When transmission is shifted into gear the car does not move

2000 ACURA INTEGRA
150,000 MILES • 4 CYL • AUTOMATIC
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MVOIGT1991
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I just purchased this vehicle. When i test drove it, everything went good. The next day when i payed the rest of the car off I didn't even make it home and noticed something wrong. i was pushing the gas and the RPMs were revving but there was no power moving the car, it was as if the car was in neutral instead of drive. I made it home and started to look into common problems and tried driving the car later that day... I literally was not even getting a block down the road it was the same i was pushing the gas and the car was not moving. I tried switching through all the gears and the same issue still happened.. So eventually the car wasn't even wanting to leave the driveway . I've checked the fluid and it looks clean and is normal level. i'm not that great with cars so i'm not sure what to do next. Also i didn't mention yesterday a couple days after these problems my cousin had stopped by so i wanted to show what the car had been doing and to my surprise it drove fine again as if the problem i had the few times before that never even happened the transmission didn't slip not once. please help i don't want this issue to get worse i do love this car.
Apr 14, 2021 at 6:31 AM
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4DRTOM
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Hello,

That's pretty interesting it sounds to me like the fluid pressure must have gone done somehow after driving awhile. Usually that would be a low fluid condition, when you checked the level did you do it warm while running in park and it was full? If so, did you notice if the fluid was dark and blackish or was it a clear red color? You should check it again when the car is warmed up in park running on level ground just to make sure and smell it to see if it smells burnt. If all that seems fine then what may have happened is the pickup screen in the transmission pan might be getting clogged after a while of driving and restricting the flow of fluid throughout the system especially if the fluid looked dark and smells burnt. That being the case it would be time for a transmission fluid and filter/screen change. These guides may help us fix it

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-service-an-automatic-transmission

and

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/automatic-transmission-problems


Please run down these guides and report back. Tom
Apr 14, 2021 at 6:59 AM
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MVOIGT1991
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Thank you so much. I’m going to go ahead and check it again because I feel like I was getting kind of burnt smell but just to be sure I’m going to check the fluids again. I just purchased a vehicle so when it started driving the way it did I was afraid to really go very far especially with it losing power so suddenly. I know it could be unsafe to drive this way.
Apr 14, 2021 at 7:23 AM
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MVOIGT1991
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I really appreciate your response because every person that I have spoken with immediately says that I had to replace the transmission. they haven’t even heard the whole list of things that it’s doing . I don’t feel like it needs a transmission replacement if the vehicle is driving fine not sleeping or anything at all and then all of a sudden it starts to just not move.
Apr 14, 2021 at 7:24 AM
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4DRTOM
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Hello,

Yes, the fact that it was fine then only after a while it started to slip or not engage properly. Seems to me that it's clogging up the screen after a while of driving. When they go bad for real they don't come back like you described when your person came by and it was fine after not being fine. Getting a service kit for it and changing the screen and fluid might be all it needs.
Tom
Apr 14, 2021 at 7:41 AM