couple of questions..

i have a 96 civic lx automatic
when im driving, if the car is in 2nd or 3rd gear at low rpm, when i let off the gas i can feel it downshift rather harshly, kind of like a bumping. it doesnt bother me much but i worry that it could be a sign of trans. problems.

also, under moderate acceleration in any gear from 2500-4500 rpm i can hear like a rattling noise. it sounds like a pulley or something. it usually only happens under 1/2 to 3/4 throttle or more, then fades away after about 5000 rpm. its very annoying.

hmm check ur heat shield, i heard a rattling around that range and i took it to a mechanic and they said it was the heat shield and charged me 15 bucks, thats 15 bucks i could have spent on that cool-ass brake light mod w00t!! ...

For the harsh downshifting, might want to change the tranny fluid.