Honda Car Forum

I have a 1999 Civic with automatic transmission that has trouble
shifting out of Park in cold weather. I am able to move the shift
lever into the drive position. When I do this there is a loud "thunk"
type noise and a lurch forward by the car. No power is supplied to the
wheels, it's like I'm still in park. The solution I have so far is to
put in back in park and let the car warm up more. After warming the
car more I can put it into drive. Once it does get into gear, it
drives fine. There is also a "click" noise when going into reverse in
any weather. Any ideas as to what is happening? Is this something
fixable? Fluid levels are fine and fluid was last taken care of by a
dealer so it is the right type. Car has about 60k miles. I've seen a
lot of posts about honda transmissions so I'm figuring that they are
just a problem overall.

On 23 Dec 2004 06:04:21 -0800.
In the Newsgroup(s): rec.autos.makers.honda
With the Message-ID:
<1103810397.939160.110130@c13g2000cwb.googlegroups .com>
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The famous author: richard.hoyt@gmail.com.
Wrote on the subject: 1999 Civic Transmission:

>I have a 1999 Civic with automatic transmission that has trouble
>shifting out of Park in cold weather. I am able to move the shift
>lever into the drive position. When I do this there is a loud "thunk"
>type noise and a lurch forward by the car. No power is supplied to the
>wheels, it's like I'm still in park. The solution I have so far is to
>put in back in park and let the car warm up more. After warming the
>car more I can put it into drive. Once it does get into gear, it
>drives fine. There is also a "click" noise when going into reverse in
>any weather. Any ideas as to what is happening? Is this something
>fixable? Fluid levels are fine and fluid was last taken care of by a
>dealer so it is the right type. Car has about 60k miles. I've seen a
>lot of posts about honda transmissions so I'm figuring that they are
>just a problem overall.

Anyone has an answer to this? I have a somewhat similar problem (Civic
1987). When the engine/transmission is very cold (at winter) when I
change from reverse into D4 or any D-gear, I get a terrible sound for
perhaps one second, which sounds almost like when you change gears on a
manual non synchronized gearbox, without doing the usual double
clutching. However the D4 or any D's engages immediately after the sound
disappears.

If I let the engine/transmission warm up in Neutral for just a couple of
minutes, this does not happen at all.

May it be some valve in the gearbox, that hangs when the transmission is
ice cold?

The oil level and quality of the oil seems to be as it should, I might
add.

Sten-Arne
Sweden

On 23 Dec 2004 06:04:21 -0800.
In the Newsgroup(s): rec.autos.makers.honda
With the Message-ID:
<1103810397.939160.110130@c13g2000cwb.googlegroups .com>
And the Organization Header: http://groups.google.com.
The famous author: richard.hoyt@gmail.com.
Wrote on the subject: 1999 Civic Transmission:

>I have a 1999 Civic with automatic transmission that has trouble
>shifting out of Park in cold weather. I am able to move the shift
>lever into the drive position. When I do this there is a loud "thunk"
>type noise and a lurch forward by the car. No power is supplied to the
>wheels, it's like I'm still in park. The solution I have so far is to
>put in back in park and let the car warm up more. After warming the
>car more I can put it into drive. Once it does get into gear, it
>drives fine. There is also a "click" noise when going into reverse in
>any weather. Any ideas as to what is happening? Is this something
>fixable? Fluid levels are fine and fluid was last taken care of by a
>dealer so it is the right type. Car has about 60k miles. I've seen a
>lot of posts about honda transmissions so I'm figuring that they are
>just a problem overall.

Anyone has an answer to this? I have a somewhat similar problem (Civic
1987). When the engine/transmission is very cold (at winter) when I
change from reverse into D4 or any D-gear, I get a terrible sound for
perhaps one second, which sounds almost like when you change gears on a
manual non synchronized gearbox, without doing the usual double
clutching. However the D4 or any D's engages immediately after the sound
disappears.

If I let the engine/transmission warm up in Neutral for just a couple of
minutes, this does not happen at all.

May it be some valve in the gearbox, that hangs when the transmission is
ice cold?

The oil level and quality of the oil seems to be as it should, I might
add.

Sten-Arne
Sweden

I Had the same problem, There is a recall I got a letter for about 2 years
ago, I believe they only changed a cable. call your dealership.