Hello all,

I have posted on this car before. Here is the breakdown. It's a 92 Accord LX AT coupe with 270,000 miles I bought for $500. I have replaced the water pump, timing belt, starter, windshild and installed aCat back exaust system. Yesterday I replaced the entire front suspention except the strut itself as it was fine with just new bushings. This is all great.
On my way home with my new suspension. My transmission just let go. I started to loose speed and pulled off the road. After stopping 1st gear engaged fine again. So, I pulled back onto the road to head down to the next gas station and it barely pulled into second gear before I stoppedata red light. At green, it would not engage at allfor 10 seconds then sluggishly pulled thrue as the light changed.
I checked the fluid and it's on the top edge of the marker so all full.
Back on the road a mile or so and third drops out unless I feather it in with the gas pedel, But I make it home.
An hour later I decide to go buy some food. Minor slippage at shift but all gears are there.
This morning I check the fluid lvl cold, It's right at the bottom lvl marker now but in tolerance. So down the road I go.
First few miles (5ish) everything is fine. Then I stop at a light before getting onto the on-ramp. Light turns green and 1st is OK. Second lags a bit third won't engage at all. I take the ramp deversion back onto city streets. Car will only engage third now if no acceleration is attempted. I make it to work on back roads and careful acceleration. After hours of having it inside the shop (snowing/slushing outside) I search over the tranny with a flash light for a loose cable or hose to no avail. I ask the mechanic next door and he is stumped. The 1,2,D3 and D4 lights arenormal,and as I read on a similar question (on about pg 29) there is a lot of contradicting information on these trannies. However after resetting some connectors hoping for an easy fix. I test drove it, and it drove fine again. I finish my work day thinking the electrical issue may be resolvedbut half way home back to the worst slippage. This time however if I try to downshift it will completely dis-engage. If I stop, put it in park andshut off the car. Then re-start and drop to 1 it grabs and goes.Second will engage in 2. But move toD3 and it's dropped again. Back to high revs and little to no engagement until I stop shut if off restart and drop to 1.
Please help, I need to get to work. (lol) I just spent $500 on the car that took months to save up, and this seams to look electronic in some way. However Like I said the D4 does not flash or stay on. The car shows no engine light or tranny issue lights. It always ran and shifted great with the acception of the occasional hard shift from second to third when under acceleration.
Thanks for any help I really had a bad day.

 

if i remember correctly, my mechanic said something similar about those...actually kinda have the same problem("transmision shifting problem")..he said that its probably the TCM(transmission control module) ive read some about those TCM's of honda accords and ive read that there were alot of accords that have cheaply made resistors/or the chip itself...you might need to replace your TCM....

let me know if this helps...

 

This was my first thought as I had read that the TCM under the passenger seat would go bad. However I believe the D4 light stays on in this instance. Is that not true?

 

have a shop chk the transmission fluid pressures ,, that will tell you where the problem is ,,

i hate to say it ,but it sounds like internal mechanical issue ( worn clutches ) ??

 

From what I understand and have experienced(Not much with automatic transmissions) isthe clutches are between the transmission plates. These like most clutches tend to show signs of minor slip-age just like a regular manual would long before the complete loss of engagement. This being the case would I have not felt this coming on at least a little. Like I said this car engaged all gears strong and mostly smooth until crusing along down a minor hill. This came on suddenly and under low stress conditions. I should also add that I have read of people having similar issues on this forum (through pg 37-ish now) having the single gear and D3,D4slip repaired through TCM replacement, as well as the speed sensor fooling the TCM, One said the shift position sensor solved the issue. These are all covered in the first post, as in TCM lightDOES come on when you turn on egnition but don't start it, otherwise itstays off unless in that gear position which covers the position sensor. I still don't know if or how the speed sensor could cause this. Butwith hopes someone has had a similar experience. (I fear the re-build.) I've asked 10 sources and recieved 8 answers so far and none quite fit yet. I am trying to be detailed in what I've experienced so far. Because once I spend the money be it ondiagnostic or repair, I will then be broke. I plan to see about finding a used TCM localyin a totaled Accord in the morning($15-20), If this repairs the issue I will buy a quality TCM with waranteeASAP. I was also told the filter screen was likely clogged explaining the better shifting when cold, and before the fluid got warm and particles were picked back up in the flow. I hope this is not the case as it would still be spendy.

 

The '90 and '91 Accords had far more problems with the TCM than the '92 and '93. They were different (remember the sport button on the side of the gear shift in the '90 & '91 = completely different TCM part number and manufacturer for Honda) Anyway, if you do have a problem with theTCM. you are correct, in that the D4 light would stay on solid. Just to make sure though, you can simply dis-connect the negative battery terminal for about a minute and then hook back up. This will clear the TCM temporarily (sort of like when you reboot your PC at home).

HOWEVER....Below is most likely the issue.

With over 250,000 miles on the transmission, you most likely have forward clutch material that has flaked off and is in the bottom of the case. As you drive your Accord, the fluid (which is going thru a very fine mesh screen), picks up the clutch particles suspended in the fluid and these particles will accumulate on the screen until the fluid cannot pass thru it going to the pump. When you turn the car off, some of this material, which is obstructing the fluid to the pump, will fall back to the case bottom. So, after the Accord has sat parked with the engine off for awhile, the transmission will operate somewhat normally for the first few minutes (until enough clutch material clogs the fluid flow again).

There is no quick fix if this is the problem. Thisrepair will require new forward clutches, a pick-up screen, and a torque converter.

Ed Brian
Accurate Automotive, Inc.
www.accuratecars.com

 

This is my biggest fear but seams quite likely to me as well hondaed. I am going to give the used junk yardTCM a shot today as the D4 light does come on just before start up and I've been told it shouldn't. However I fear this is not the issue. I do not have the moneyto rebuild because of the new suspension I just installed. Thus pray my TCM is fouled.