I am looking at a 95 del sol 1.5 with auto trans. Car was stolen, fenders, hood, radio and part of console gone.

I test drove the car, has 141K on it and has not been abused. While driving you must keep constant pressure on the pedal and the trans will not shift unless the RPM's hit around 4500 rpm. We drove on in Drive 3.

I was told this was a "sport mode" issue, in that the trans was stuck in Sport Mode due to wires being cut. However, I cannot locate any info about a 95 Del Sol S model have a Sport Mode switch. Even the Dealer cannot locate any switch in diagrams.

Also when driving if you take you foot off the gas it drops down into a lower gear right quick!

Is the trans computer trashed possibly? I hate to let this car go, I can get it looking great with some new parts and paint. But, this trans issue can bust the cost very quickly.

TIA
sparx22

 

I don't know much about honda automatic transmissions, but I have never heard of that. I know my mom's mini cooper which is automatic downshifts when you let off the gas and the speed goes up which I assumed was to slow the car down so you wouldn't need to use the brakes as much.

Does the transmission downshift when you accelerate harder. Also, when you put the car into gear, does it jolt a little

 

Yes the trans will downshift, but it does not act "normal". I don't recall if it jolted when put into DRIVE.

Also I have now verified that there was NO Sport Mode on the 95 Del Sol, so it appears the trans may be bad.