I just bought me a brand new (to me) Honda Accord loaded and sporting a super smooth and quiet V6 engine. 4 wheel disc brakes too! Just a super car. Love it.

Got the plates on it and drove it here and there around town for maybe 4 hours. Pulled up to a major intersecton to make a left turn and this beautiful car would not move. No shifter position works. Park works, nuetral works, that's it. I tried putting in neutral and shutting off eng. and retsart, nothing.

Any suggestions? Any order of diagnostics to start with? What do I look at first?

There was never any indication of a prob. Not a sound shutter, nothing.

1996 EX V6 with 117,000 Miles.

(Never owned a Honda before) Got a MGB, Mitsu Outlander, and a f-150

 

Just so I understand, you pull up, brake and then no sounds, nothing but all of the sudden the car will not move no matter what, just revvs like it's in neutral regardless of shifter postion?

Does the shifter still feel normal, is there resistance there, can you see the cable move in the engine bay?

 

You can always hook an OBD up to the car. Autozone offers free OBD diagnostics, but I guess if the car wont move its a moot point.

But that is where you start. Hook up an OBD and the computer tells you exactly what went wrong

 

IF the car is showing a code then that's great advice! Even with an OBD II if you have a CEL on you can pull the codes yourself (see our DIY section)

 

Yes Sir. It was as though it was in neutral. I should mention that after I moved the shifter around a bit trying to find a position that would get the car to move, I tried to go to park. When Itried to goto park there was a gear grinding sound. Turn off the ignition and it would go into park. With the engine running it will not go into park, it grinds gears.

 

Does the shifter feel any different? It sounds like an adjustment issue of some sort but it's hard to say for certain since I'm not very good with auto trannies...

 

nice post title, it says it all! too bad, it sounds like either you developed a massive trans fluid leak, shifter cable broke or the transmission just up and died.

start with inspecting the transmission fluid and go from there.

 

Based on what HondatechAV6 said here's an order of steps to try:

Check tranny fluid, is the level good, does it smell burnt? does it look ok?
Check Shift cable for movement, broken, frayed, noisey etc.
Does it look like a tranny mount shifted, collapsed or otherwise?
Jack up the car, spin one front tire, the other tire should spin, you may have broke a drive axle....

From there I'm pretty much worthless....

 

From reading a bunch of other posts today I kinda thought that my problem was going to be a stumper as to an exact pinpointed item. Good logical suggestions and I would like to say thanks very much for the effort. From all three of you.

I will have the car fixed soon (I hope) and I will be sure to give a update. Not a good way to begin a relationship withmy Honda. Darn expensive date so far, I fear.

 

did an axle pop out just enough to not engage the differentail?