1998 HONDA CIVIC EX W/ 55,000 MILES. VEHICLE BEGAN SHIFTING HARSHLY @ 53K. BROUGHT TO DEALERSHIP, REPORTED DTC P0730. DEALER RECOMMENDED REPLACING AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FOR OVER $4000. FOUND TSB 00-012 WHICH RECOMMENDED FLUSHING TRANSMISSION & REPLACING LINEAR SOLENOID. FOLLOWED TSB RECOMMENDATION. HELPED FOR 2 DAYS BUT PROBLEM RETURNED. TSB 00-012 SUGGESTED HONDA MIGHT OFFER GOODWILL CONSIDERATION FOR CARS OUT OF WARRANTY. I ASKED DEALER TO SPLIT THE COST WITH ME WHICH I HAVE HEARD HAS WORKED FOR SOME OTHER PEOPLE WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. THEY REFERRED ME TO CENTRALIZED HONDA CUST SRV WHICH DENIED MY REQUEST. MEANWHILE I HAVE FOUND THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION ON SEVERAL TRANSMISSION REBUILDER SITES REGARDING MY TRANSMISSION MODEL (B4RA): "COMMON COMPLAINTS IN THE A4RA, B4RA, AND M4RA TRANSMISSIONS ARE HARSH UPSHIFTS, DOWNSHIFTS AND FORWARD ENGAGEMENTS, WHILE REVERSE ENGAGEMENT IS FINE. THESE PROBLEMS CAN BE CAUSED BY A BROKEN CPC (CLUTCH PRESSURE CONTROL) VALVE SPRING. THE SPRING IS LOCATED IN THE SECONDARY VALVE BODY, AND NOT AVAILABLE FROM HONDA. SONNAX HAS DEVELOPED A REPLACEMENT SPRING 88894 THAT HAS A WIRE DIAMETER LARGER THAN THE OEM DESIGN. THIS SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCES THE STRESS ON THE SPRING, PREVENTING FUTURE BREAKAGE." TO ME, THIS SUGGESTS THAT THIS MODEL OF HONDA TRANSMISSIONS CONTAINS A FAULTY PART, RESULTING IN MUCH HIGHER THAN NORMAL TRANSMISSION FAILURES. I BELIEVE THAT HONDA SHOULD STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCTS & EXTEND THE WARRANTY FOR THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS AFFECTED BY THIS PROBLEM & NOT JUST PROVIDE RANDOM GOODWILL ASSISTANCE TO A SELECT FEW WHO COMPLAIN THE LOUDEST. HONDA'S DENIAL THAT THIS IS EVEN A PROBLEM (EVEN THOUGH THERE IS A TSB IDENTIFYING A HUGE GROUP OF POTENTIALLY AFFECTED CARS & TRANSMISSION REBUILDERS HAVE SEEN THE PROBLEM SO OFTEN THAT ANOTHER COMPANY HAS ACTUALLY SEEN FIT TO CREATE A BETTER REPLACEMENT PART) HAS TURNED ME FROM A VIRTUAL HONDA EVANGELIST TO A VERY DISSATISFIED CUSTOMER WHO WOULD BE HARD-PRESSED TO PURCHASE ANOTHER HONDA.*AK
1989
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER
THE MASTER CYLINDER , THE BRAKE SYSTEM AND THE HEAD GAKSET BLEW . TT