Hello everyone, and thank you in advance for any and all help.

I am buying a used 98 Accord for my son. The car seems to be in great condition, but there are a few diagnostic codes I'm trying to work with to make sure it's a good car for him. I got all of these codes by jumpering pins 5 and 16 on my OBD-II plug, and then counting the flashes. I also went to Autozone and had them read the code, for verification.

CEL code: 70

D4 code: 16

OBD-II code: P1768

So these actually seem to both be codes for the same issue. My problem is actually in nomenclature. The CEL code 70 and the OBD-II code both point to a "A/T CLUTCH PRESSURE CONTROL SOLENOID VALVE " A"", but the D4 code seems to point toward a "linear solenoid".

Also, when I read through the FSM, it refers to a linear solenoid, but not the other one. Also, on this parts list: Honda Automotive Parts , it refers to a linear solenoid as well, but also makes no mention of the other one.

So are these the same thing? Am I overthinking this?

Also, occasionally I see mention of a "lock-up" solenoid, and on the Autozone printout one of the definitions of the code P1768 is "Lock up clutch does not engage-stuck in 4th gear. Probable cause..."

I've seen the lock up solenoid as a separate part number, so there's more confusion.

Could someone please straighten out my thinking?

Also, for clarification. The first time I drove this car it ran great, shifted great, no issues, no transmission codes. Then I stopped the car and jumpered the OBD-II to find out what the CEL code was and the ABS code was. The first time I jumpered it it did pins 8 to 12. That obviously didn't work, corrected myself, and jumpered 5 to 16. Got my codes. Then when I started the car back up to drive it again I had the D4 flashing light and a new CEL code (the first CEL code was from a poorly tightened gas cap).

So did I screw something up by jumpering the OBD-II wrong? I went through and checked all of the fuses and none were blown. The car had been sitting for a while before he decided to sell it, so could it just be coincidence? That the solenoid just happened to go out right then as I was checking the codes? Or does Occams Razor apply, and the simplest explanation of me screwing something up applies?

Thanks again!

 

Welcome to the HAF site. We need to know if it is a V6 or 4 cylinder. Additionally, I recommend you clear the codes. You should have a two pin service connector under the glove box. Jumper that connector and remove the 7.5 amp backup/spare fuse in the under hood fuse panel for at least ten seconds and you should be able to clear the codes, or see if autozone will let you clear them as most places will. Drive the car through a couple of drive cycles and see what comes back.

 

I'm sorry, its a 4 cylinder, 2.3 vtec. The two pin service connector you mentioned, is that the blue one? I asked because I saw mention of it in another post and even watched a couple youtube videos that featured it. Problem is, I can't find the damn thing. We'll actually be taking posession of the car at about 1pm today, so I can get deeper into it then, but I spent an hour in that lot yesterday looking for it with no joy. I couldn't find a backup fuse either, so really didn't have any luck resetting any codes. Thought about disconnecting the negative terminal, but the card with the radio code is nowhere to be found, of course.

 

So we took possession of the car today and brought it home. Finally found the back up fuse and pulled it, but I searched all over the passenger side for the service connector and never could find it. Then discovered that the radio already needed the code, so my barrier to pulling the negative terminal was gone and I did that. Left it unhooked for like ten minutes, hooked it back up, jumped the obdii pins....still d4 flashing, still cel. So then I get ready to start doing the checks on the linear solenoid and what do you know? One of the connectors was loose on the damn solenoid. Plugged it in fully, turn the key and lo and behold, d4 not flashing, cel gone! I wish every fix could be that easy! Now on to the abs codes...

Thank you everyone for your help with this, I really appreciate it!

 

Now, those are the best fixes

Let us know the ABS codes and we'll see what we can do.