need help w/ trans problem

hi

My transmission is giving problem, any help would be appreciated. Here's the problem: Start engine fine, but whining noise in the engine compartment when in park or neutral. No whining noise in reverse or forward gear. Once drive for like a quarter mile trans start slipping until undriveable. Even if I restart the engine, car undriveable. After I let the car cool down like an hour or so, car is drive like normal for a while then trans start slipping. Any ideas what would be the problems. Thanks in advance...

96 honda accord vp
automatic trans
54,781 miles

I assume you checked fluid level, engine warm and running, in park?

yep have checked fluid level, engine warm and running, in park. Color and smell seem normal. Changed the trans fluid like 4 months ago.

yep have checked fluid level, engine warm and running, in park. Changed the trans fluid like 4 months ago.

2 things. Did you change it for maintenance, or because it was not acting right?

And did you do a pan drop and filter, or just let the fluid go and refill?

Thanks for the quick reply.
I change it for maintenance by letting the fluid go and refill.

This sound you hear...is it something like a power steering pump when it's low on fluid? If not, can you describe it in more detail?

Speaking in general, and not having heard your noise, whining or howling in a tranny at rest is related to cavitation in the pump, being a result of either air in the sytem (low fluid level, blocked or dislocated pickup screen/filter, cracked passage, etc) or a worn out pump assembly.

I guess the important question, if this sounds like the kind of sound you hear, is has it been building up to the way it currently acts, or was it a sudden failure that happened without warning?

Power steering fluid is normal. The howling sound is coming from the intake area. Sound get strong as I throttle the engine. And this problem occur suddenly without warning yesterday.

Power steering fluid is normal. The howling sound is coming from the intake area. Sound get strong as I throttle the engine. And this problem occur suddenly without warning yesterday.

You misunderstood my question.

I'm asking if the sound is similar to a power steering pump that's low on fluid?

Sorry for my misunderstanding. The sound is different from the sound from a low fluid power steering.

Not a whistle like an air leak, is it?

Does your tranny use a vacuum modulator?

Have no idea what's a vacuum modulator? I don't think it sound like an air leak.

Some transmissions used a vacuum modulator, a diapragm that responds to intake manifold pressure to signal the valve body in the transmission to begin an upshift. Most transmissions now are fully electrnic control, no more modulator.

When the vacumm supply to the modulator is removed, the tranny won't upshift, instead it will just slip and the engine will overrun and no upshift occurs.

The vacuum leak is sometimes heard as a high pitched whistle coming from the intake area, if that's where the broken hose or loose line is. But normally you would hear it all the time, not just in nuetral or park. The air leak will usually cause the engine's idle to be somewhat rougher than usual also.

So I'm guessing you have an internal hydraulic failure of some kind. Pump or accumulator related, most likely. I don't think I can help you.

When the slipping begins, dies the car not want to move at all, or just not upshift?

How about reverse, does it work when the slipping begins?

When the slipping occur the car won't move at all even when I put the car in reverse.

OK, well unless you can drop the pan and find some reason why fluid flow is being restricted, you've got serious internal problems, I'm afraid.

You could check and see if the transcooler in the radiator is blocked also, without adequate cooling they will overheat and slip very quickly also. You'd have to remove the lines (preferably at the transmission) and see if you could blow low pressure air through the transcooler core. If it's blocked, you've found the problem.

You really shouldn't be having problems like this with the low miles you have. Especially when you do timely maintenance, as you seem to.

Good luck! Hopefully somebody here will come up with something I overlooked, but I doubt it. I see a transmission shop in your future...

k Thanks thou....sucks having car problem right after I upgrade my computer.