Check for a trans code by shorting the service check connector and read the D4 light flashes.

good luck

 

I checked for codes already, and nothing came up. The car will shift just fine if i do it manually from 1st to 2nd, but will nto go into third or 4th. If i start with the car in d4, the car is it the "limp" mode where it takes a little bit to get going in 1st then it shifts to second, but no 3rd or 4th gear.

 

According to the AAMCO guy I just spoke to, it appears that the transmission is setting a trouble code. He said the problem is most likely a minor one.

 

PLEASE post back on what they find? I have the same car and will probably have a similar problem some day. If it's a simple problem, I might be able to do it myself.
Thanks!

 

Ok, here is what i have so far. D4 light comes on it seems only after it gets warm for awhile, sometimes it lights up right on startup, but lately only after 3-5 minutes, when it starts to get warm. I have not been able to get any trouble codes out of it. I pulled the center console and checked all the wiring inside the cabin. Where do i look underneath to check the wiring running on the outside?! With it waiting till it warms up, it seems to inidcate to me, im looking for a sensor of sometype. Thanks again for the help and ideas so far.

 

Your problem has some of the symptoms of the TSB 017 for faulty Trans Control Unit. S or D4 light stays on, no codes, however not all. I would not discount this as a possibility, even though you see no physical damage to the TCU. My TSB says "in most cases you will find a damaged component on the circuit board".Did the symptoms improve when you first reset the TCU?

The transmission console switch is probably not a repairable item. You will have to replace to see if this is the problem. However, I think this fault should cleanly set TCU code 6 if it is the problem.

I found used TCU's pretty reasonable on car-part.com. see following search results.
http://car-part.com/cgi-bin/search.c...amp;userPage=4

good luck

 

Yea, i was also looking at the control unit as also being a problem, wheni pulled out the A/T control unit, i also opened it up and looked inside of it. The board showed no damage, and no weird smells or anything to indicate it miught be burned or whatever. Im not sure what you mean by re-setting the unit. I completely disconnected it and removed it, ive also done the remove the battery cable thing as well. After i put those back nothingchanged. Where is a good site to find the TSB 017? Thanks for the help and ideas

 

I could not find the TSB 017 online. I havea hard copy I printed from a now defunct site "Tech2Tech". Not much to the 1-pg tsb. Here's a summary:

TSB 017, Issue Date: Dec. 2001, Application 90-93 Accords.

Symptoms: S or D light on and car starts in 3rd or 4th gear. Trans may have other unusual shift patterns.

Probable Cause: Defective TCM. In most cases you will find a damaged place on the circuit board.

Corrective Action: Replace the TCM w/ a new unit.

Note: Problem also recognized in TSB 90-039. In that TSB problem is only associated w/ 1990 Accords. It is experience of many independent Honda techs that this problem can occur in 1990-1993 model years.

good luck

 

Is this type of trouble something an AAMCO station could easily troubleshoot and repair at a low cost?

 

I have not heard a lot of good things about AAMCO. You have to remember they are in the business of rebuilding transmissions. There is a substantial incentive for them to "sell you a rebuild". No one can tell you what is best, but I would be more comfortable w/ a good shop that specializes in Honda repairs, compared to AAMCO. Frankly, I would buy a used trans and replace the trans before trying a rebuild. I've heard too many horror stories w/ rebuilts.

Do you thing AAMCO would try to find a used TCU and see if that fixes your problem? I'm a little skeptical. That might fix the problem for < $100, or maybe not. Problem could be an internal fault requiring a rebuild, but I think that's less likely.

When I mentioned re-setting the TCU, I meant pulling the BackUp fuse for 20 secs. This resets ECU and TCU. The TSB's mentioned one diagnostic was temporary fix when TCU was reset.

Post what you decide to do and your results.

good luck