I've got a 00 that I've had since 01 and havn't had any problems with the SS until now, right after it hit 109k. They said the torque converter was basically melting and cloggin up some filter screens inside the tranny and would need to replace the entire thing for $2,250. I'm not so sure I should fork up the cash, especially since they havn't taken a look. That's just what the comp told them. What do you guys think?
LOL, 2250. That's probably the most ridiculous price I have ever heard. You can buy 2 complete longblocks with transmission for that price.
Used SS tranny : $200
Shop Labor : $500
I have no idea what Honda charges for a new SS, but I'm sure it's not cheap. It would be better to find your own used one that get one new.
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Well, I've been down this road before. I have a 1998 SS. I replaced the factory tranny with a used one I got from another PO member in 2003. My factory tranny had 96K miles on it. The used tranny I purchased for $450 had 60K miles on it. I now have 150K miles on my Lude, and am rebuilding the used tranny. Cottman's Transmission charged me $1800 for parts, labor, and warranty. This is a fair deal imo, because I don't want to go down this road again. I plan on never getting rid of my Lude. I have had it since 2000, and have at one point in time, replaced nearly all worn components. It is a known fact by all Honda mechanics, that the factory SS tranny will fail, due to faulty internals and a bad torque converter. With the use of aftermarket parts, I feel I have solved this problem. Of course some have tried using Level 10, and other sources, but I have heard their horror stories too. I checked around, asked other Honda mechanics, and sourced my parts carefully. I'll let you all know how things go, in the months to come.
Yes I agree that it's a little far out there but it's a Factory reman and comes with a 3 year warranty. Does that change anything? Or is it still way too high?
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Drive as hard as your body can handle.
Ha! That's cheap, the Honda dealer here in Ireland is telling me the replacement tranny will run at €2700 ($3958) and the labour is €600 ($884). I've found a guy today (only 1 in Ireland it seems!) who'll rebuild the tranny for €2000 ($2947) so I'll probably end up taking that option since it's less likely to break again. What manufacturers parts should I tell him to get as replacements?
My car currently has 108K miles on it and now I'm starting to maybe feel some symptoms of a potential tranny break down. (SS tranny).
sometimes when I put the car in reverse the car jerks slightly hard. Then afterwards, when I press the gas and the car shifts gears, there are more slight jerks every time it shifts :/
can anyone confirm that these are the symptoms of a breaking down tranny? Thanks.
what kind of transmission cooler should i get. buying a 97' SS auto lude but gotta make it last as long as possible. searched thru the whole forum. i cant find anything on the best tranny cooler to put into the lude.
I'm plannin to get this put in as soon as i get my lude so i need to know what my best choice is.
^ yeah i checked that thread out but it doesnt give info about which cooler to actually get. i need like a specific cooler that you guys recomend i get.
Regarding the tranny cooler:
Nobody makes an easy bolt-on kit for the Prelude. AFAIK, you won't find one anywhere. In order to use one, you will have to be inventive and do a little fabrication on your own. Buy a generic oil cooler (some are sold as transmission coolers also), buy fluid lines to connect it, and buy the fittings to put it all together. It is going to take some enginuity on the user's part to accomplish this. If you don't feel you have the skills, I imagine most decent mechanics could help you put something together.
Some of this is vague, because I have never done this myself. I know at one time we had a detailed post here showing someone's cooler installation. I don't know if it's still around, but I'm sure it would help.
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Regarding the tranny cooler:
Nobody makes an easy bolt-on kit for the Prelude. AFAIK, you won't find one anywhere. In order to use one, you will have to be inventive and do a little fabrication on your own. Buy a generic oil cooler (some are sold as transmission coolers also), buy fluid lines to connect it, and buy the fittings to put it all together. It is going to take some ingenuity on the user's part to accomplish this. If you don't feel you have the skills, I imagine most decent mechanics could help you put something together.
Some of this is vague, because I have never done this myself. I know at one time we had a detailed post here showing someone's cooler installation. I don't know if it's still around, but I'm sure it would help.
