Hi, just bought a fifth gen wagon (95 LX) to replace my totaled third gen. It has 96k miles so we replaced the timing belt and water pump.

We drove it and it drove fine, until we stopped at a stop sign. The car didn't want to actually move from there. It revved up, but it felt like the car was in neutral or something. If you turn off the car and turn it on again, it will go again.

The TCU is giving code 15, which in the 95 shop manual says is "bad mainshaft speed sensor." However, we checked the connector and the resistance of the sensor and it checks out... Any ideas where to go from there?

 

This is an electrical fault in the mainshaft speed sensor circuit. That's the good news since an electrical fault is external to trans and should be fixable.

Suggest removing TCM connector (large connector nearest front of car on TCM which is under pax foot well inside the ECM). Disconnect MSS and jumper the two pins. Now check D connector pins 19 & 12 (count from L-R looking at male side of 22 pin (not all used) connector, 12 is first on 2nd row and 19 is four slots from RH end). Wires are 12 (grn/wht) and 19 (brn/wht).

If wires check good (shorted), then an internal TCM fault is likely. If wires check open (infinite resistance), then a wiring fault or connector fault exists in one side or other and must be traced w/ further checks or wire fault tracing tool. Used TCM's are readily available.

Also remove jumper and check each wire for short to ground which would not show up on first test.

good luck