So I've been experiencing the tranny shift issues a lot of you have described on the forums (between 1-2 it revs high before engaging)...and last night I shifted from R to 1st on a medium grade and it wouldn't engage into 1st. I'm worried that a)I need a new transmission, or b) I don't, but the shop is going to try to sell me one.

I had the tranny flush a couple thousand miles ago, and the shop said they replaced the transmission filter screen, so it's either bad engine/tranny mounts or the transmission itself. I suck at auto maintenance, so I can't really take it apart to check the filter screen, and I don't know how to check the mounts.

Any advice on how to make sure I don't get screwed at the shop? Not that I'm expecting them to, I just like to go into this sort of thing with as much knowledge as possible. thanks!

 

I think the only way to make sure is to get a second or third opinion and see if they all align.

When looking for a shop, I usually go for a Honda/Acura shop that's affiliated to an organization such as the Better Business Bureau. Their labor charges may be slightly higher, but I think the probablity of getting screwed over goes down considerably while dealing with such a shop.

 

good advice...right now, my plan is to take it to the shop that did the 90k service, and see what they say...and then take it to the local honda dealership and get a second opinion.

 

The dealer will charge you 100$ and say its got 150k+ miles on it (My guessing)-
time for a trans!
They order from a shop the rebuilds ALL of hondas transmissions so you get a bolt in unit with all the lastest updates- thats good but expensive

Take it to a name brand shop with nationwide warranty like cottman or aamco- go in person and ask how many TLs they have done and call some customers with TLs
They rebuild yours with new and some used but good parts and usually good warranty

Be glad its not a gen2- we plan our lives aroung the trans failure

When you say trans flush- do you mean a power flush with a machine?
Your trans is different than mine so I wont speculate what that may have caused

 

^ We, too, have similar issues with flushing. To check the rear tranny mount is pretty easy: get the car on a lift and stick your hand into the tranny tunnel and feel the mount. If it moves side to side a bit, it's most likely broken. Mine was broken and I basically glued it back together and filled it almost into a solid mount. Has been working fine so far.

~Cheers~

P.S. You 2G'ers plan around the tranny, we plan around the HG, haha.

 

not as much as the Legends do...

 

Yeah, I used to drive a 91 Legend and I wonder why that is... Maybe our head studs are torqued slightly higher but still not high enough? I know that the C32A1s were torqued about 7 lbs too low from the factory...

~Cheers~

 

The headgasket issue...

Basically what prevents the problem is the fan that stays on after the engine is shut off. On our 3.2 TL's, the fan is programmed to stay on longer than the Legends. So its still possible to get a BHG, but if your fan is working as it is supposed to and IF you get regular coolant changes, you should be good.

 

UPDATE- so the shop that did the 90k service didn't seat the filter screen correctly, which was causing the fluid to distribute unevenly (which explains why I had problems uphill but not downhill)...anyway, they were putting it back together (on their dime) and accidentally broke one of the clips for the filter, so I'm without a car for the weekend...hey at least I don't need a new transmission (yet). Thanks for the info guys.

 

so i'm sensing some issues with my tranny right now...when i put it into reverse to say back out of a parking spot i can feel it sort of jerk into gear then its fine even when i'm stationary also when acclerating from 1st to 2nd i feel it rev up high sort of like the thread creator before it goes into second its not the smoothest motion.....taking a look at it this weekend what should i check for the mounts and see if their stable and not lose what other things could it possibly be that wouldn't require me spending a lota cash

 

^ Try a drain and fill with OEM Honda ATF Z-1. Could help.

~Cheers~

P.S. Don't flush the tranny!

 

I have been having a problem with transmission. i shift hard into 2nd and 3rd gear. :-( so i dont have a car now its in the shop.