Transmission Fluid

2,265

Asked by Alvin Sep 09, 2015 at 02:29 PM about the 1998 Acura RL 3.5 Special Edition FWD

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

My 1998 Acura RL transmission slips after operational 25-50 miles. Park it and next day it can be driven. I have had  the filter and pump changed what could else should I pay attention to? One thing I am not sure what type trans. fluid was put into the trans after the filter/pump were replaced and if that would make any different. During my research I have learned that if the trans. fluid isn't Honda brand then the trans. want operate properly. And too I am wondering if in fact trans additives would help the problem? If so which brand/name? Thanks

10 Answers

86,035

Alvin, I had a 1995 Honda Accord a while back and the speed sensor in the car went bad. You might want to check that out or run a code and see if the computer is going out. After the speed sensor was changed in my car, all the abnormal shifting went away and the car was fine. The computer controls every aspect of the car and this went out on my 95 as well causing some running problems. I think it's always best to start with the most conservative fix first and if you have a good mechanic he can look at these things for you. I don't advise transmission additives. As for the fluid, use whatever Honda specifies. Good luck.

30,465

I would put an additive in ... the disks are slipping and unless the car is in mint condition it does not justify the cost of a transmission repair

2 people found this helpful.
157,335

Acura RL with low miles would be worth getting the transmission repaired properly. I do not recommend additives of any sort for automatic transmissions. With that being said some people swear by additives. It's your money and your car.

30,465

I don't swear by additives but in this casee ..what does he have to lose? If it dosen't work then he has to get another trans anyay. Of my 1000 or more posts this probably the second time I said it. I based my answer on a car whose Blue Book starts at $1300 . Lots of missing info ... what shape is the car/engine in,,, how many miles does it have. To throw about $1000 at a car that may give other problems after the Trans is fixed IMO is not worth it when you can sell the car.

64,500

I do not think anyone swears by anything because they can not because sometimes they work and sometimes they do not but addictives are worth a try its either going to work or not.

2,265

I really appreciate all the suggestions. The vehicle in question has a recently replaced engine (177'000 miles) interior and exterior are both in good conditions. So what I plan on during is try the additives and if that fails, replace the trans. Cost labor $475.00-$500.00..replacement trans $200.00. Again thanks.

30,465

We all may not be in agreement .. but we all agree that we want to help you ... Good luck

86,035

Well, you've recently replaced the engine, which must have been a substantial cost and your interior and exterior are in good shape. And, your car as less than 11,000 miles per year. I imagine that the transmission probably is bad which is likely contributed to engine problems (engines have to work harder when gears are not operating normally), so, maybe you do actually need a rebuild. What you're talking about here I think is an exchange transmission for $1,000? You can certainly do that, but, you don't know what you're getting when you do that. Sure, they'll give you a 90 day warranty, but, it's like buying an old horse, it could die again at any time. Another option is to have your old transmission rebuilt. The cost will be much more, probably around $2,500 to $3,000, but, you'll get another 100,000 miles out of this. Plus, coupled to the new engine ( or was that an exchange?) Look, the sales tax on a new car will be far greater than this and you'll have 60 months of car payments, so, if everything else looks good and you like your car, bring it to a trusted mechanic that someone recommends and get a qualified price to fix everything. Finally, if your engine was the EXCHANGE, and your car is not otherwise a cream puff, I would consider just stopping here and investing the $3,000 into a newer model lease return. I don't think buying a new car these days is a financially sound move.

10

Honda does not recommend any additives whatsoever especially if car is still in warranty

1 people found this helpful.

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