I actually bought a B&M tranny cooler form Summit Racing, no major fabrication was needed, the cooler fine with the supplied hoses, and clamps was almost sufficient. I needed one more part of equal length hose, which I obtained at auto zone, and 2 more hose clamps, I also obtained from auto zone. I had to buy about $15 worth of additional parts to finish the job. I mounted it to the lower driver side of my radiator. Yes, I had to use some twist-ties to hold the hoses in place, but the whole process was fairly easy, and not complicated at all. I would venture to guess, though, that if you have no mechanical skills, do not attempt on your own, bc you will screw something up. However, if you often work on your own car, as I do, you will be able to accomplish this in a couple hours, at most. The whole job looks professional, and actually looks like it would have come with the car.
After this mod, don't assume the cooler alone will save your tranny. I still change my fluid about 2-3 times a year, and never drive it in Sport Shift mode. Doing so will kill your tranny. Stay out of SS mode, and you should be ok.
^ yeah i checked that thread out but it doesnt give info about which cooler to actually get. i need like a specific cooler that you guys recomend i get.
Well I have an Adult owned, tenderly driven 2001 SS Prelude, I haven't been having tranny problems, but i do notice when I am not in SS it pulls and revs high from 1st to 2nd. I have 95k on it and I am the 3rd owner, am I covered for a replacement?!?
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To Do List....
-JDM Fogs
-Lowering
-KONI Yellow Struts and Eibach Springs
-Type-S Front Lip
-CF Bezel Kit
Honda extended the warranty for the automatic transmission to 7 years or 100,000 miles for the 2000/2001 Preludes.
Since you are at 95,000k, I suggest you take your Prelude to a dealer as soon as possible, and hopefully you will get a new, free, transmission.
Mine completely failed at about 85,000 miles.
Initial signs were noticeable torque converter jerks when slowing down in 1st, slight slippage from 1st to 2nd, loss of gear randomly during normal driving (not fun), and finally, complete inability to shift into 3rd or 4th. The last two occurred very quickly!! (within 2 weeks or so.)
The new (free) tranny I received is far smoother than the original I had, even when the original was new. There is no torque-jerk when rolling to a stop now, and it generally feels much better. I'm sure this one will make it past 85k.
I called American Honda and Clearly, the rep had heard this story MORE than one time, she was prepared with alot of data to back up the facts that the tranny is not faulty, she claimed it was "owners fault". By not keeping the car up and getting routine inspections. She also said "Your vehicle is covered under manufacturers extended warranty for 109,000 miles or 7 years and 9 months". I scheduled an appointment with my local dealrship and hopefully get my tranny looked at.
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To Do List....
-JDM Fogs
-Lowering
-KONI Yellow Struts and Eibach Springs
-Type-S Front Lip
-CF Bezel Kit
I have a 99 with 163k on it and I have to use the SS mode to drive it. I was told i needed a TCM? After reading this forum I have become sceptical. I will file a complaint asap.
FYI I recently owned a 98 Accord EX V6 and had the original tranny go out at 120k, Ii did have it serviced at a honda dealer at 86k. I contacted American Honda and layed it on them. They responded with flying colors they gave me a re-man and a 3yr 36k warr I just had to pay labor wich was $800. That tranny went out less than 10k later. They gave me a 2nd re-man tranny and has so far lasted 100k.
Does anyone think a TCM would fix the problem?
I pioneered through Honda and with the help and knowledge of some friends, I am now riding on a re-manufactured tranny! Thanks to my friends who work at the local dealership and Honda America(letting me know i was still under warranty). My car was slipping from 1st to 2nd (jump of 1000rpm with no speed gain). Thanks for helping me!!
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To Do List....
-JDM Fogs
-Lowering
-KONI Yellow Struts and Eibach Springs
-Type-S Front Lip
-CF Bezel Kit
My Auto Transmission went out at about 91,000 miles. I had it replaced at Capitol Honda, and they covered 25% of the cost after some arguing with them.
