[Mbro8]

Hello, 8thcivic community.

This is my first video post so please take it easy on me.

I have a problem with my civic. It will not drive normally, kicks into the gear, revvs too high, engine overheats, wont accelerate past 50mph, no check engine light.

Take a look at this video: http://youtu.be/Js91gPTFQF0

2007 Honda Civic EX
1.8L Sedan
Automatic transmission
130k miles
All stock with no modifications

Please help, any thoughts, comments, critiques welcome.

Thank you.

 

[gathermewool]

Have you ever had the ATF changed, or even checked its level? If not, then do that...now.

I saw a little blue light to the left of your steering wheel. What is that, an aftermarket electronic device? That could be the cause of your dead battery.

Jumping your car and driving around for a bit won't charge your battery. If this wasn't your first time finding it dead, then your battery may severely damaged and won't be refreshed with a recharge. I recommend you buy a battery charger and top it off, to see how that affects your issue.

Finally, stop driving your car in its current condition. If low fluid is your cause, then you're very quickly moving from a situation that may be fixed or made better with fluid addition or change to one where the only fix is a new transmission. I'll seriously never understand why you guys post videos of your severely degraded mechanical situation, possibly causing more damage, just to show us what you're experiencing.

 

[Mbro8]

Hi, thanks for a reply.

I checked the ATF level and it seemed fine. I will ad a little bit just to make sure. The blue LED is an aftermarket security system. You are right battery might be dying, but im not worried about it now. I drove in that condition because mechanic said 'drive it until check engine light comes on so I can test it'.

Guys and gals, please, any other things I should check? or maybe some relevant info? am I the only one with this problem?

 

[Socivic]

It's your transmission. Flooring it won't help anything.
Did this problem happen before or after you changed the air sensor

 

[Mbro8]

It happened before. I towed the car home, ordered from amazon, sensor arrived, I put it on, check engine light goes out but the problem with driving persists! Sorry for run on sentence.

 

[gathermewool]

Hi, thanks for a reply.

I checked the ATF level and it seemed fine. I will ad a little bit just to make sure. The blue LED is an aftermarket security system. You are right battery might be dying, but im not worried about it now. I drove in that condition because mechanic said 'drive it until check engine light comes on so I can test it'.

Guys and gals, please, any other things I should check? or maybe some relevant info? am I the only one with this problem?

You need to find a new mechanic. He's obviously a freaking moron. Seriously, who the hell tells some one to drive an obviously degraded vehicle until the car literally feeds them the answer in the form of a trouble code?

If your ATF level is fine, then why would you add more?

 

[Mbro8]

I am considering Socivic's suggestion with tranny. I will tow it to the shop and see if they can do anything. Anyone else has ideas?

 

[Mbro8]

5/19 update

Another mechanic came to my place and looked at the car. Gave me a quote on changing transmission. $350 labor plus $280 for 70k mi transmission.

Anybody done transmission replacement? Is this price tag about right?

 

[gathermewool]

I'm not sure about the price, and I'm sorry to I don't know more about the tranny, but I'd be really mad if it was something simpler than a faulty tranny.

It seems that the two mechanics you've gone to aren't willing (or able) to actually DIAGNOSE the issue, and would prefer to wait for a code to tell them what's wrong or replace the tranny. Either that, or you're not giving us all of the information.

The only other thing, is to ask if you're willing to actually put out some money for a proper diagnosis. Is their lack of diagnostic willingness attributable to your lack of willingness to pay them for their time? $100 for a proper diagnosis and troubleshooting not give you any good information or it may tell you that a relatively cheap sensor or part is faulty, not the whole tranny.

What happens if you manually shift the AT from 1 to 2 to 3 to D?

When was your ATF last changed? Which fluid did they use, if it was ever serviced?

Have you tried the dealer? I had some slightly weird shift behavior and the dealer flashed an update to my TCM that seemed to clear it up. I can't be sure, because I did some other maintenance in that same period of time too.

 

[Mbro8]

Good point.

Mechanics didn't request money for the diagnosis. First mechanic used computer to read the code, but once I replaced the sensor, the check engine light turned off. He said that computer doesn't "see" anything wrong with the car. l just drove from 1 to 2 to d3 to d. 1st gear a little more RPM than usual then switched to second. Second gear went all the way to 4500RPM, wailed there for 5-8 seconds then shifted to 3rd with a tug. So the problem still persists. ATF changed at 110k. Honda transmission fluid used. Have not tried dealer as I have read here dealer will try to, pardon my language, r*** me for stuff like that.

