Have your transmission fluid drained. No automatic transmission is going to be as smooth as butter shifting under full throttle load. It goes from full torque/hp to literally none between shifts. It can't slip the clutch like a manual can.

 

My 94 isn't really jerky, like someone said before it "slides" into second hear. It kinda feels like the whole car is going in slowmo and throws you forward a little bit. But in my moms new cr-v (same engine as I4 accords) you can barely feel the shift at all. Its called improvement, which generally happens over the years when technology gets better.

 

I just bought a 90 accord lx automatic last month, and i was worried about my transmission because it was jumpy. It throws you forward when it shifts from 1st to 2nd and a little bit from 2nd to 3rd. When i accellerate faster it doesnt seem to be as bad. I'm going to pick up some Honda ATF sometime this week and see if there is any difference. I am not sure what is in there now. The color looks very red, and it doesnt smell burnt. I've got tons of questions about my accord but im gonna read the forums first.

My other car was an 89 cadillac deville and it shifts smooth as hell. It was a big change from a v8 4.5l to a 4cyl 2.2l. I love the gas mileage from the honda but i miss the space from the caddy.

The transmission kindve worried me at first, but after reading this and talking to a mechanic i think i'm gonna sleep better at night.

:naughty:

 

the fluid is supposed to be red....mine was somewhat of a dark red when i changed it...it should look something like cranberry juice(JUST DONT DRINK IT!). So it looks like u have good fluid in there. I guess i got used to my tranny, i dont notice the shifts like others are talking about..

Dave

 

Yes, seems like accord is extremely rough when shifting, I have never had experience like this with the cars I had. It is normal as I was told by dealers and independent mechanics.

Maybe you just chose the wrong car... Mine is a 96 EX and it shifts extremely harsh from 1st to 2nd and better each gear up. My car also shows very bad vibrations especially when idle. These sympton should be over looked when considering the price of the car. That's what I was told my the dealer. Accords are extremely cheap and you get what you pay for. Good thing that accord is not the first Japanese I have ever driven, otherwise I would have discounted all Japanese cars. My first Japanese car ever is a 2002 Lexus GS300, although it is not very smooth, it is still much smoother than the accord and doesn't have the problems described above. My other cars had been Chevy Cavalier (first car in high school still considered pretty nice in my memory), Bmw 318, Volvo 850 turbo, Audi A4 (stick). I have never had rough shifting and idle problems. Trust me, Accord is not my choice and I have to live with it cause my wife was driving it before we got married...and now it is forced into the family due to the marriage. We have fights all the time because how bad the Accrod is.

You do have alternatives, I am getting ready to dump the Accord as soon as my wife graduates. Actually I would go for another GS300 or A4 avant... Just my 2c

 

Accords are cheap? Maybe you should look at what year car you have again...a 1996. Thats right a car that is 7-8 years old already. I have a 5th gen too and while it shifts a little harsh i can live with that considering my friends' rides (aka pieces of shit) are falling apart, while my accord has had no problems for the 2 years that ive owned it (94 lx). Have you ever test driven the new 7th gen accords or even any other newer honda auto? My mom's 03 CRV has the same engine and tranny practically as the newer accord and it shifts DAMN smooth. Before you say accords are cheap maybe you should look at the big picture and not pick it apart.

 

I can say that again and repeat as many times as it would be clear to you, Accords are cheap; even the 03. I was very disappointed comparing 03 Accord to the cars I have driven...

For a sub $30k car it is a great value, but non-the-less cheap. I also think that my Lexus interior material is only soso when compare to that of my old Audi...although I did pay $12K more for the Lexus

Think about it, what's Accord's target audience compare to that of Acura?

I was just trying to point out that the guy might be comparing apples and bananas like the mistake I made... Accord just can't and shouldn't be compared to a luxury car. If those attributes are what he is looking for, he should look for a luxury brand. Likewise I have determined that I am not a Honda man, I look elsewhere. For the time being, I keep our accord as a spare car for raining/snowing days (front drive is better in bad weather).

 

Every single Honda product I have driven or owned (I have a 99 Accord EX V-6 coupe, had a 94 EX Coupe before this, and my father owns a 97 Special Edition sedan) have exhibited this terrible shifting problem----only my current 99 V-6 coupe does the "jerky shifting" a lot more smoothly; but my 94 EX or my dad's Special Edition? DAAAAAAAMN....those cars vibrated, shook, jerked, hesitated....everything you can imagine a bad 4 banger doing, they did...while I have since sold my 94 for this 99, my dad still has his 97 out in Las Vegas; last time I was out there and borrowed the car, it still drove the way it did when they were living back here in New York...the car gets "stuck" in gears when accelerating, and she jerks HORRIBLY (to the point you can see passenger's heads moving back and forth, like someone said)...the power is another problem, completely; if you have the A/C running in my dad's car, this thing wont merge into traffic on a highway---it goes nowhere. The engine is buzzy, noisy, and the road noise eats up the stereo and any conversation you want to have....the Special Edition's 15 inch tires look like donuts. But I totally agree that Hondas have these "jerking" characteristics in their engines---notably the four bangers---I can attest to this. And what is this horse feces about people "paying" to have their tranmissions shift like this? People, dont listen to this crap---engines and trannys should not behave like this, at all...its annoying and tiresome after driving from stoplight to stoplight like this, believe me.