I have a 1994 EX 4-door sedan 4-cyl VTEC with automatic transmission and 225,000 miles. Stock with no modifications, it's my daily driver and it's been a great car. I hate to think of giving up on it now, but I have an electrical problem giving me trouble. I rate myself as a competent DIY technician, but I don't want to start trying to track this down without asking for help. Intermittently over the last 12 months, the odometer would stop working for a few days. It would always begin working again on its own, so I didn't worry about it. Last week, the speedometer (and cruise control, of course) stopped working and the D4 light began flashing. Shortly afterwards, the tachometer and temp guage stopped working, the transmission stopped letting me shift into gear out of PARK, and the sunroof switch and rear-window defroster switch stopped working. The car still cranks, runs, and drives fine, but I have to use use the key in the slot next to the shift lever to shift into NEUTRAL, then crank it and go. Needless to say, with no temp guage, tach, or speedo, I've stopped driving it. I discovered the VSS sensor melted (along with its connector), so replaced it with an aftermarket switch from ebay ... and replaced the connector also ... but this repair doesn't seem to have had any impact on any of the problems I've described. I've checked all obvious fuses (in the cockpit and under the hood) but haven't found any yet that were blown. Aside from the problems I listed, everything else seems to be functioning normally. I'm tempted to think that whatever electrical problem melted the VSS also did more electrical damage, and that I have no choice except to begin the laborious process of tracking each problem down step-by-step with the volt/ohm meter. Does anyone have any helpful ideas to offer?

 

you bet.......amperage will blow fuses, voltage will blow switches and guages. check that voltage if you have too much then you know what the problem is.

 

yeah the voltage regulator is probably toast...

 

go with the easiest things first though which would be the fuses

 

https://www.hondaaccordforum.com/ele...m_16763/tm.htm


sounds like you got the same issues as this guy,, without the melting VSS ...

try the fuse i adviced .. please post the results..

 

Thanks so much for the help! I haven't been able to check all the tips listed so far, but do have a little more info. Voltage at the battery with the engine running is approx 14.5 volts, so I think the voltage regulator is probably OK. Also ... another symptom ... none of the power windows are working. I haven't yet had a chance to carefully check the fuses, back-up lights, brake lights, etc. per the other suggestions, but hope to do that tonight.

Deserthonda ... you're correct that my problem sounds almost identical to the one posted by hansolo. I'll follow that thread for tips, also.

 

Hey everyone! Thanks so much for the help! Deserthonda diagnosed the problem perfectly. It was the #1 fuse (10A instrument fuse in the cockpit fuse panel). I feel certain the melted VSS blew that fuse. Now that I've fixed the VSS and replaced the fuse, everything is working perfectly.

 

like i wrote on the other post,, thanks for letting us know the fix.....and glad that it is fixed..

 

Honda with hide-a-way headlights problem?

With the headlights in a pop-up position - check the first cable retainer,(backward from the three-prong lamp plug), for frayed wire (s) inside the plastic flex loom.

A number of conditions can be caused from the continual flexing stress experienced by this cable:

1. Replacement of an apparent defective headlamp that does not correct the problem.

2. High beam indicator will not change when high/low steering column lever is activated.

3. Two low and one high or two high and one low beam will be on at the same time.

4. Headlamp fuse may or may not be blown.

 

Hi everyone, [/align][/align]I am new to this forum but have used others in the past with very good results and hoping for the same here. My wife's car is a 1996 Honda Accord with the same issues as listed above. I am going to try replacing that fuse and see if it works. I already replaced the #10 fuse regarding this issue with no avail. I hope it is this easy, but I never would have found this out without this forum. I will reply back with my results if it works or not.[/align]