Does transmission have sensors connected to it that might go bad?
If so, why doesn't computer reads the code and there is no check engine light?
Are those DIY replaceable or mechanic needed?

Thanks for feedback people, I really appreciate it.

 

[gathermewool]

Which sensor did you replace? Which code did you have?

 

[Mbro8]

P0420 something like that. It was oxygen sensor bank 1 (top one)

 

[gathermewool]

Ah, I guess I should have asked about that firstly.

How was the P0420 diagnosed as an AFR sensor issue?

I'm not sure that it's related to your apparent transmission issue, but if you've got a boinked CAT, then it might explain overheating and drivability issues. How long ago was your ECM reset? It might be that the code is still there, but it hasn't set yet.

 

[Mbro8]

Mechanic used some kind of hand-held tablet devise and connected it to the connector inside the car, under the steering wheel. Started the vehicle, and did some diagnostics. He used two different tablets, one was smaller, another one was larger, more rugged looking. First one said oxygen sensor, second one said oxygen sensor bank 1.

When I was replacing that sensor, I unplugged the battery terminal. So I guess that's what must have reset the ECM. Once I plugged it back in, and started the car, no more check engine light, but driving issue not resolved. I tried driving around for couple days in the neighborhood 35-50mph, but CE light was not coming back on.

First time the problem happened before i replace the sensor. When I was driving home on freeway, the car was not riding right. I stopped and called the mechanic. After describing the symptoms, he said its most likely cat. But when he tried driving my car next day, he said it could be transmission and not cat.

I towed the car to the shop yesterday (week after issue appeared), and another mechanic, who performs transmission troubleshooting and replacements, is working on it right now. Ill update as time permits.

Other than that, thanks for suggestions.

 

[gathermewool]

How long did you drive with the check engine light on before having it diagnosed?

 

[Mbro8]

2-3 weeks

 

[NOTTHEBLUELAMPSHADE]

so 1st off, a p0420 is a degraded cat-con OR, POSSIBLE, fueling/ign issue BEFORE the cat. p0420 IS NOT for the primary O2, so it a tech told you that, he is ******* retarded.

If you car overheats and the trans isn't slipping, I'd say it looks like you have a plugged cat-con (no, you won't necessarily get the classic rotten egg smell of a donzo cat-con)

It seems like the car has no power right? I have seen this scenario, dozens of times, across all manufacturers, have cat-con fail, w/ no CEL (ford escape with 3.0 is the single most common one I deal with)

 

[Mbro8]

Man, I start thinking that one of the mechanics that is working on my car really starts b**l s******g. Replaced the tranny for $690, car drives, but new screeching sound is so AWFUL. It was not there before! I try to tell him that and he says its possibly that I have a bad cat and need to replace that. I am so FRUSTRATED.

Here is the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfhCQcmayCw

The screeching sound happens when I press gas pedal. Also, when the gears shift, it makes a screeching sound but at a higher pitch. When I let go off pedal, no sound. When I ride on Cruise Control, sound happens when car accelerates.

CHECK ENGINE light came on! I will take it today after work to get it diagnosed.

Anybody please tell me what to do, or how to work out this problem. I am not one of those that likes to quarrel with people that work on my car.

Thanks.

 

[Mbro8]

NOTHTEBLUELAMPSHADE,

Thank you for input. I now start thinking that mechanic did not replace transmission, did something (partial clean) with cat and made it drive. Could it be that the mechanic just BS me? He has his own shop and its not like he is working in Pepboys or something like that. How do I tell if my transmission is replaced by another one?

 

[gathermewool]

TAKE YOUR CAR TO A REPUTABLE SHOP AND HAVE THEM LOOK IT OVER...

If you don't know of a reputable shop and don't have any one who can recommend a trustworthy shop, then take it to the dealer. I've used the, "I don't trust the 'other' guys" routine and that seemed to work. My local Ford dealer found out that a shop that I had to use after an accident while on travel (didn't have any other option than to use a shop in Brooklyn) used junkyard parts and weld-repaired parts that were required to be replaced.

What tipped me off was that EVERYTHING under the car had a nice, new (looking) coat of silver paint. :facepalm: When the Ford dealer scraped away the silver, they found heavy rust...

//

Did the transmission work come with a warranty?