CBrooks

I have a 2001 Honda civic and the check engine light came on Saturday. I took it in to autozone to get the code checked and he said that it had something to do with the transmission (The car is running like it normally does) and a bit of mumbo jumbo i couldnt understand after that..

He told me to take it in to get a 21 point inspection at a certain place but also said that it could just be the transmission fluid.. is that possible?

The car has 133,000 miles on it and I've put about 8k on it since i purchased it...

I was thinking about just taking it to where i get my oil changed and to have them check the transmission fluid?

laack

If you think it is just fluid, change it yourself. Its very easy and significantly cheaper and you know that you are getting genuine honda fluid put back in. Tools required 3/8 drive socket wrench (you can get away with using the socket drive to remove bolt. socket not required-you will figure it out when yo see it), drain pan funnel and fluid. If you dont mind crawling around, you dont even need a jack. take the car for a 10min drive first. drain plug is on passenger side, wipe off metal flakes attached to it (magnetic bolt) and use a long funnel with flexible hose to refil. any funnel will work but that is the easiest. dip stick is on passenger side below battery box. If you are one of the many that have an auto transmission that is slipping in between shifts, you have bigger problems on your hands than just old fluid. a very hefty repair bill is in your near future.

I would start with the cheapest fix(fluid DRAIN & REFIL) do NOT flush. use honda fluid, i dont know why, but the honda fluid works best and people will swear by it here..

If you are getting slipping in between shifts, your transmission might be getting ready to poop the bed. avoid long drives that can leave you stranded until you can have it checked out by a reputable mechanic.

CBrooks

This is an automatic.. forgot to put that in the first post.

Alright, I just came back from where I get my oil changed and I just had them check the transmission fluid and he said it looked fine.. Halfway between the empty and full levels he said. I won't attempt to change the transmission fluid because I'm that car retarded but I can however get my dad to. Is there any certain place I need to pick up the honda transmission fluid?

I just took it for a drive to try and notice slippage but I didn't notice any.. The car still drives as if there isn't a problem. (at least that what it seems like to me)

It kind of sucks because this is my only car to drive and I have to drive 30 miles everyday to my job.. (the 8k miles i've put on it have been mostly highway miles...)

Gahhhh.. stupid light

laack

definitely drain and refill sooner than later. if it is low in fluid i would go as far as to say do it today. get fluid from a honda dealership. I cant remember quantity but its somewhere around 3 quarts. when you go to honda, ask them for transmission capacity for a drain and refil they will help you out. Get a new crush washer for the bolt also while you are at honda. hopefully someone here will chime in before you go.. at $7 a quart its worth the investment to do it right. it serisously is VERY easy. have you dad watch you do it so you can build the confidence to start doing basic maintenance on your own. the bolt is it a tight position, but if you turn the steering wheel all the way in either direction, a jack is not necessary its just a squeeze to get in there.

bolt location- on pax side of the car, bottom of the transmission. the bolt head is circular, not possible to put a socket on it. It has a hole in the center of the bolt that a 3/8drive socket wrench will fit in perfectly. ask honda for torque spec if you are worried about over torquing. i just get it good and snug. there isnt much room to get a ton of leverage on the wrench. i figure if it doesnt drip its tight enough

If you do a search for DIY transmission drain and refil i'm sure you will get a bunch of guides on here.

post back results. after fluid change disconnect battery and reconnect it to reset the ecu. the fault in the check engine light will reset. If the problem still exists the check engine light will come back on.. that will confirm that there is a real problem with the transmission, not just the fluid.

If this doesnt help go to a reputable mechanic and have them do a diagostic. its about 100 price range but for the piece of mind it might be worth it.

CBrooks

Alright this is very odd.. I went and got the transmission fluid and crush washer from honda and on my way home (on a interstate going 70+) my check engine light shut off...... I know for sure it was on before I left to go home too.

I don't know if this is relevant but I got an automatic car wash on saturday and went home, a few hours later I got back in the car and noticed the check engine light was on...

CBrooks

FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!!! My DAMN transmission just died. The check engine light has been off ever since monday but after I dropped my girlfriend off at work BAM.. I couldn't get up past 5mph with the rpm's revving and the check engine light is back on........

Awjvail

The DAMN transmissions on these cars are known to be shitty.. I'm surprised it made it to 133k. Are you sure it wasn't slipping before? Do you know what to look for? Usually they show some signs before the DAMN transmission just stops working.

CBrooks

I guess i didn't know what to look for in terms of slippage or I was just in denial. Honda will never recall a transmission will they? Too expensive to do that.

