After some intense research over the last year and based in no small part to my own experience with my 1998 SS Prelude, I've come up with some pretty interesting data SS Prelude owners should pay attention too.

I've read the horror stories of SS Automatic Prelude transmissions failing, I've also read the insistant ramblings of many warning any and all away from the SS Lude, so I wanted to know the truth.

Truth: Many, Many SS Lude tranny's failed and were dealer replaced...
Question: What about the one's that didn't fail/haven't failed?

An instant thought came to mind when reading about failing SS transmissions,
Did they change the transmission fluid according the Honda Recommendations?

Truth: Majority of people contacted with failed SS transmissions never had the fluid changed...at all...even at 70k...80k..90k..

I researched some more, came upon another forum with SS lude owners...

THE CONSENSUS:
97-01 Honda Prelude SS Automatic transmissions MUST have their A/T changed about every 15k-20k miles...

REASON:
The transmissions were built with such tight tolerances, and weren't given an adequate cooling system. In short, the transmission bakes the fluid.

Now we could go into arguments about how this shouldnt happen in any car, and how Honda should've designed it better. Just remember this car was the test bed for many future technologies...Sports Shift was one of the main ones...

My Experience:
My SS Lude currently has 153k miles on the original transmission, no rebuilds, just fluid change every 15k miles..

I know it's time to change because as I near 13k miles the tranny starts holding out in gears, shifts harshly, fluid loses red coloring, turns brownish, smells old. As soon as I've changed it a couple times, transmission shifts smooth as new.

New Approach:
50/50 Honda ATF/Mobile 1 Full synthetic ATF
It's been about 1k miles since I did a 50/50 mix of Honda ATF/Mobile 1 ATF, and I've noticed a drastic improvement, infact I dont know if it's ever shfted so nicely. Many others have done the same, and have recorded that the Mobile ATF drops tranny temps signifigantly...And should signifigantly extend fluid life/tranmission life.

WARNING: DO NOT USE STRAIGHT FULL SYNTHETIC ATF, IT LACKS HONDAS SPECIAL SEAL CONDITIONERS AND WILL VERY POSSIBLE HURT TRANNY. BY USING A 50/50 MIX THIS PROBLEM IS ELIMINATED(AS RECORDED BY COUNTLESS USERS ON OTHER SITES)

Sorry, such a long read, just wanted to share my research/experience.

 

Just got mine changed. I'm at 99K. It was done before by the previous owner at 30K and 83K. I am planning on changing it every 15K now that I'm about to break 100K. BTW, the trans shifts so smooth now. It's great.

 

Keep it up, plenty of miles ahead

Note to Others: Please feel free to reply

 

Nice post, I got 106,000 on the original auto tranny, and im due to change it next service. I get it changed every 15000 like you said, and it does make a pretty big difference. All you have to do is take care of your car and it will take care of you. Id rather spend fifty bucks to get my fluid changed every 15000 miles than pay 3000 for a new tranny, thats just me though.

 

So vassil what if i just use only the honda ATF? And do you use the fill and drain method? I am going to buy a 2001 prelude with the ss transmission its at around 70k miles what should i do when i look at it check the tranmission fuild? If i get it what then, if it craps out would honda replace the transmission for me because it under 100K.....Its a nice car i want to get it but this transmission deal is making my head bounce.

 

Drain and fill ONLY! You probably already know but, the way honda trannies are designed flushing will have serious consequences...So yes drain and fill. As far as the fluid goes, from what I've seen now, just using Honda ATF is perfectly fine, you just may have to change it more often than say one with the 50/50 mix.

I recommend after you get it, drain and fill 3 times. So what I'm saying is,
1. Buy 9 quarts of Honda ATF

2. Drain and fill(typically only about 2.5qts)(Clean off the magnetic drain plug, if someone hasnt changed the fluid in awhile it will probably have signifigant build up)

3. Drive it around for atleast 20 mins

4. Drain and fill(typically only about 2.5qts)(Clean off the magnetic drain plug, if someone hasnt changed the fluid in awhile it will probably have

5. Drive it around for atleast 20 mins

6. Drain and fill(typically only about 2.5qts)(Clean off the magnetic drain plug, if someone hasnt changed the fluid in awhile it will probably have


I recommend you drive it aorund for 20 mins after each change so that each time you change it cleans the tranny out a bit (especially the build up on the drain plug, as I said if someone hasnt changed it recently there will be signifigant build up, and it can only hold so much, so this step cleans the tranny out).
Plus it helps ensure you're using almost nothing but nice clean ATF because you're getting it nice and hot before each change, ensuring that dirty particles will flow out with the old fluid.


Finally, in my opinion you should have to issue with the 5th Gen SS tranny going out if you folloowing the basic change intervals I listed above in my original post. Just try to keep it changed every 10-15k miles(typically just one 2.5qt change every 10-15k miles.)
The transmission will let you know when the fluid is getting old, gears will hold out, shifts will get harder..ect...Just make sure you change it...Long live the Lude h:

PS. The only reason these trannies died, in my, and man others opinions, is because people ran these trannies to the bone, never changed the tranny fluid, and once the fluid wears down, it becomes less a lubricant and causes the clutch plates to stick together more(kind of eating each other). I recently bought a 2001 Electron Blue SS lude with 60k miles on it...low and behold the previous owner complained of hard shifts and consequently I got a better deal...The fluid was baked! It was nasty, so I changed it several times...it's now smooth as butter.

Bottom line, this is a very precisely built transmission that failed because of user error, if they had followed even the basic owners manual maintenance log...they probably would have been fine..

Buy it, enjoy it!

 

http://www.hstuners.com/forums/showt...&threadid=7919

You'd have to call a Honda dealership with the VIN for the lude to make sure it falls under the extended warranty.

 

while on the topic of SS 5th gen ludes, what are the signs of your tranny starting to fail?

 

I think one of the main signs is the vehicle not wanting to go in reverse very often, or making and insanely loud banging noise when going into reverse...A clicking noise going into reverse is normal, and can sometimes be loud, but a loud BANG is bad. If you're experiencing shifting hold-out(revs climbing and harder shifts) you most likely just need a tranny fluid change, I've felt these SS trannys shift like they were gonna throw you out the windshield before, but after a couple fluid changes, smooth as butter(just my experience).

 

So basically i search around and Vassil i gotta say you make sense 99.9999% of the problems where caused by overheating Transmissions and well as you said before poor mantinece. Yeah, i guess this people arent changing their fuilds. Well i'm going to take a look at a Silver one Friday, if it drives nice i'm gonna buy it and i will be posting bullitens in the PRelude Forums instead of in the accord forum.
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