Hey folks -

Got this car for free 6 months ago and decided to give it to my daughter at college 3 1/2 hrs away. Pretty much did everything possible to keep her reliable, which included a 1X drain and fill of the ATF. It was nasty, but didn't have much in the way of shavings attached to the drain plug magnet. Refilled with Honda ATF and all seemed to be great.
Recently, however, my daughter informed that the D4 light is blinking intermittently and there are no CEL codes of any kind. There has been no noticeable change in the way the car shifts or anything. Just the blinking D4 light.
I'm hoping this is an early warning sign that I can fix quickly. I DID buy a shift solenoid and plan to replace that, along with checking the ATF level. Can y'all think of anything else I should be looking for with the limited information I have? FWIW, I have gone through 15 pages of search results talking about this, but none seem to have only the D4 blinker without codes or symptoms....or is the D4 blinking a pattern that should be telling me something??

Thanks a bunch in advance!

Scott

 

Do you assume there is no codes being that the check engine light is not on, or being that you hooked up a scanner and ensured there was no code?


As far as I know, When the D4 light is flashing, there should be a check engine light to go along with it.

Thanks.

 

I had her go to Autozone and they connected a scanner and found nothing. The CEL hasn't come on EVER since the D4 blinking started. After reading here, everybody has a DTC code along with the blinking D4.

 

 

Verify that the CEL works. It should come on then go out when you turn the key on but don't crank.

If the back up fuse is blown the ECU will not remember codes with the key off.

Blinking D4 means that at highway speed, the transmission will stay in third gear instead of going to overdrive. That means lower highway mpg.

 

Some codes cannot be read by generic scanners, (like an abs code for example). You should research how to jump the diagnostic port and count the CEL flashes. On my integra there is a diagnostic port (not the obd port), where you can insert a paper clip and count the amount of check engine light flashes, then look up the corresponding code. The procedure and diagnostic port location may be different for your daughter's civic.

 

Thanks Candyredrc46! I think there might be one on the passenger side behind the carpet near the ECM. When I get up there, I'll try it. I'm bringing a shift solenoid and a lock-up solenoid with me. Probably gonna drive it around to see about the shifting because my daughter doesn't really notice the "little things" too well. I'm thinking when I drive it, I'll go on a highway briefly and see if it ever goes into overdrive. If not, replace the solenoids and take her back out again. Hopefully it will then. If not, then......

 

I don't think the OBDII (1998 and later) does blink codes. You need a code scanner.

Don't start just changing parts. This is not very complicated to diagnose once you can see the codes.

 

I'd like NOT to just start throwing parts at it, but these are relatively inexpensive pieces to replace and often factor into the equation at some point. I DO have an OBDII scanner, so I'll try to pull codes. My daughter is going to take a video of the D4 blinking while going down the street. Hopefully, the blinking sequence will give me so insight?

 

I think D4 just blinks a simple on off no matter what the problem is. Did she check if the CEL works?

 

My 2000 Integra GS Auto, 100% does blink codes. I have done this several times. I don't think a civic would be much different.

 

Yes, the CEL does illuminate and go off.