86 auto slipping transmission NEED HELP

[garfunkle55]

I've got an 86 accord LX with an automatic transmission and whenever I drive it the transmission slips out of fourth (I usually only get 4th when I first start driving after I stop, it won't go back into 4th) And once the transmission decides its done with 4th it'll start to have a hard time staying in 3rd and then after that I'm usually stuck with first and second. Any tips or ideas of what could be wrong would be supremely appreciated, I seriously miss driving my car around so please help me out.

Thanks
Vince

[2oodoor]

maintenance is a must to keep these autos going, if I said it once I have, (hey I really have) said it a dozen times. Check TV cable operation, sounds like it is getting stuck, Change the fluid, use Hondamatic fluid, you have no filter so you need to change that fluid at least every 30,000 or less. Lube the shift linkage and TV linkage. Clean the Throttle body if you have EFI. Slowley degrading states of engine tune in these automatic cars can change the shift TV linkage accuracy and poor shift charactoristics follow.

[garfunkle55]

my guess was possibly the TV cable, but I wasn't too sure. I'll check that, i've already replaced the fluid. I tried that when it started. Thanks for the advice.

[2oodoor]

my guess was possibly the TV cable, but I wasn't too sure. I'll check that, i've already replaced the fluid. I tried that when it started. Thanks for the advice.

yep the clue symptom is it is okay to start out, then it keeps dropping gears, that is because the cable may not be returning to home position. That makes it like behave like you are kicking in the throttle more and more when actually your are not.
Only other thing that would make an auto behave like that is pressure loss from a loose valve body or a fiber based filter getting stopped up. Niether of which is common on Honda's.

[garfunkle55]

How do you lubricate the TV cable? I was looking at it just a few minutes ago and I'm clueless, I recently really started getting into cars and what not so I'm still pretty new to all this.

[gfrg88]

have you checked the fluid?? when i first bought my 4g (only auto ive owned) after about a month my tranny would slip, added some tranny fluid and never had a problem since...

[headbanger]

i had problems with my trans. and i changed fluid and put in a bottle of trans-x and havent had any more trouble,i have used it on 3 other transmissions in different vehicles all with same result great great stuff.