# 98 Civic Automatic Transmission Problem **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** civic, honda\ **Created:** [July 10, 2010, 10:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-civic-automatic-transmission-problem/51617 "2010-07-10T22:46:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![keith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/keith/32/5518_2.png) [@keith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/keith)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2016, 10:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-civic-automatic-transmission-problem/51617/21 "2016-09-02T22:02:48Z")
Why don’t you pull the codes again and post them here? ---
**Author:** ![seriously.funguy\_166644](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90db22/32.png) [@seriously.funguy\_166644](https://community.cartalk.com/u/seriously.funguy_166644)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 11:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-civic-automatic-transmission-problem/51617/22 "2020-04-21T23:33:23Z")
10 years later and I have the exact problem on a 1999. I have think solenoid as well as the transmission works flawlessly until warm. I changed to Honda fluid a year ago, that is no help. Did an original poster or anyone else get the problem fixed? Also, codes are no help. ---
**Author:** ![Whitey](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/whitey/32/24680_2.png) [@Whitey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Whitey)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 3:06am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-civic-automatic-transmission-problem/51617/23 "2020-04-22T03:06:33Z")
As I said a decade ago, the 6th generation Honda Civic is known to have a very weak automatic transmission. I was very lucky that I chose one that had a manual transmission, and I loved owning it for 21 years and 318,000 miles. Driving a 21-year-old car means you should expect to have problems, and on this particular model, that means getting a new (used/rebuilt/etc.) transmission every so often, or being on a first name basis with a good transmission rebuilder like @transman618. ---
**Author:** ![seriously.funguy\_166644](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90db22/32.png) [@seriously.funguy\_166644](https://community.cartalk.com/u/seriously.funguy_166644)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 4:50am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-civic-automatic-transmission-problem/51617/24 "2020-04-22T04:50:50Z")
Whitey, this is my second one of these cars. The first I bought new and never had a problem. This “weak” transmission climbs the Rockies (steepest grades around) I live next to with the ease of a bighorn sheep, even in first gear before it worms up. This is not a transmission that is weak mechanically ---
**Author:** ![NYBo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nybo/32/17281_2.png) [@NYBo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/NYBo)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 1:31pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-civic-automatic-transmission-problem/51617/25 "2020-04-22T13:31:21Z")
> [@seriously.funguy\_166644](#): > > I changed to Honda fluid a year ago, that is no help. That says to me you were using the wrong fluid up to that point, which may explain the damage. Failure when warm is a classic sign of loss of pressure, either from leaky seals or the pump failing. How many miles on the car? High mileage + 21 years may just equate to the transmission being worn out. ---
**Author:** ![Whitey](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/whitey/32/24680_2.png) [@Whitey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Whitey)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 2:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-civic-automatic-transmission-problem/51617/26 "2020-04-22T14:19:17Z")
> [@NYBo\_166644](#): > > > [@seriously.funguy\_166644](#): > > > > I changed to Honda fluid a year ago, that is no help. > > That says to me you were using the wrong fluid up to that point, which may explain the damage. It says something different to me. It says this person is hoping maintenance (a fluid change) will work like a repair. I never understand that mentality. You take a vehicle to the shop because the transmission is malfunctioning in some way, and you get sold a fluid change. I change my transmission fluid based on the maintenance schedule. How is changing it again supposed to correct a malfunction? Does that ever work, or are they just padding the bill? Anytime someone recommends a maintenance task to correct a malfunction, rather than an actual repair, I become suspicious that this particular person should not be trusted. I went through this at work once. One of our fleet pickups was shifting hard. Our fleet mechanic took it to a dealership service department, and they recommended a transmission flush. I warned the maintenance supervisor that he was just flushing money down the toilet, but he didn’t listen, and sure enough, he ended up paying for the flush and a transmission rebuild, rather than just paying for the rebuild. ---
**Author:** ![NYBo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nybo/32/17281_2.png) [@NYBo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/NYBo)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 2:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-civic-automatic-transmission-problem/51617/27 "2020-04-22T14:32:03Z")
> [@Whitey](#): > > > [@NYBo\_166644](#): > > > > > [@seriously.funguy\_166644](#): > > > > > > I changed to Honda fluid a year ago, that is no help. > > > > That says to me you were using the wrong fluid up to that point, which may explain the damage. > > It says something different to me. It says this person is hoping maintenance (a fluid change) will work like a repair. Good point. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/48514_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 2:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-civic-automatic-transmission-problem/51617/28 "2020-04-22T14:57:50Z")
> [@Whitey](#): > > this person is hoping maintenance (a fluid change) will work like a repair. I never understand that mentality. It’s a _Hail Mary Pass_ that rarely–if ever–works. I don’t understand it either. ---
**Author:** ![seriously.funguy\_166644](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90db22/32.png) [@seriously.funguy\_166644](https://community.cartalk.com/u/seriously.funguy_166644)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2020, 3:28am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-civic-automatic-transmission-problem/51617/29 "2020-04-23T03:28:05Z")
I have no idea what was in it previously. I bought my granddaughter an SUV and took over this Civic. From her. It had not been well cared for. I took it up into the mountains again today (warm) and it climbed better than a Sherpa in 2 and 3 Ive taken it on 2-2,000 miles trips to the midwest from Colorado in less than a year and it is also strong on the Interstate. [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-civic-automatic-transmission-problem/51617.md?page=1)