You have a code for a mainshaft speed sensor, so I would start doing some electrical tests on that sensor. First check the electrical connector to see if there is any damage corrosion, etc...

 

does anyone else have any help to offer please?

 

Did the codes return when the transmission started shifting poorly?

I think that you have some options.

1. Do some tests on your mainshaft speed sensor. If something tests wrong, replace it. I may replace it anyway if the D4 code 15 came back.

2. Replace the PCM (ECU and TCU combined).

3. Drain and refill the transmission fluid.

I think that a junkyard would be a good source for parts. You need a PCM from a 96/97 LX, DX, or SE that has an automatic transmission.

 

Do you think that a PCM could possibly fix this problem? I have very limited funds to work with right now and need to decide to possibly waste money trying to get this trans working again (if it has any decent chance at working I would def put the money into the Honda) or using my money to get my truck running correctly so as we have one good running car for the time being.

What are your thoughts and thank you so very much for your help, seriously thank you.

 

Transmissions are not my forte.

It all depends on what you want to spend to try to fix it. I don't know what you are willing to spend on the car to try to fix it. For junkyard parts, check out car-part.com and sort by distance from your town or sort by price to see if you can find a cheap part locally.

If you went to a you-pull-it type junkyard and pulled the mainshaft speed sensor, it would cost less than $25. That is why I asked if the code 15 returned. It would be the next logical place to try. FYI, the D4 light will not blink when the engine is running for a code 15. Other transmission codes will cause the D4 light to blink.

As for the PCM, the you-pull-it place would be another option. I don't know what they charge for PCMs. I would call and ask before wasting a trip out there.

I hate suggesting throwing parts at the car, because they might not fix the real problem. The problem could be something internally with transmission and I am not sure how you test that.

It all depends on what you want to spend attempting to fix this.

 

I sold my Turkey gun today to get some money together.
Tomorrow I am off to look at a 95 Accord that was wrecked and has a 5 speed in it.
The motor has been pulled out and sold off already.
if everything else for the 5 speed is still there (seller says it is but there is a bit of a language barrier)
He wants $300 for the car, it will cost me about $100 to get it towed to my home.
I figure once I pull everything out that I need I can scrap the car for around $300

I know I will need to source another flywheel as I am sure that was sold with the motor and I am hoping that the starter is still there.

I know it is going to be a lot of work to swap my auto to a 5 speed but I think it should be worth it as I have read about tons of problems with the Auto trans but very little about the 5 speeds. I really just want a long term reliable cheap to operate car.

 

The 5-speeds are pretty reliable. The 94-97 automatic transmissions were pretty solid too.

Doing a transmission swap will be a lot of work.

The 95 accord is an obd1 vehicle while your 97 is obd2. There could be some problems with the wiring to the new ECU. Your PCM has a different electrical connector than the OBD1 ECU on the 95 accord.

Another item to consider is that some states require the obd2 connector to work on all US vehicles that are 96 and older. Using the 95 ECU will prevent that from happening.

I would search around to see if a faulty mainshaft speed sensor can cause the transmission to run like yours is running right now. Or if a faulty pcm can cause this problem.

 

I have been doing some research on the 5 speed swap.

My ECU will work just fine. All that is needed to be done is leave the gear selector switch hooked up so the car thinks it is in park. This will prevent the TCU from throwing any codes and allows the key to be removed from the ignition as well. It is quite a simple solution.

The VSS is the same on both trans.

 

I have put a fork in my trans. it is dead.

The converter has failed, I am sure of it.

Since I bought the car I always have noticed a problem. When using cruise control set at any speed, the RPMs always fluctuated by 500-700 RPMs with no change in speed. it did it constantly even on perfectly flat roads.

Since it did it from day 1 I just chalked it up as a quirk that I could not figure out. I now think that was a good sine of the pump not being able to hold a steady pressure.