Wish I would have known that the 2001 honda civics have transmission problems before I bought the DAMN car 6 months ago.

My dealer is having me take it to a certain transmission shop where they will fix it and tack it on to the rest of my bill.

I'll want to make sure they rebuild the DAMN thing if it is rebuildable or will it just poop the bed again?

Awjvail

Your DAMN transmission will likely **** the bed again. The root cause of the problem still won't be fixed and will die again... I think they were fixed for the 2003 model year so if you got one from an 03+ then it might work better.

This is why you do research before buying a car I did, and it's why I bought a manual transmission.
http://www.carcomplaints.com/Honda/Civic/2001/

CBrooks

What's my best option after fixing this DAMN POS? Keep driving it???

Awjvail

Well, you'll probably get a while out of it before it dies again, so it's up to you. By the time it dies again, it probably won't be worth it to fix it.

You could always do an auto to manual transmission swap and save yourself the headache of an automatic transmission altogether...

Gearbox probably has some good tips for you.. his transmission has been slipping forever and he's got some sort of life support device that keeps it running.

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

go grab the tciauto.com master racing overhaul kit and rebuild the old trans with that. should outlast the car. thats what alot of turbo guys use. it replaces the weak oem clutch packs and comes with all the gaskets and rings. i would not even bother doing a regular build or swapping the trans with another one. the same thing will happen again.

yeah mine is on life support so to speak, the trans cooler and filter along with yearly fluid changes barely keeps the thing alive, but i really have to baby it and let everything warm up in the cold. its only a matter of time tho.

civicpapi

Amazing, my 96 has 210k miles and orig auto.

I am wondering, if has to do with either never changing the trans fluid or not using Honda trans fluid all the time. When people buy a used car you never know.

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

its just that older hondas (pre 2001) are much more reliable. our 92 accord is also on the original auto trans and shifts are smooth as butter. it has a small axle seal leak, but thats hardly a trans issue.

for the 2001+ civic trans, its def not an issue with never changing fluid or using non-honda fluid. ive been using the honda fluid since day1 and change it every year. its a mechanical defect caused by inferior quality parts. and no amount of special care will keep it from breaking. some people have been lucky and made it to 100k, others barely made 20k.

DaSilverCivic

would the failure be for both auto & manual transmission or just auto?
i read that link that Awjvail posted but it seems like all the complaints are on the auto trans. my car is manual...

i am starting to hear that "squealing/whining sound". I'm nervous to drive my car to work now.

a buddy of mine checked it out he said it was the alternator, loose bearing. he sprayed some lube and the "squealing/whining sound" went a way for a sec...

btw my car got 120k on it now

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

the autos have the issues, manual is usually okay.

Awjvail

My parents auto 00 Accord ***** a brick every time it has to go up a steep hill.

DaSilverCivic

Thanks gearbox...

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

lol i guess the accord problems started earlier. 2000 civics were still great cars. in 2001, everything took a poop

CBrooks

Alright, so this I guess I'm getting a brand new transmission from autozone with a 3 year warranty and unlimited mileage for $2414

Gearbox would you still suggest me buying the Master racing overhaul kit and taking it to someone that would install all of it? How much do you think it would be to install?

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

yeah get the kit. rebuilding is a big job, basically tearing down the whole trans. you may want to shop around because it needs to be a very good mechanic doing the work. taking the trans off and on is also a big job. idk maybe $5k total for rebuild and install? im just guessing. but its worth never having to replace it again if you use the rebuild kit.

nuxil

(I know this is a 1 year old topic, but just had to post )
I had the same check engine this summer on my 2001 civic (~48 000 miles on it). The car is still running after a few months. I don't know if I should worry about it since the mechanic disabled the check engine with the OBD tool.

What is strange is that someone in the family own a civic 2003 and there is a big difference. The 2003 is much much better or is it just me..
I don't know if I should sell my 2001 and even if I do that.. what replacement to get for it..
Was thinking to try the mazda3 manual trans. ... Even if I'm a big honda civic fan, that is what disappoints me!

But well, will see what the future has to offer

nsrhonda89

The best thing to do is to rebuild your old tranny with
- master racing overhaul kit
- aftermarket torque converter (if you are getting code: PO740)
- Inline filter (magnefine filter, make sure to change it within one month after you rebuild your transmission)
- Full synthetic ATF if you want
- Clean shift and linear solenoid screen
- Replace your auto dip stick it its loose. It suppose to fit tight.

This will prolong your transmission.