Transmission Issues, very hard shifting

ApexProxy · Jun 18, 2018

I drive for a living so I tend to drive for a large portion of my work day. This morning I noticed an intermittent strange shift from 1st to 2nd, the car would rapidly shudder a few times and then shift but the other gears were fine. I drove at least 100 miles throughout the day and noticed the strange shift maybe 4 times total. Then on my way home like a mile from my work it got so bad it became undriveable. It will drive just fine in 1st gear but then passes the usual shift point by a large margin and then will go neutral for a good second and then lurch into 2nd gear. It lurches so badly I never even got it going fast enough to see if it can do 3rd gear. I find that just moving my shifter into 1st it will drive around just fine with no apparent issue even with stop and go. It feels as though something is getting struck as it tries to shift and it takes it a second to engage.

The car:
99 LX 2.3L F23A4

Any suggestions as to what I might be able to do myself would be amazing since I need it working ASAP and I really don't have a lot of cash to have a shop work on it. Thanks

BlkCurrantKord · Jun 19, 2018

Trans is gone or about to be

NSWDoc · Jun 19, 2018

That is correct. You might want to contact level 10 and have Pat build you one.

BlkCurrantKord said:
Trans is gone or about to be

SupraGuy · Jun 19, 2018

Mine did this, and it just gets worse.

For the time being, I avoid first gear. Shift into "2" when coming to a stop, and then back to D4 above 10 mph or so, and it behaves itself. It's at least driveable, until I decide what I'm doing with it. The car isn't in great shape, so I don't know that it's worth a new transmission, and I'm not sure that I want to spend the money on the risk that a wrecker transmission will be as bad or worse.

If the 2nd gear trick makes it driveable for you, that should at least buy you some time.

selttijcmanit · Jun 20, 2018

What goes bad in the tranny that causes it?

BlkCurrantKord · Jun 20, 2018

selttijcmanit said:
What goes bad in the tranny that causes it?

The clutch packs

NSWDoc · Jun 20, 2018

BlkCurrantKord said:
The clutch packs

[emoji1303][emoji1303][emoji1303]

selttijcmanit · Jun 20, 2018

BlkCurrantKord said:
The clutch packs

LOL, do they make performance clutch packs for autotragics? Would be great

ApexProxy · Jun 20, 2018

Well that's a pretty grim consensus...

I took it to a shop and they are looking at it now. Their immediate impression was very similar to what you all said as well. I heard several places that the shift solenoids can clog and or go bad which might cause similar issues. I am holding hope this may be the case but I should know soon.

If I need a new trans or a rebuild then I might be retiring the old girl at 190K miles (I was hoping for more) and picking up a new Civic or something...