LXI auto trans not shifting out of neutral/park

[RentedBlackbird]

i'm having problems getting my trans to shift out of neutral/park. i checked the fluids, they're all where they should be. other then that, i cant seem to figure out what could possibly be wrong with it. yesterday it seemed like the trans was slipping when shifting, i checked the fluids, and it was low, so i added fluid. the problem went away, now its not shifting at all. any sugguestions on what could have possibly happened?

[RentedBlackbird]

And also, if i shut it off, then turn it back on, the tranny will engage, but then once the rpm's get above 2500 it will kick back into neutral and not re-engage until i turn it off and start again a couple minutes later.

[BITESIZE]

I think your tranny is done for.

[RentedBlackbird]

Also, does my car have a TCU? i know that the 89 prelude si does (the prelude and accord lxi used most of the same mechanical parts). but im wondering if my car has one, could it finally have just "died"?

[Dr_Snooz]

No TCU. These are all mechanical. I'm having a little trouble understanding your problem. You say it won't shift out of neutral. Does that mean the shifter is binding and you can't physically move it through the gears or that it moves okay but the trans won't shift properly? If the shifter is binding, then you want to check the condition of the cable that goes from it to the trans. Otherwise, it gets more interesting. What's the condition of the oil? Is it nice and red or dark. Does it smell burnt? I suspect something has broken inside the valve body, but before you tear it down, check the adjustment of the TV cable. Then try a fluid flush. If those don't work, you're pretty much looking at an overhaul. Slipping almost always means an overhaul.

[LX-incredible]

No TCU. These are all mechanical. I'm having a little trouble understanding your problem. You say it won't shift out of neutral. Does that mean the shifter is binding and you can't physically move it through the gears or that it moves okay but the trans won't shift properly? If the shifter is binding, then you want to check the condition of the cable that goes from it to the trans. Otherwise, it gets more interesting. What's the condition of the oil? Is it nice and red or dark. Does it smell burnt? I suspect something has broken inside the valve body, but before you tear it down, check the adjustment of the TV cable. Then try a fluid flush. If those don't work, you're pretty much looking at an overhaul. Slipping almost always means an overhaul.

Yep.

Also, in 89 they added a solenoid in the shifter that wont let you move the selector out of P or N without the ignition on and brake pedal depressed. Inserting another honda key in key in the slot next to the shifter will manually disengage the lock. If this works, things to check are the ignition switch, brake switch, shifter switch, wiring and the solenoid itself.

[RentedBlackbird]

lol, sorry, should have been a more clear, the shift knob moves fine. the trans itself wont shift i can select any of the positions for the shift lever (weather it be neutral, park, D4, D3, D2 or reverse. it does nothing. the fluid comes out a dark, merky red color. it has a slight smell of being burnt but nothing distinct. the cables and everything are fine. they are where they should be. i asked my dad about it, he thinks the filter (mesh screen) in the tranny might be plugged, so there isnt enough pressure to shift. could this be a possible cause (if yes, then ill probably just tear down the tranny tomorrow and check it out. also, it is a 4spd auto with overdrive. so hopefully will clear up more confusion.

[LX-incredible]

Sounds like it's toast.

[Dr_Snooz]

Ditto that.

[ecogabriel]

Someone has his auto trans on sale; I wonder shipping costs though.

[RentedBlackbird]

Lol, well, thanks! just went to the Bone yard yesterday and picked up myself another tranny. now its running great. Hopefully it will last long enough until i get the money to do a Manual Conversion.