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I have an 04 Civic with an automatic transmission. I was out driving today and my transmission cut out. When I would push the gas pedal the engine would just rev. I tried reverse and got nothing, drive; nothing. I called someone to give me a tow and after I got their house I tried the car out again and it worked flawlessly. The fluid level looked fine and I was getting plenty of power. I decided to drive the car home and after about 10 miles the transmission went out again. I pushed my car about 10ft forward and it worked again! Can anyone help me diagnose what can be causing this? If it is of any significance I was slowed down while turning both times the Trans. went out. A friend a mine suggested that it might be a clogged transmission filter. Can anyone second that opinion? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

 
Rep Power: 519

Kinda sounds like it might be.


After it quits moving, is the tans making a whine or squeal noise?

Does the car have a ton of miles on it?

What does the fluid look like?
Smell like?
Got service history? Trans serviced every 30k?

Is the fluid full, or very low?

 
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No obvious noises from the trans. Yes the car has high mileage. The odometer reading is 259,880. New engine however. The fluid looks translucent pink. I didn't detect any odd smells either. I Haven't checked the level yet. I can get that info tomorrow. I don't have the service history. Thanks for the response.

 
Rep Power: 519

More than a quarter million miles, it's probably done, Time for a rebuild or replacement?

 
Rep Power: 187

Yeap

 
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Thanks for the replies again. The trans. works great when it is working. The problem is that it is disengaging. If I kill the car and push it forward a bit everything temporarily works fine again. What would this be indicative of? I'm no mechanic so I am hoping someone can help me narrow down the potential problem before I start dishing out cash. Id rather identify the most likely culprit before jumping into a rebuild.

 
Rep Power: 187

If you skip to around the 20:00 minute mark in the video I posted, he explains about the filter being clogged and being able to shut the car off for a little bit, let the filter fill back up again and it'll go another 5-10 miles and stop. So it's most likely a clogged internal filter causing your issues, which would require a tear down to inspect/replace.

 
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Thank you for the info. I started watching the video earlier but never finished it. I'll give it a another look. Thanks.

 
Rep Power: 519

You turning the engine off is the key, not pushing the car forward.

Clogged filter, as Matt said.
You understand why the filter is getting clogged? Because of clutch debris, the trans needs an overhaul.

 
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Yeah I understand now. I've researched it a little more and watched the video. What sort of kit will I need and where is the best place to order one? I have a friend who is a mechanic and he just quoted me $400 to do the rebuild for me.

 
Rep Power: 230

.edit

 
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Anyone? I need a good recommendation for a kit. I see an overhaul kit for $61 (filter sold separately). And I see other rebuild kits ranging up to $200+. If I'm going to have this tranny removed to be repaired, I need to know the best route to take. Money is tight right now but I do not want to be cutting corners that I will regret later. At the same time I don't want to be paying for anything I don't absolutely need to resolve the issue. If anyone could give me some advice I would appreciate it.

 
Rep Power: 519

wittrans.com
transtar1.com

Transtar has a great rep but IDK how much they do with Hondas, and IDK much about wittrans other than someone I now uses their parts a lot.


You DO NEED to replace the torque converter, and you DO NEED to thoroughly flush the trans cooler inside the radiator.
Both hold the same debris that is causing you problems now, and you do NOT want that debris coming out later on to ruin your fresh build job.

Hondas reman trans came with a filter kit that goes in the cooler return line to protect the reman trans from just such an occurrence.

HTH