Great Forum Newbie Alert.
Honda Civic 2002 ex
6 Days ago car wouldn't start. I had previously replaced the terminals on 2 occasions. Not much cable left so I had a "mechanic friend" replace the battery cables and all seemed well. He replaced it with a thicker gauge and the car started perfectly. I drove 3 miles and no hint of issues. The very next morning the car started slipping, high rev and struggle to get out of initial gear. (Automatic). Drove it about a mile yesterday - same - one mile today and couldn't get out of a intersection. Floor the gas car wont move just revs up.
Obviously the trans right? I am just wondering if there is any possibility that this is not a coincidence.
If its definitely the tranny any helpful advice on how to proceed. I dont know much but willing to test the waters with a little help.
Trans fluid level OK but could have used a flush.
Thanks!

That's a coincidence more than likely, these transmissions aren't great and fail often.

Is the D on the gauge cluster flashing?

Thanks, No D Flashing.

Yeah if it's slipping that bad and fluid is full I'd assume the tranny is done. They are weak trannies....

I've heard some shops wont rebuild these trannies, you'd have to call around. I'm not sure I'd trust a rebuild anyways. Your best bet would probably be to get a newer trans off an 04 or 05 with low miles, this would probably be cheaper too.

it could be something happened to the TPS sensor when the grounds were reconnected. maybe a power surge or something. rare but possible. faulty tps can make the trans shift worse than if it were actually broken. it can slip, not hold gear, not shift into higher gears, etc. basically a big mess. usually the engine light will come on but not always. is the light on? for a trans to go from perfectly fine to broke doesnt happen overnight. usually there is some kind of warning before it breaks completely and just revs in gear without moving.

Thanks
The light came on as I pulled away from the last stop before I made it to the intersection where it died.
Thats whats confusing to me how it just fell apart so suddenly

have the code checked. if the D light is not flashing (which indicates serious transmission problems), it is prolly for the TPS voltage out of spec (throttle position sensor) in which case you need a new or used throttle body. usually around $50 on ebay used, or $250 new from honda. used should be just fine, just be sure to get an 01-05 AUTO throttle body with all the sensors on it. also a good time to open it up and clean the iac valve on the side. assuming thats the problem.

Thanks!
Would you recommend I buy an OBDII scanner at Autozone. Their is one about a mile from my home and its not like I can drive the car there

Sorry for hijacking the thread....

...why do you say they are weak? I'm just curious. Reason I ask is because I thought these little cars can & will hit 200K+ without any major problems.

Looks like that will be your only option unless you have a buddy with a scanner.
After 01 they are just known for problems. Some people get lucky and some dont. Change your fluid around every 30k and hope for the best.

01-05 civic autos have defective clutch packs, bad internal filter design, and seals made from the wrong material that can shrink/deform and cause loss of hydraulic pressure. the worst is the 2ndary clutch pack that has a design flaw and falls apart early, causing debris to clog the filter, which then destroys the fluid pump.

OBDII code reader yeah you should be able to find one in the store for pretty cheap. it just has to read the number codes, then you can come back here and we will tell you what it means. i can email you the codes list also its pretty long.

You can probably rent the code reader from AZ....

Purchased scanner 60$ AZ
code:
P0730 Incorrect Gear Ratio
Looks like its not good news
Thanks!

yeah sorry to hear. next step is the trans shop and see what they think. sometimes it turns out to be a stuck solenoid or clogged up valve body, but you might need a rebuild. if so, pick up the TCI auto rebuild kit and have the shop use that when replacing parts. its much better quality than the oem stuff in there. i can look for the link if youre interested.

Wow
Thanks
I'll take that link if u can

here you go. if you end up with a rebuild, i strongly suggest an external fluid filter that is removable so you can change it every year. it will keep the trans new inside and the fluid will last longer. i would also suggest using valvoline maxlife atf instead of the honda stuff.

http://www.tciauto.com/tc/civic-mast...kit-01-02.html

Interesting Note. Not that it changes anything but decided to start her up and was able to reverse and go forward but too afraid to rev it past a shift. Any reason for this? When trying before the gear shift just glided right through almost like it wasn't attached. This time was different it was very stiff probably too much so. It was much cooler out. Just wondereing as I just want to know as much as I can before I continue the endeavor. Would it be crazy too drive it this way a mile down to the tranny shop and save myself a tow? (probably right) BTW retook the code still 0730

hm..

Maybe it is electrical, similar issue, washed engine then got the p0730 code.
http://honda-tech.com/showthread.php?t=1098022

I would do the following:

Thanks for the chart.
Tried the car this morning. Went in reverse a few feet and couldn't go forward at all again. Stopped it, noticed that when I use the gear shift to reverse, I hear a clicking noise - sounds like a blinker click-click click-click - as I rock the shift. Again I know it probably doesn't help but just curious as to what this is. When I go into drive its back to gliding right through the shifts all the way down to d3. Thanks for all the feedback again.
Code p0730 still.

well the clicking sounds like the shifter interlock solenoid, but that wouldnt explain the sliding thru gears. maybe the transmission range switch is bad. its certainly something you should tell the trans shop because it possibly could be something they can fix without touching the trans housing.

Thanks all. Pretty much resigned to the fact that I need a new tranny. I have someone that wil install so if anyone can point me the right direction when it comes to ordering one I will appreciate it. Thanks again