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-2008 BMW 335i 6MT, Proceed chipped
-2006 Honda S2000
-1993 Toyota MR2 650 RWHP
-1998 Honda Prelude ( For Sale! )
-2001 Ford Mustang v6 ( For Sale! )
Oh man, I got a story for this. I work at a honda dealership as a tech and the tech that works next to me had this 2000 auto Prelude. To make a long story short, he had to install 3, I SAID THREE, reman'd SS trannys before this one ran fine. 2 of them had bearing noises around 40 mph (if you stuck a long screwdriver right where the imtermediate shaft meets the tranny, you can hear it bad). I dunno if Honda reman'd a bad batch of trannies, but damn, you hate to see someone go through that crap.
i have a 97 prelude base SS
i just bought it from the orig owner
and uhm it seems that the transmission
turned garbage at 182k
my 1st to 2nd gear change is horrible
it always overrevs 1st gear
the car shakes a lot
Im on my second transmission. I give up. Hail damage, oil leaking, SS auto trans ****.. this car is a POS. I am going to convert it to a 5 speed but right now its going to go into a deep sleep for the winter. i love the car just not so many issues. this car was beat and i bought it from a drug seizure bank repo for 1500.00 two years ago so i cant ***** too much. i will take some before photos with the neglect and hail damage.
i have a 97 prelude base SS
i just bought it from the orig owner
and uhm it seems that the transmission
turned garbage at 182k
my 1st to 2nd gear change is horrible
it always overrevs 1st gear
the car shakes a lot
Hey man, i had the same prob w/ the 1st to 2nd, mainly when my engine is barely warming up; Also sometimes when it was already warmed up.
Anyway, are you using regular fuel or premium? Ever since i've began using premium, the shifts are smooth as sh!t. As for the shaking part, i have no idea what that is... Good luck
I'm in the process of buying a black 2001 Prelude base with SS, I've been reading alot of ur guys' reviews about the SS system in the 97-99 versions of the prelude, but how is the SS treating the guys with the 2000-2001 SS? I'm hoping that they actually did mod the trannies for those year models to last a lot longer.
The car I'm buyin has 58k miles on it, basic tein suspension, JDM fog lights, 6000k HIDs, alpine type-s speakers, pioneer deck, T1R catback exhaust, and a V1 AEM cold air intake (no bypass valve on, but planning to put one on if I do get it).
Its a SS. It will fail at some point. I have 165K on mine, but it still hasnt failed completely yet. Did have to change the tranny fluid b/c of bad slippage. But i consider myself VERY lucky. I plan on swapping it to a manual in the near future. If you buy it, your fist mod should be to swap it...or just find a manual...
I fought with the local Honda dealership with my 98. I knew I would lose because I just bought it (for $800) and none of the info matched my name. I said to hell with it and put one of my 5spd. swaps in it. If anyone wants to know more, I will post a thread and kick out some pics because it was stupid easy. In a nutshell, ALL EXISTING AUTO PARTS WILL WORK EXCEPT THE FOLLOWING;
half shaft
shifter/cable ass.
THE PARTS THAT SWAPPED OVER;
mounts
axles
HARNESS-DONT BOTHER WITH THE MANUAL HARNESS
ECU- study evryone elses work on making it work??? IMOBILIZER
I also discovered that the 4th gen. clutch pedal, hydro lines, shifter and cables will fit. Alot of info has been shared by others who have done this, it is just alot easier than what it sounds like. Quite fighting with these trannies and do the swap.
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Anything Honda can do, Nissan can do better! -NISMO
I fought with the local Honda dealership with my 98. I knew I would lose because I just bought it (for $800) and none of the info matched my name. I said to hell with it and put one of my 5spd. swaps in it. If anyone wants to know more, I will post a thread and kick out some pics because it was stupid easy. In a nutshell, ALL EXISTING AUTO PARTS WILL WORK EXCEPT THE FOLLOWING;
half shaft
shifter/cable ass.
