Heres my case, I have a 92 lude with 160 k miles on it and my 3rd gear use to grind every shift until one time it stopped going into 3rd i have been driving it around like this for almost 6 months. I feel like my car is not worth having anymore and i hate to drive it now. So once ur tranny gives u problems FIND a way to fix it as fast as possible cuz if ur like me ($broke every day of the week$) u will be driving around with one of the most annoying problems u can have.

Also when i changed my oil i looked on the tranny housing and noticed 96k written on it with yellow paint like it was rebuilt or a used one.

 

You should always watch your tranny and clutch. The clutch is the first to slip and help the grinding problems into gears. Which will soon kill your tranny.

I went through two trannies in my last 94 civic...(Racing)

But your totaly right. DON"T WAIT TO LONG....Or you'll be sorry and sitting on the side of the road waiting for a tow.