did inspection station screw up my transmission?

[mazzgolf]

Get a load of this story.

Took my one car to the mechanics - kid is going to college in a few weeks, so going to have mechanic do a safety check and change the oil. Me and wife drive up in separate cars -- she's in our Honda Civic - so she can drive me home after dropping the car off. We are driving home in the Civic - now, this is a 2001 (yes, 2001) Civic with about 180,000 miles on it. I tell her, "I can't believe this car still drives as nice as it does." And we talk about how we are keeping this car until it dies.

A couple hours later, she has to take that Civic to the NJ inspection station since its due this month. She goes through inspection fine.

Soon after (an hour?), she calls me up, "You need to come get me, the Civic just died."

WHAT!? 

Something is wrong with the transmission - press the accelerator, and the engine revs but it can't get into gear. Turn the car off, let it sit for a minute, turn it back on, and it can get into drive, but it can't go fast. After a little while, gets out of gear and feels like its in neutral again.  Shut down the car, rinse, repeat, until we manage to get the car home.

A) What's the most likely problem? Computer? Or something with transmission? (belt??)

B ) Is it a coincidence it happened soon after getting inspected?? I can't believe they could be so inept that they managed to screw up my transmission while getting inspected with what little they inspect now-a-days - I don't even think they do the tailpipe/emissions testing anymore (do they?)

I'll probably just scrap this car - only worth 400 or so when its actually driveable - right now its probably totaled and I don't  plan on putting more money in it. Just kills me how just this morning I was saying how good this car has been and that we're keeping it until it dies, and then a few hours later, *poof* it happens.

[Woodsman416]

Your trans is shot. It has nothing to do with inspection. With 180K on it, scrap it.

[optowalt]

Get it diagnosed.  It sounds like it's in limp mode. The computer got a message to go slow to avoid more damage. It could be simple or blown but without a good diagnosis, you don't know. 

[Tarhunt]

Probably the torque converter if it's an auto. Hard to say what happened. I was at the 8nspection station last week with my wife's car and they jacked up front to check the bearings. I didn't think that it is jacked properly but, it passed. Who knows? 

[Mr12gauge]

see how much fluid is in the trans, sounds like its really low.

[vdep217]

Disconnect battery for 20 minutes let the computer reset it self.  Than try it..

[Bucndoe]

Murphy's Law got you. You hexed yourself by talking about just before it happened. That Murphy is a real douchebag

[Tuck]

No way you scrap a honda with only 180000 miles.  My 2006 has 365000 and going strong (i bought it for 500 with 260000 on it).  Certainly worth finding out what is wrong before making a decision.  Just my 2 cents

[Tarhunt]

3 minutes ago, Tuck said:

No way you scrap a honda with only 180000 miles.  My 2006 has 365000 and going strong (i bought it for 500 with 260000 on it).  Certainly worth finding out what is wrong before making a decision.  Just my 2 cents

Yep. I currently have one at 77,000 miles, one at 121,000 miles and one at 220,000 miles. They are great cars.

[mazzgolf]

I disconnected the battery for a half hour and reconnected... that should hopefully take it off that limp mode for the 15 or 20 minutes it will take me to drive over to my mechanics place tonight (going tonight so I don't hold up any traffic if I get stuck going 5mph again :)). He told me I can bring it over for him just to look at tomorrow. I'll see what's wrong before deciding what to do.

[gobblergetter]

30 minutes ago, mazzgolf said:

I disconnected the battery for a half hour and reconnected... that should hopefully take it off that limp mode for the 15 or 20 minutes it will take me to drive over to my mechanics place tonight (going tonight so I don't hold up any traffic if I get stuck going 5mph again :)). He told me I can bring it over for him just to look at tomorrow. I'll see what's wrong before deciding what to do.

Good luck

[JerseyJaysTaxidermy]

I took a truck there once and they put my pass sticker on and I had to push it out of the building lol. Battery died- I'm like geeze couldnt ya keep it running for me lol.

http://www.jerseyjaystaxidermy.com

[Batsto]

Good luck! It's time for sicker shock. 

[ratherbhunting]

see what your mechanic has to say, if you want give Lucas Trans fix a try in it, ( I have never tried it, but I know people that swear by it) 

 

[Tuck]

I would be interested what the mechanic says.  If you are original owner and have taken care of it, it might be worth it to fix.  Good luck and be safe.