check out this brain teaser: i have a '91 accord ex, automatic trans with about 245k on it. it started to feel like it was slipping a bit in final gear so i took it to a tranny shop. shop says its not achieving final lock-up, needs to be rebuilt ($1600 to $2600)(yeah, right!) so i get myself a used tranny from a salvage yard and swap them myself - what do you think the chances are of BOTH tranny's having the same problem? (got to be very small) but the problem is still there.. . . if not even worse now.
so here's what the car is doing: in final gear, and only in final gear, the car seems to be jumping between 2 gears. there is exactly a 300 rpm bouce at random intervals - instantly back and forth, one second apart, two seconds.. . . no matter what the speed or rpm. it seems to get a bit worse under power, as if when i'm going uphill it seems to trigger it more often. happens under all positions of throttle (from cruising to wide-open) and cruise control doesnt change anything either, nor does the economy/sport transmission setting.
anyone have any ideas? ever heard of this before?
oh -and, since i replaced a tranny that i didnt need to i now have a gently used 91 accord auto transmission for sale if anyone's interested. any ideas will be appreciated and investigated - thanks for the help!

 

repalce your t-stat

 

I would look into a lock up switch, and have the bands adjusted.

 

trans is not at fault. This is a classic symptom of a t-stat sticking partially open. The ECU sees that the engine coolant is not at proper operating temp and unlocks the converter in an attempt to get the engine to warm up. flushing the cooling system and replacing the t-stat will most likely solve this problem.

 

My 1995 accord automatic does this same exact thing. Did you use the same torque converter on the 2nd tranny you put in the car. I have not clue what the deal is but my 1990 automatic accord is just now starting to do this. Having problems locking up i guess is what its doing. On the 95 when you let off the gas it drops the rpms to like a 1500 and then pops it back up to where it should be. Kinda nutty. Someone said to check the thermostat thought he was joking but maybe these new cars have too many montitors in em and that is what is going on. Its easy enough to check and then we'll know.

 

welp, looks like i'll throw a new thermostat in. i thought it would be something like that - transmission problems? check the thermostat (what!?!)
i love my honda, but the engineers seem to link all kinds of seemingly random systems together. (when my stereo was stolen my dashboard clock reset itself everytime the ignition turned off and my drivers side auto seatbelt quit working.. . . new stereo fixed both issues. whatever)
should get a chance to get at it next weekend - i'll post the results
thanks guys - this site rules!

 

i would like to annouce the coronation of the supreme honda mechanic god-type being:

YeuEmMaiMai

first of all, oh my gosh!
second, how in the heck?!
third, are youemmaimai kidding me?!?!

so, i replaced my thermostat.
while in there i noticed that the throttle position linkage from trans to throttle body had detached from its mount at the throttle body, so i re-attached that.
and, theres an information sending unit from the head, right under the distributor, that looks like it was creativelty attached and really dirty, so i cleaned that up (incase it, too, had something to do with temperature data)
and now - i hate to admit after spending hundreds of dollars replacing a transmission that evidentally, didnt need to be replaced - the problem seems to have been remedied.

thank you for the tip, if youre ever in phoenix, i owe you a beer.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by az91accord &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i would like to annouce the coronation of the supreme honda mechanic god-type being:

YeuEmMaiMai

thank you for the tip, if youre ever in phoenix, i owe you a beer.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

LOL nice dude. I just can't believe the shop told you what they did. That it's not achieving final lock-up??? Wow i wouldn't trust they're services anymore in the future! Sorry to hear you swapped trannies.

 

i had the same problem with my 94 so I did some research and found out that this is a very common problem with the I4 accords with auto trans.

 

well, guys, i'm sorry to say that the gosh durned thing is doing it again. i have replaced the t-stat, so i know its good. i have replaced the @#$#$ transmission !so i'm reasonably assured thats not at fault, what am i missing? what minor, seemingly insignificant, uninvolved relay am i not replacing that will let me cruise down the street without bouncing in-between the final gears at random intervals?!? its definately better, but not fixed. any suggestions will be considered and appreciated!

 

you mentioned some sensors near your distributor and that they were "creatiely" attached?
Where exactly were those?
Because you have two ECT sensors, one is for the gauge and the other is for the engine computer (ecu). If the engine ect is cracked or broken the car is going to think it's cold and not allow the car into torque converter lockup. Check that to see if it's broken (after a tranny swap it's very possible)

 

Is the throttle pressure cable properly adjusted?

 

I had the same issue on my 91 EX. Had to swap the ECU for the transmission. Found a used one for $120.00. It would act fine after disconnecting the battery and resetting everything, but then act up again. The transmission ECU solved the problem.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by az91accord &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">well, guys, i'm sorry to say that the gosh durned thing is doing it again. i have replaced the t-stat, so i know its good. i have replaced the @#$#$ transmission !so i'm reasonably assured thats not at fault, what am i missing? what minor, seemingly insignificant, uninvolved relay am i not replacing that will let me cruise down the street without bouncing in-between the final gears at random intervals?!? its definately better, but not fixed. any suggestions will be considered and appreciated!</TD></TR></TABLE>

"while in there i noticed that the throttle position linkage from trans to throttle body had detached from its mount at the throttle body, so i re-attached that."

Adjustment is needed But the rpm should change under light throttle at 50-60 mph as the TC locks and unlocks.

Test drive on a level road at 25 mph light throttle, then floor the gas pedal. The trans should drop down to first gear.

Repeat the test drive at 27-28 mph and floor the gas the trans should Only go down to second gear.


Setting the pressure lever cable while at idle;
Put a long screwdriver on the pressure lever and with your other hand start opening the throttle; just at the point the RPM starts to increase the pressure lever should barely rise up.
This is considering the cable isn't already over tight.