Just picked up my first Acura, few Q's

ericw.

New Member
So i've been in the lifted toyota/off road scene for the last 3 years but last year I moved to San Francisco and finally decided i needed something a little more fuel efficient than my lifted armored 4runner.

Ended up with this 1999 Acura Integra LS which i'm beginning to really like but I do have a few questions about it.



Since I've never driven an Acura before this, I was curious about it's shifting habits. The car is an automatic and when accelerating it seems to jump a bit when it shifts gears. Almost like a slight clutch pop, It's not enough to really cause any annoyance, I'm just curious if this is normal or is my transmission on it's way out?

As far as modifications go, I will probably keep the engine stock for reliability but I am considering a body kit down the road and would like some suggestions mostly on front bumpers (mine has a dent in it). I really don't have any clue on where to shop for these to get the best prices so all help is appreciated.

Within the next week or two I will be tinting the back 3 windows black and installing an alarm with a new sound system and a single 12" rockford fosgate P3.

Looking forward to getting to know everyone while i learn about this new car of mine. :)
 

jznsn2u

Active Member
Welcome to Club Integra. I never drove an automatic teg so I don't know the standard for how it should be, sorry bro. Btw please don't get a body kit. If anything, you should get your alarm settled first before you start your modifications. If you want to modify the exterior look of your car, look into getting a lip and maybe some amber turning signal lights. Others will pitch in their opinions.
 

DAmonzt3r

db1 is love
me likey welcome to the club bro and its a good idea to get an alarm:thumbs up and body kit its not really my thing but its ur car oh if the tranny is doing that then yeah it might be going whats the milleage on ur car ?????
 

ericw.

New Member
Well the body kit idea was more for a front bumper replacement. Figured for the price of a front bumper i might as well get an aftermarket one and maybe consider a complete kit but I really haven't seen any complete kits i like. My current bumper has a decent sized dent in it and i don't believe a lip will fix that.

The alarm will be installed at the same time as my system and window tinting (next week or the week after). I plan to buy it all at once to hopefully get a better deal and maybe talk them into free installation on some of the stuff. ;)

edit:
just under 180k on the speedo. I wish i knew someone else in my area with a similar acura i could ride in. It just kind of shifts a little rough. How much should a tranny rebuild cost me on this car?
 


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DAmonzt3r

db1 is love
ericw. said:
Well the body kit idea was more for a front bumper replacement. Figured for the price of a front bumper i might as well get an aftermarket one and maybe consider a complete kit but I really haven't seen any complete kits i like. My current bumper has a decent sized dent in it and i don't believe a lip will fix that.

The alarm will be installed at the same time as my system and window tinting (next week or the week after). I plan to buy it all at once to hopefully get a better deal and maybe talk them into free installation on some of the stuff. ;)

edit:
just under 180k on the speedo. I wish i knew someone else in my area with a similar acura i could ride in.
Click to expand...
well check ur fluid that can cause that slipping
 

ericw.

New Member
ahem, i feel like a complete idiot asking this but I couldn't find tranny fluid on the engine or even a dip stick for it. The previous owner couldn't tell me anything other than when he had a problem or needed service he took it to a mechanic.
 

ericw.

New Member
Went out with a flash light and found my transmission fluid dip stick.. kind of in an odd place and hard to get to. fluid smelt a little crispy and now i'm worried. I think i'll take the car over to a shop tomorrow and have it checked out while i'm still within the 3 day lemon law. ;)

as far as i can tell you fill your transmission fluid through the dip stick hole, right?
 

DAmonzt3r

db1 is love
ericw. said:
Went out with a flash light and found my transmission fluid dip stick.. kind of in an odd place and hard to get to. fluid smelt a little crispy and now i'm worried. I think i'll take the car over to a shop tomorrow and have it checked out while i'm still within the 3 day lemon law. ;)

as far as i can tell you fill your transmission fluid through the dip stick hole, right?
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yeah just make sure u check the level when the car is on and good luck :lol:
 

Prozon

Kris
Welcome to Club Integra!

If it's jumping when shifting you shouldn't be so worried. If anything I'd say something along the lines of a sensor. Vehicle speed sensor? Who knows. I'm not a real big transmission guy.. especially automatics lol. If it was actually slipping between gears, revving before the next gear, it could indicate worn clutch plates in the transmission. It probably wouldn't hurt to get the fluid flushed out and filter changed. But try topping off the fluid level first.

As for the body kit, GO FOR IT! Although you probably won't get a lot of support around here on that. I don't know why but the majority of people on here say "Don't go body kit, get a lip kit." Personally I wouldn't pay a dime for a lip kit. That's just ridiculous lol.

Anyways, the car looks good. You'll love it here, and learn a lot.
 

ericw.

New Member
Thanks everyone for the welcomes. :) Seems like a nice crowd.

Prozon said:
Welcome to Club Integra!

If it's jumping when shifting you shouldn't be so worried. If anything I'd say something along the lines of a sensor. Vehicle speed sensor? Who knows. I'm not a real big transmission guy.. especially automatics lol. If it was actually slipping between gears, revving before the next gear, it could indicate worn clutch plates in the transmission. It probably wouldn't hurt to get the fluid flushed out and filter changed. But try topping off the fluid level first.

As for the body kit, GO FOR IT! Although you probably won't get a lot of support around here on that. I don't know why but the majority of people on here say "Don't go body kit, get a lip kit." Personally I wouldn't pay a dime for a lip kit. That's just ridiculous lol.

Anyways, the car looks good. You'll love it here, and learn a lot.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info. I actually couldn't tell you if it's revving between gears but i'm going to listen for it now.

As far as I can tell the fluid looks to be clean but I plan to take it to a shop soon to get the smog done. Before I do that I'll have the mechanic check it over and see what he thinks about the jumping.

I did notice that once it heated up the car doesn't seem to do it as bad.
 

ericw.

New Member
Spoke to a guy about buying a new transmission to swap in and when I explained my problem he said that's normal with acura automatic transmissions. He suggested that if it's becoming an annoyance to just flush the transmission and make sure to use honda ATF to help keep it smooth.

So I guess i'll just drive it as it is and flush the transmission when i can. If the tranny goes i guess i'll just deal with it when the time comes.

Thought i'd post my findings here for future searchers. I'll update if anything changes.

here's a picture of my 4runner, for the hell of it. :D
 
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