THE PARTS THAT SWAPPED OVER;
mounts
axles
HARNESS-DONT BOTHER WITH THE MANUAL HARNESS
ECU- study evryone elses work on making it work??? IMOBILIZER
I also discovered that the 4th gen. clutch pedal, hydro lines, shifter and cables will fit. Alot of info has been shared by others who have done this, it is just alot easier than what it sounds like. Quite fighting with these trannies and do the swap.
Are you sure about the mounts? Honda has different part numbers for the transmission mounts.... Im sure if it would have been the same, they would have made it to save some $$ in design and manufacturing.
I used ALL existing mounts on my swap. If they have different part numbers, maybe they are a little different, but not enough to notice by eye, drivability or assembly. With the Prelude, Im starting to think Honda lost focus and just threw the car together. Anyhow, I used all the mounts-driver, passenger, front and rear, for the swap. I did have to go with the manual pork chop if that is what you are asking.
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Anything Honda can do, Nissan can do better! -NISMO
I plan on doing the 5 speed conversion when I have ample funds to do so, but till then I'm fairly confident my transmission will hold up.
The cars engine was replaced with a JDM OBDI H22A4 motor with about 35-40k on it. But the transmission was the original.
The body's miles and transmissions miles are the same, right now at about 135,XXX miles.
It runs very strong, smooth, and good. I'm not just saying this either, as I honestly feel I have lucked out. A 5 speed transmission is a must in this cars future though. First though is the h22's top end rebuild.
The 2nd gear has pretty much gone out on me. When shifting from park to reverse it "drops" in a bit, when going forward and shifting from 1st to 2nd it will rev HARD, like 6k hard, sit at it for about 10 seconds and then drop in hard, when you give it to much gas it will do the same thing, and then do the same thing again when you shift into third. Third and fourth do the little drop in thing as well.
The over rev of 2nd gear started happening about 6 months ago when I raced another car from downtown cr to the blairsferry exit which is about 10 miles, we did anywhere from 90-110 the whole way, I took the off ramp, slowed down for a light, went to take off and ended up in the current situation I thought it was just me being to rough on the car but I guess it's others as well.
I have started using the auto stick option to "skip" 2nd gear when driving, it's worked so far but I don't know how long it will last. I want to have it looked at but I don't have the money for it anyways so I haven't gone to a shop It's been a very sad fall and winter for me.
I know that I will have to have the tranny replaced, unfortunately this is a salvage title vehicle due to excessive body damage received after a theft in Chicago so the Honda dealer tells me the warranty is void.
Can anyone suggest where I can get the proper parts to fix everything?? Since it seems that the honda tranny is not a good one to use are there any aftermarket trannys out there that are of better quality??
I plan on doing the 5 speed conversion when I have ample funds to do so, but till then I'm fairly confident my transmission will hold up.
The cars engine was replaced with a JDM OBDI H22A4 motor with about 35-40k on it. But the transmission was the original.
The body's miles and transmissions miles are the same, right now at about 135,XXX miles.
It runs very strong, smooth, and good. I'm not just saying this either, as I honestly feel I have lucked out. A 5 speed transmission is a must in this cars future though. First though is the h22's top end rebuild.
Sounds like you definitely lucked out. If your tranny runs that smooth and may continue to I might be willing to take it off you when you do your conversion. What's the usual cost to do a auto to manual conversion?
I was hoping my transmission was the one that was going to prove the SS myth wrong, since it's been holding up so well this long and this many miles, but just this past Monday it finally gave out. Out of the blue too without any real indications...so you guys with a ok running SS tranny beware, it can go just like that. I was on the freeway going from one work facitily in Palo Alto to our main office in Sunnyvale when the rpms spiked from 3000 to about 5000 in a split second. The car didn't really jump or anything. I took my exit and came to a red light and no sounds or any evidence of it being blown, so the light turned green and I step on the gas and the engine really reved up before the tranny caught and the wheels spun out. The next light was only about 25 feet away which I caught red again...same thing happened. Instead of heading back to work I figured I better go home and see if it's low on fluid or something....but as I was driving home...it got worse. Really long story short...it literally crawled home with the engine reving about 4000 rpm and me going about 10 mph. Now when I turn the car on, the thing sound like if you dropped some spoons or forks in the garbage disposal and turned it on.
