If the title got you in here then "Welcome to thunderdome..."! Now that you're here, you may as well read my post and give me your input.

To be fair, I'm new to the forum. I have done a little digging on my issues, but not tons because there are so many things going on. For back story, my sister finally parked her 1997 Accord SE (2.2L 4 cyl F22B2 automatic) for a number of reasons. According to her (insert grain of salt), the radiator needs to be replaced, it needs an oil pan gasket, and the tranny needs to be replaced. She told me that it always overheats during any amount of driving where it has time to warm up. She also claimed that 1st, 4th and reverse are the only reliable gears. Since she already obtained a replacement car (a used Subaru she bought from our Aunt for half of blue book), I suggested that we park her old car at my house. If I'm able to fix it then great; I can then buy it from her for salvage value and have myself a good little commuter. If I can't fix it then I'll either part it out for her and split the winnings, or I'll sell it to a scrapper for her and give her the cash. Win-Win.

Fast forward to last weekend when I finally got the car in my driveway. It has ~220,000 miles on it. Immediately I noticed that the keyless entry remote doesn't work at all (unlock, lock, panic, nothing). I replaced the battery to no avail. I also tried to re-program it to the car which didn't work. I put the original battery back in since that appears to not be the problem. After manually unlocking the car I started it up and noticed right away that at idle it's got a pretty strong engine shake/vibration. Continuing the inspection, I backed it out of the driveway (reverse seems fine) and heard a rattle that sounded like a loose muffler. I put it in drive (D4) and noticed the maintenance required indicator, check engine light, and flashing D4 light (tranny trouble). Once in the street I rolled down the window which was pretty slow. I lightly pressed the gas and it seemed to respond fine (1st gear appears OK). When it shifted to second it seemed to lose acceleration, but I'm not totally sure. I punched it to test response, it upshifted (not sure if to 3rd or 4th) and seemed to accelerate fine. I didn't notice any issues with the speedometer or tach, but I wasn't paying tons of attention to those either. I took the side streets a few blocks down to the parts store and had them pull the codes (this is where things get interesting).

Codes, Descriptions and Related Posts:
>P0117: Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) Sensor Circuit Low Input
>>https://www.hondaaccordforum.com/for...-sensor-40899/
>P0301: No. 1 Cylinder Misfire
>>For all misfire codes:
>>>https://www.hondaaccordforum.com/for...p-48218/page3/
>>>https://www.hondaaccordforum.com/for...cord-ex-50438/
>P0302: No. 2 Cylinder Misfire
>P0304: No. 4 Cylinder Misfire
>P0700: Automatic Transmission Control System
>>https://www.hondaaccordforum.com/for...ing-cel-58027/
>P0705: Short in Transmission Range Switch Circuit (Multiple Shift-position Input)
>P0753: Problem in Shift Solenoid Valve A Circuit
>P1399: Random Cylinder Misfire Detected

FWIW, I have no idea about most of the maintenance history and it's likely that my sister will give me answers like "Yeah, we did that awhile back I think", so she won't be much help. I do have it on good authority thought that the head gasket was replaced in the last year and a half or so, but I'm not sure if the timing belt was done at the same time. I'm trying to get ahold of the reliable source to see if he has more info.

In the meantime, I'm thinking that the multitude of tranny codes could point toward ECM/TCM, yes? Or maybe bad shift solenoids? I also need to inspect the ATF as I haven't done that yet. If the tranny is bad then I'd hate to waste the money on replacing the ATF. Also, I may have access to a used trans from a '94 2.2 auto for $275, but I have to wait until Monday to find out how many miles are on it. Even if the trans isn't bad should I buy the used one anyway to have on hand?

As for the engine codes, I'm thinking the best place to start will be with the distributor cap, rotor, plugs and wires. What's holding me up on that though is that if the ECM is bad couldn't it be throwing those codes too?

Any and all advice is greatly appreciated!
Jake the Noob

 

The 97 accord had a PCM which controls the engine and transmission.

I'd inspect the spark plugs, distributor cap, and rotor to see if they are in decent shape. If it has OEM Honda wires, I'd keep them, unless you find damage on them.

Next, I'd clear all the codes by pulling the 7.5 amp backup/radio fuse in the engine bay fuse box. Drive the car until the codes return. Then recheck to ensure you are getting current codes.

