Delfla

93 honda prelude, with a f23a1. auto transmission....gear indicator light for D4 is flashing. what does this mean?

Duane_in_Japan

Most of the time it means that the VSS Sensor is bad, does the speedometer still work. It means that you have a code pending in your computer. Do you know where the diagnostic plug is located, if not, do a little research on this site or Google. Get a code from your computer and we can help more please.

Delfla

Thank you Duane. I'll know a little more when my daughter gets back home with the car. She called me earlier to let me know what was happening. Not sure at this time if the speedometer is working or not. Would the VSS being bad also not allow the transmission to shift into overdrive?

Duane_in_Japan

That may be a possibility, The flashing light is telling you there is a problem with the transmission, heck, it could even be the actual problem with your OD, like a bad solenoid or its wiring.

Delfla

Possibly. I had posted on an earlier thread about, what I believe to be, one of two VSS sensors on the transaxle not being connected to anything. The two wires coming off the sensor are just hanging loose, but I don't know where they are supposed to go. I've searched but haven't been able to find anything about where they connect. The motor is an F231a installed into a 93 Prelude Si. I'm not sure which transaxle is in the car........the original, or if the engine and transaxle were installed as a unit out of the donor car. I'll be checking the numbers on the transaxle tomorrow, but the sensor I'm speaking of is on the bottom side of the transaxle, on the side towards the rear of the car. I bought a Haynes manual today....maybe I can figure it out using the electrical schematics in the back of the book. Unfortunately it doesn't contain, nor can I find a vacuum line schematic anywhere.

projectTeG

does the car still operate fine and not lag the trans? if you have the laggy trans you are suffering from the main problem with the tcm's

Delfla

Yes, the car operates fine, but won't shift into overdrive. Running around 3500 RPM @ 65 MPH. Otherwise, other than just some vibration at idle, it does fine.

Delfla

Ok...did manage to find a home for the dangling wires. I've reconnected them, but hasn't made any noticable difference. The d4 light hasn't flashed anymore since....but I've only driven it once to see if the wires made any difference.

Duane_in_Japan

Just a question, could you have hooked them up backwards or were they color coded to the wires that you found, not 100% sure that colors always match though. I would run two long wires to the connection and hook up my volt meter where I could monitor it in the car to see when the voltage changes, ie; dropped in gear, dropped in reverse, traveled over a certain speed, any change in voltage at all, try DC and AC settings, probably DC though.

Delfla

It was pretty obvious. One of the wires had been pulled from the connector plug, pin and all. The other wire had been cut in two. It was in the vicinity of the drive axle......thinking it somehow got pulled apart. Not 100% sure of what sensor it is that it is connected to. The other end goes into the wiring harness...so not sure where it goes....I'm guessing maybe ECU. Could be the sensor itself is bad.