I had my mechanic take a look at it and he said a new one (not remanufactured) would be around $4700 ($700 core) and installation close to $1300, so that's a $6000 repair!!!
I belong to bayareaprelude and someone there said the 5 speed conversion runs about $2500 so I may go that route but I would really hate to spend my own hard earned money if Honda knows about this issue and is not stepping up to the plate to do something about it. IF ANYONE KNOWS A GOOD PLACE THAT DOES THE 5 SPEED SWAP IN THE SF/SJ BAY AREA, PLEASE CONTACT ME WITH THE INFORMATION!
Like many others here, I bought the car based on Honda's stellar quality reputation and didn't find out until after I bought it that it's week point was this SS transmission.
My question is whether or not I would have any luck filing a complaint to them as my car has from what I know the most miles on a orignal SS transmission?
Thanks for reading my rant....I am kind of pissed I'm having to go through this crap with my car!
I know this was written in 03, but it's 09 now and I have a 98SS with 132xxx and I haven't had any issues yet. I hope that I have enough money saved up for a conversion before something happens.
I am in the UK with a Japanese Import '97 SS 'Lude. She has only 60 000 miles on her but reading this thread has made me wonder if the transmission is gonna hold out much longer. Is it crazy to think that because it's a JDM car it's tranny wasn't built using the same cheap parts are the downfall of the American SS model? Is there anybody on this Forum who can confirm that they have a JDM car and had the SS Box go?
Last edited by JupiterJoe : 01-22-2009 at 09:43 AM.
I just bought my car a couple of weeks ago, and after I first got it, coming to a complete stop would jerk a little bit, but I was just low on tranny fluid. So after that has been filled up, it's been running fine... hope it lasts. The car has 112k on it.
So I'm in the market for a 2000 SS Auto with 60k miles. Reading this thread is making me just forget the Lude and move onto a 2007-8 TL-S. Money is a small issue but I like the Lude because of its unique two door look and the fact that I've always wanted one growing up but couldn't afford it.
I'm reading that 1 in 4 SS's will fail and others saying all will eventually fail. Who to believe? I'd wonder also if a synthetic tranny oil like Amsoil could help as its superior to the Honda ATF. It seems like a crapshoot.
I can honestly say that AMSOIL or other synthetic trans fluids are not going to make a huge difference.
The tranny problem dealt with inferior metal components in the needle bearings and the clutch discs.
Honda eventually solved this problem by lowering the stall speed on the transmissions and improving the parts. Of course, you only get the new parts and torque converter if it's been replaced.
If the prospective car has less than 100k on it, it should be under warranty. I don't recall there being a time limit to it.
BUT: You'd better not be boosting or anything like that, or they'll absolutely screw you.
FYI:
There are 4 basic things to check on the transmission when a problem occurs:
1) That the ICM in the distributor is not bad. This is what what reads the RPMs and reports them to the computer / TCM. If the RPMs are being read wrong, the transmission will shift like crap.
2) The the shift control solenoids are not messed up. If one of those fails then the fuild pathways don't get set correctly, causing the car to not shift properly.
3) Extremely dirty transmission fuild. NEVER use a flush machine. Simply buy 6 qts of Honda ATF, drain, add 3 quarts, drive around the block, drain, add 3 qts, and drive the car to check the symptoms.
1) That the ICM in the distributor is not bad. This is what what reads the RPMs and reports them to the computer / TCM. If the RPMs are being read wrong, the transmission will shift like crap.
HOW do u check this?? can this issue be resolved by changing cap and rotor.?
The ICM is the Ignition Control Module (or something like that).... it's a heavy duty circuit in the ignition (distributor) that amplifies the voltage to cause the spark to jump the gap. It also reads the number of times the cam is turning and from that determines the number of RPM's the that engine is spining.
