Hey guys... I just purchased this little hot rod as my commuter and already I've got some issues with it.

Bought it for $3500 (136k Miles)
Have spent $1500 in various repairs
All is good now except for this transmission problem



I noticed today while in 1st gear putting around in a parking lot the RPM's were moving up but the car was not. Then all of a sudden it jerked into gear as I gave it more throttle.

I also notice around 40mph, the car seems to "chatter" when keeping that steady pace.

So I'm guessing the transmission is going out. I'm trying to do a little research and find out what the model number of the transmission I have is?

So far from my research I believe my motor might be a D16Y8 ???

Also, I'm in an apartment so I can't do the work myself. I'm just going to bring it to the local mechanic so he can rape me. Should I look at purchasing a new/rebuilt transmission then just have them install it? What's everyone on here usually do in this instance?

From my research this seems like a common problem unfortunately...

Thanks for any help!

 

Also side note... I'm getting about 23-24 mpg's out of this thing in a lot of stop and go city traffic. Is that typical? Seems kinda low to me for a small little 4-banger...

 

Yeah, I'd say that pretty low, I think it should be more around 28-30. A lot of people replace the automatic with a manual, like me. But that does require some work..

The engine is a D16y8. It's the VTEC D-series, nice little engine.

Honestly, it's up to you, your wallet, and your diy nature what to do. I don't know what a shop will charge, but you'll be installing another weak transmission that will go out at some point. The manual transmission is much stronger, but requires some metal cutting , which isnt for the faint of heart lol.

It seems like you probably just want the car running and that's it, so I'd just go around to all the shops in your area and get quotes, and ask if they have a problem installing a tranny that you provide. I bet some will, because it's a liability issue.

 

Automatic to manual should be purely bolt together, once you have all the parts. Works best to have a manual parts car sitting next to your car. A couple of things need to be re-wired, including that the EX manual ECU expects a different intake manifold than the automatic EX.

The problem with the automatics seems to be mostly that the internal filter (not replaceable without taking the tranny out of the car) gets clogged and you lose fluid pressure, causing the clutches to slip. If you go to replace the automatic with another used transmission, don't just slap it in, take it apart and replace the filter first.