Hi, for almost a year now, my automatic tranny has been shifting kind of hard. It shifts hard from gears 1 - 2 but the other gears are fine if I don't just slam on the gas. Some say I need to replace my tranny but I don't think it the whole tranny, otherwise, I couldn't do 90 on the freeway @ one time I tested it. Some mechanics even say its not tranny. It is weird. If I start the engine and leave it running for more than 5 minutes and THEN drive it...it doesn't shift as hard and u barely notice it. If I start it and drive it right away, it will shift hard. Regardless, after I drive the car for about 30 mins...shifting is less hard and I can barely feel it. Anyone know how to help this problem w/o having to get a rebuilt trans? Thanks
PS: As long as I speed up slowly...shifts are just ok, but this sucks a lot because it hinders my performance. I cannot speed up or go as fast as I want to from a stop position because then the tranny will shift hard.

 

You can try changing the fluid with Honda atf.

 

welp my friend welcome to the club. i have to say all their trans are crap. they are litterally designed to be treated delicately. u are not wrong and u are not imagining the actual symtoms. yes the correct way to fix this is a new one. but one last stand before u commit to 2200 to 4500 dollars. did u try some of those cheap trans fix stuff. asside from that look into upgrading trans to a performance one if ur an into driving in a spirated way. for sure dont change it if u can stop driving it hard or possibly consider changing it to a manual trans if ur that into spirited driving. otherwise dont eve change it if u think not driving it hard can fix the problem.

best of luck

 

fact #1: When the 98-02 accord trans acts funny when cold, it's the trans
fact #2: Replace it do not rebuild it.
fact #3: IT WILL die soon, it's just a matter of a few K miles more

ur filter is most likely glogged or getting close to it. Only way to replace it is to completely disassemble trans.


I speak from experience with that trans.

 

Not nessessarily, When they act up like that cold and clear up when warm, it's usually caused by sticking pistons in the valve bodies. Sometimes changing to Honda fluid will clear it up. I've seen a number customers with em going just fine for the last several years, they just let em warm up a bit before driving them.

 

Yeah...its true that if I warm up my car for lets say...10 minutes...I can't even tell that it shifts weird. If thats the best way to fix it...im all happy with that. The only problem is that even though it doesn't shift bad when I had it running for 10 minutes...the moment I step on the gas hard...like let say...to race...kinda, it will shift hard again. Its not like I like doing that but you have to feel me...I have a V6 and I can't use all its power...how gay. If anyone knows EXACTLY how I can fix the problem without having to Replacing the Trans., that would be awsome. I use Honda geniune engine oil & transmission oil and change it 500miles before its due. I change engine oil @ 3000mi. rather than the 3500 mile recommendation and the tranny oil...I replace it 5 TIMES!!! in the range of less then 10,000 miles to flush out the bad stuff but it still ships crappy anyway. I have no other ways...please help me out. Thanks

 

uhm

Having put 3 of those thing in my car within 11K (before I sold it) I can tell you that if it acts up when it is cold, it will die soon.

the OP stated "It shifts hard from gears 1 - 2" just trust me on this, that trans is toast. hard shifting on a trans where the ECU retards fuel during the shift is a sure sign of trouble.

Does the car shift hard on the downshift from 2 to 1 as well (like a soft jerking)?

Go read the 6th gen forums over at v6performance.net and you will see what I am talking about. Everyone one who has had problems with their trans stated that one of the first signs was hard 1-2 shifts and jerking on the downshift but the most noted problem was unit started acting differently when cold.