This is the circuit your Prelude uses to report RPM's on the tachometer and control the shifting in the automatic transmission.
The cap and rotor have nothing to do with it. You actually need to disassemble to the distributor to get to it.
To the best of my knowledge, there is no way to check the ICM.
Common symptoms:
1) RPM's drop to zero while driving the car and then jump back to the proper number.
[What's really happening here is that the ignition stops working, but since the car is moving it starts right off where it was.]
2) Engine just stops.
[Literally. e.g. You are at stop light minding your own business, and the engine shuts off.]
...and the ECM (computer) NEVER reports an error or throws a MIL (code).
Since I don't have the prelude service manual, I can't tell you if there is a way to check it with a volt meter. ...but I doubt it.
Ok so I thought I was back in business after my $4800 repair bill. I did the tranny swap to a 5 speed, then had the entier top end rebuilt by a professional performance shop. They build drift cars for Formula D. The swap went well and I love it because I am worry free now. I had them put an Exeddy stage 1 clucth in it and it is perfect. The swap cost around $2500 with the tranny and all the parts to odo the install. I highly recomend that route or just buy a dang 5 speed car. Unfortunalty after smokin a couple of GT's and such the car became hard to start in the mornings and now after trial and error on numerous electrical parts I found out the #2 cyl wall is scortched badly! So look for that post next. I have a few questions regarding the bottom end rebuild. FYI I POSTED A COMPLAINT TO NHTSA. I SUGGEST EVERYONE DO SO PLEASE. My mother works at Honda Transmission and is aware of the numerous complaints and is currently retrieving info on this problem for us. It's not illegal to do a 5-speed swap if you own your car fyi.
I'm thinking of buying a 2k SS Lude with 60k miles on it. The dealer says the transmission has been rebuilt by them and offer a 12k/1yr warranty. Everything else on the car is perfect. I was gonna buy but now I'm not sure what to do. Should honda have replaced the tranny instead of doing a rebuild? Is a rebuilt with newer better parts tranny better than a new aftermarket version?
I'm thinking of buying a 2k SS Lude with 60k miles on it. The dealer says the transmission has been rebuilt by them and offer a 12k/1yr warranty. Everything else on the car is perfect. I was gonna buy but now I'm not sure what to do. Should honda have replaced the tranny instead of doing a rebuild? Is a rebuilt with newer better parts tranny better than a new aftermarket version?
Don't buy it. It will fail, and after 100K miles you will be SOL.
Don't buy it. It will fail, and after 100K miles you will be SOL.
Plus the SS stands for Super Slow.
I have another possible purchase and would like to get more information from the experts here.
There is a nice looking 2001 prelude in excellent condition. The seller said honda replaced his transmission even though the original did not have any problems. They did it right before the warranty expired when he took it in for regular maintenance as they told him there was a recall. The car has 65k miles and the tranny was replaced at 60k.
Now, I assume Honda used their own tranny but did they install a fixed version of the transmission with better internal parts or just one of the originals from the wharehouse, is there a way to tell (serial numbers etc)?
I appreciate any sincere feedback. I really enjoy the 5th gen look and just don't like sticks anymore since the college years.
does SS mean sport shifter?( sorry i'm a noob) but if so, my tranny is failing as well. idk for how long since i just purchased it in feb 09. but what do i do now? do i repair it? do i swap it for a manual? help.
does SS mean sport shifter?( sorry i'm a noob) but if so, my tranny is failing as well. idk for how long since i just purchased it in feb 09. but what do i do now? do i repair it? do i swap it for a manual? help.
If the car is an 99, 00, or 01 and has less that 100k on it, you take it to a Honda dealer and tell them to your transmission is messed up and should be covered under the extended warranty.
If they try to charge you, then you need to call Honda customer service and tell them that you've got a Honda Prelude with a known transmission issue... and that the dealer really isn't being helpful.
If you have any significant mods: Turbo, Super Charger, etc... you need to undo all of that before taking it to the dealer.
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I thought it was just me being to rough on the car but I guess it's others as well. 
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