat Member Posts: 1
    05 civic with 69k on it . after it has done all it's shifting and i am cruising along at any speed usually about 35-40 mph, a shutter comes from rt front, a shutter transmitted down the axle. can feel slightly in steering wheel but hear it more than feel it . not axle , front end perfect , i believe it is either the torque converter or transmission , any ideas?
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