Tranny slips bad!!

[Clark]

My '89 lxi w/auto tranny is acting up on me. On the upshift from 2-3 (I think) it slips really bad. The engine revs an additional 1K rpms and it sounds horrible! It seems to be temperature dependent. Today it was around 0 and it slipped really bad. During the summer (or above 60 in general) it slips just a little bit. I recently changed the tranny fluid hoping that would help and it stayed the same. Any ideas? Would any sort of addivitive help or is my tranny a dead man walking? Any help would be great. Thanks.

Clark

[Kabuki]

If you used ANYTHING other than Honda ATF, change it as soon as possible. If it was Honda fluid, then you are pretty much hosed.

[Hondaisok]

Clark: My tranny was doing the exact same thing. I added a bottle of Lucas Auto Tranny Additive, and it worked fine for about six months. Finally had it rebuilt, and there was a cracked clutch drum. I figure when it was cold, the crack was worse, and when warm, the metal expanded, closing or slowing down the internal leak. Sure, you should use Honda fluid, but once it's going bad, why not use an additive to buy time?

[w261w261]

I have a 98 Accord that had an extended warranty to 100k miles. Naturally, at 102k the tranny started being weird. It didn't slip as much as shift out of first into neutral, or something that acts like neutral. It was also temperature dependent. First, I changed the fluid to make sure Honda stuff was in there. Made no diff. Then I put in this stuff that swells the seals. It worked some, enough to get me through the winter. Try that. You can maybe buy some time. And don't let it rev when the tranny is slipping if you can help it. That only makes it worse. Also, when you add Lucas stuff, or whatever you put in, make sure you drain out enough fluid so the additive doesn't overfill it. That's pretty important.

Living with a sick tranny can be done, depending on how bad it is. But you have to be very sensitive to the patient's needs. Try different techniques like putting on the power in (3rd?) very gently until it gets into it well. Drive without the radio on so you can listen to the motor and hear it overrev if it starts to slip. Stuff like that.

[azazel_18_2]

It seems that the auto trannies in the 3g were a real downfall. I have an 89 Accord Lxi. I had 119k on the auto and it started slipping. When I pulled the tranny one of the lines were finger tight! That would be the first thing I would check. If that's not it good luck. Our transmissions have a filter but you have to disassemble the whole tranny to change it. It would be better to take it in and have it rebuilt or do a 5sp swap.

[Clark]

Thanks for the replies guys. I will probably try some Lucas additive. Anything to get me through the winter. I hate working on my car in cold weather.
I should probably start a new thread, but how much is a new or used tranny? Being somewhat handy with a wrench, but by no means a mechanic, is this something I could do myself? Again, thanks for the help.

Clark

[Shadowkat]

It seems that the auto trannies in the 3g were a real downfall.
-I completely agree. I made it to almost 225,000 miles i'd say before I started to have auto tranny problems, and I just lived with the slipping for a long time, but it got so bad that the tranny would no longer stay in gear. But hey, at least it gave me a reason to do a 5speed swap.
-Also, I am the same as you, handy with a wrench, but certainly no mechanic, and I would say that the 5 speed swap is a little tricky if it's your first project(it was my 1st), but there's enough support on this site to help you out. My biggest problem was making sure I had all the minor parts I needed, like bolts and such. Being my first project, it is taking quite a while(still working on it) but like I said, it took me a long time just to make sure I had all the parts, plus I wasn't in a hurry because I have rides to the places I need to go everyday, so it's partly just a for fun project.
-If you are just replacing the tranny, it shouldn't be hard at all because you will have all the parts you need already, just follow the chilton's for tranny removal and installation, and just make sure all the little brackets and wires and such are transfered. I bought my 5 speed tranny, used for $250. I would just start calling around to local wreckers and junkyards for the tranny.