For codes, I'd start with the ECT for the P0117, shift solenoid A for the P0753, and the transmission range switch for P0705. I'd check the electrical connections and nearby wiring to each sensor. Then I'd use my volt meter to test if the resistance is in spec for each component.

The common DIY thread on top of the gen tech help fourm has a link to online shop manuals. The 94 accord is almost identical to your 97, and will provide testing instructions. The 97 has the PCM, where the 94 has an ECM and TCM. The pinout at the control units will be different.

 

Hey John,

Thank you very much for the reply. I think I'm going to start by clearing all the codes. I don't know how long those that I pulled have been in there and figure that's a good place to start. I found and downloaded a shop manual for the 97 coupe which should be almost exactly the same as my car (please correct me if I'm wrong). I don't have a link to it on hand at the moment.

I'll try to update this post once I re-pull the codes.

On a related note, I've been needing a code reader for awhile anyway, and having one on hand will be convenient while I figure out what to do about this Accord. Check out my other post at https://www.hondaaccordforum.com/for...android-61322/. I'm considering one of those little bluetooth scanners that connect to android.

Thanks,
Jake

 

I would start by cracking the coolant bleeder on the back of the intake and check for air. Then go to the transmission as the computers work together and a problem with the transmission can cause the miss fire codes.

 

I cleared the codes and drove it around; put a couple gallons of fuel in her. I pulled the codes again using my new little bluetooth scanner. This time around I pulled a P0302 and P0753.

P0753-Shift Control Solenoid A:
Per the '97 Coupe shop manual I found I tested the resistance on both valves. A gave full resistance (no reading registered, bad solenoid). B gave me a resistance of ~17.7 ohms which, according to the manual, is in spec (12-24). Rock Auto has the full assembly for $160 (More Information for AIRTEX / WELLS 2N1205). Is it going to be worth buying the part considering that the car has 220,000 miles?

P0302-Cylinder 2 Misfire:
Here's the pic of the plug wires when I opened the hood. Houston, we have a problem...

The wire wasn't connected to the plug at all. Further inspection reveals that there is enough oil in there that I can barely even see that the plug is there...


Now, I'm no mechanic, but I'm inclined to say that is a major problem, yes? More digging, and I found that all 4 cylinders have oil in them. Cyl1 has slightly less, and in 3 and 4 the plugs are completely covered (can't see them at all).

Advice at this point would be terrific!
Jake

 

Those solenoids rarely fail, so I'd suggest getting one from a u-pull-it junkyard. Obviously test the resistance before buying.

Oil should not be in the spark plug tubes, so try to remove as much oil as possible. I'd suggest using a rag and letting it wick the oil. This type of a leak is not rare. There are two seals for each tube that can cause your oil. One set is easy to replace, the other is more difficult. There are four seals on top of the valve cover that can be replaced (easy). There are four seals under the rocker assembly that are more difficult.

If it were my car, Id buy the valve cover gasket kit that will have all 8 seals plus the valve cover gasket. I like the FelPro brand. Try replacing the upper seals then keep checking for oil. If it returns, do the bottom seals.

Here is a video on how to do the lower seals:

 

Awesome reply, thank you! For the solenoids, any idea what I'm looking at to get them at the junk yard?

 

If it is a u-pull-it, it should be less than $40. You would have to call to find out.

Sites like ebay, or the classifieds on this forum and others will have people selling parts. Craigslist is a good source, just make sure you meet someone in a public place for your safety.

 

I watched that video for the lower tube seals and it doesn't look too terrible. In there interest of "while I'm in there..." I might just do those at the same time. I just ordered the gasket set which should be here by next weekend. I'll be trying to find a shift solenoid this week as well.

Thanks everyone for your advice. I'll report back after I get those repairs done.
Jake

 

Well, the junk yard run was very successful. I spent $40 total. Here's my pull:

For the Accord:
>Shift solenoid with a successful resistance test
>Driver window motor/regulator (this came from a coupe, but should work fine in my sedan right?)

For my Ranger:
>Heater control *****
>Headlight switch
>Washer fluid reservoir wiring harness

I already got the "new" solenoid installed and am finishing up wicking the oil out of the spark plug tubes. Hopefully I'll get all 8 tube seals and the valve cover gasket replaced today. Wish me luck. :-)

Jake