steven.shutz

Ok. I have a 97 accord and i have a few questions..
1. My tranny sometimes shifts hard?
2. Sometimes when i press the gas to speed up it like jumps up bit like catches the gear late? Like revs to 3500 then catches and speeds up.
3. My shifter is sometimes hard to press the button in? And also sometimes wont go into park i can always get it into park but i have to shift it up and down and its super annoying. . (my most concern right now)
It is an automatic. 130,000. It runs pretty good other than these few things. Oh and my tranny fluid is pink and looks great!
Thanks for looking! Any ideas guys?

steven.shutz

Anyone??? :/

MAD_MIKE

Check the shift cable, it may be seizing up.

As for the shifting, you said the fluid is fresh, how long have you had it? A used car dealer 'trick' is to put fresh fluid in a bad trans to remove the smell of a toasted transmission.

steven.shutz

Well i got it used about 5k miles ago. And the fluids been good. The button on my shifter is really really hard to press in... Its loke hurting my hand..

Lost Again

Kind of sounds like the trans was replaced and the shift cable are not right, "hard to get into park"....

If the trans has been replaced then the throttle control cable is prob also needing help...proper adjustment.

Then there are mounts to inspect.

Then IMO, only Honda trans fluid should be used in this gen Accord.....

steven.shutz

Well. I got it of craigslist and i dont think it was replaced.. But. I geuss i should go to a shop and get it checked or can i do it myself?

MAD_MIKE

When you put your foot on the brake can you hear the shift lock solenoid work?
Possibly gone bad and has been forced so many times the button is now worn. Try inserting a key or blade into the slot on the shifter to unlock the shifter, if the button is easy to depress or the shifter is easier to shift then the brake switch or interlock solenoid is bad.

Read this as well > http://techauto.awardspace.com/ignit...tch.html#stuck

IIRC stock factory stock transmissions will have a UPC bar code on the front of the AT with a four letter code on it. 'BOYA or AOYA' are hte correct codes for your car.

steven.shutz

I hear a click, but i dont know what it is. And for the shift lock, does the car need to be on? And if i put a key in it, then it should just freely shifft?

steven.shutz

Ohh and my dad told me to spray WD-40 in the shifter to help the button get looser. Should i? Lol

MAD_MIKE

Yes for the shift interlock to work via the solenoid the car needs to be turned ON via the key and your foot placed on the brake pedal. You can manually override this without the car being on by inserting your key into the slot on the shifter bezel, its that slot to the right of the shifter lever. If this still does not allow you to shift freely then there is something mechanically wrong with the interlock system.

No you do not want to 'oil' the button, it is not stuck due to lack of lubrication. Unless that is one grimey *** shifter assembly. The button itself has such a loose tolerance that unless you packed the shifter handle with sand that button is not capable of jamming under normal usage.

The shift interlock is to prevent shifting from PARK to any gear without having your foot on the brake pedal. Press the brake and you will hear a click, remove your foot from the pedal and you should hear another click. This is the solenoid being turned on and off via the switch mounted to the brake pedal box. This interlock prevent you from pressing the button to unlock the shifter and place it in gear without your foot on the brake pedal.

If the interlock or linkage is damaged but the solenoid is good you may still hear the solenoid actuate, but it does not do any useful work.

If you look at your shifter there is a screw on the side of it, removing those two screws will allow you to remove the shifter ****. I would not spray any oils or chemicals on the shifter handle. This may damage/discolor the shifter handle itself and oils will attract dirt.
http://accordinglydone.com/data/94-97accord.pdf
Step 1-8 will get you started in removal of the trim and console parts to access the shifter. Remove the four screws attaching the selector plate (P-R-N-D4-D3-D2-D1). With the trim and shifter plate removed, you can observe the shift interlock.

steven.shutz

When i first got the car, the shifter was all ****ed up. Dude had lose the 2 screws for the shifter, so i just got a new rubber shifter and the screws, but if i tighten the screws to much, it wont shift or anything. When i press the brake i hear it click. So i dont think its that. I may just take it to a shop:/ i dont wanna mess it up.

MAD_MIKE

If the shifter handle was loose or dismantled when you received the car more than likely there are broken or missing parts. The PO probably had the same issue and tried 'fixing' the button.
Note the diagram I attached, pull your shifter apart and verify all the parts in the outlined '#11' bubble are all there and intact. Verify that its assembled correctly. With the shifter handle removed, the car turned to ON you should be able to depress the rod inside the shifter lever down to allow the handle to unlock and shift.

If not then proceed to see if there is any foreign debris preventing the rod from moving. If the shift lever mechanically itself is fine then there is most likely an issue with the shift interlock mechanism.

All you need is a phillips head to remove the console parts. Examine the interlock. Key ON, press brake pedal, watch the interlock mechanism. You should see the solenoid push a lever that will unlock the shifter. If you see the solenoid move then that component is fine, if it moves the lever then you are good there. But if it still does not unlock the shifter then there is possibly an issue with the parts 6-7-9-2. You can defeat the interlock if you want to, no need to bring it to a mechanic.

steven.shutz

The shifter lever on the inside is hard to press in. Ill check everything on my next day off work.

steven.shutz

Man, this is driving me crazy, the button is so hard to press in now that i can get it in to park. I cant press the button in! Im going to try tmro and fix it... Any advise or ideas on why the button is so hard to press?

MAD_MIKE

Steven, it's not going to fix itself.
Try manually overriding the interlock, with the car OFF place a key into the slot to the right of the shifter, you will feel a slight resistance and the key will move a lever. Place the shifter into Neutral. Put your foot on the brake pedal and start the car. If you cannot do that, proceed with the following.

Place shifter in D4
Remove the two screws that hold on the handle, remove it.
Open console lid, remove cover plate at bottom, remove two screws.
Open cup holder, pull out cup holder, remove the three screws, slide back the console a couple of inches to expose two more screws, remove them.
Open ash tray, pull it out, remove screw at the the back of ash tray.
From the back of the shifter pull the shifter surround trim up and over the shifter, the top portion around the radio snaps into place, unsnap it and remove the surround.
Remove the four screws surrounding the shifter bezel. Remove it.
Look at the shifter components and identify them to the above posted exploded view.

This will take you all of 10mins to disassemble.

Now with the key in the ON position place your foot on the brake pedal.
If you hear the solenoid click watch to see what moves. If you see nothing move, manually depress #9 shift lock. If this does not unlock the shifter allowing gear selction, then there is a problem either with parts #6-7-9-2, or the shift lever components(#11) are damaged and will require disassembly to verify what is not working.

steven.shutz

I FIXED IT :D!
Lol i took the shifter off, and there was like plastic in where the 2 srcews go in! Took that plastic out, got the grease gun and greased it all up! And it shifts perfect! Thanks alot mike!

BrotherAli

I had this problem and it was just the button on the shifter. Take it off and inspect it. I forgot how I fixed it thought but it was easy , maybe the spring just came off. Just fully take it off and take the button out and look at it.