90' EX Sedan Transmission Problems

[DiscoDinosaur]

So I just bought a 90' EX after lurking these forums for a while and falling in love with the cb7, but it has some problems. I'm determined to do whatever I need to do to get this car running and in (relatively) pristine condition.

Every time you stop the car, whether it be at a red light, stop sign or turning lane, the car shifts itself into neutral and requires you to restart the car. Clearly it's an electrical problem, but I'm not completely sure what the problem is.

My dad and I assumed it was the TCU, so we popped it open, and nothing's fried. Plus, it threw a code 4 via the light on the TCU, so we knew it was good, and instead checked the VSS. I pulled it off and cleaned out the 21 year old grease and corrosion, bolted it back on and drove it up the street. It worked fine for all of 3 minutes, (the speedometer actually moved for a little while) and then it quit functioning. Also, while doing this, we discovered that 3rd gear slips. I know absolutely nothing about transmissions, but I'm hoping it can be fixed without having to pick up a new transmission.

My dad and I also think that the master cylinder might need to be replaced because when braking, the pedal fades to the floor which means I have to keep pumping the brakes when I'm at a red light to avoid bumping into the guy in front of me. We think there's some kind of bypass in the master cylinder that's causing this.


My dad works at a Chevy dealership here and I'm free to use his tools and extra bay for my car, so now all I need to do is figure out the problems. Anyone have any advice for a noob like myself?

[deevergote]

Rather than using the old VSS, I would suggest replacing it with a new one. It may solve the problem, and it may not... but it's 21 year old wear item, and right now that's the only thing that the TCU has reported being wrong. Plus, when you cleaned it, you saw a difference... Do that, and then continue troubleshooting if the problems persist.

If 3rd gear is slipping, there's really not much you can do aside from rebuilding or replacing parts. I would replace the fluid with the proper amount of Honda ATF (use Honda fluid, nothing else). It won't fix the problem, but it may give you some more time.



It's nice to see someone actually taking initiative. Usually when we get threads like this, it's a noob that 1) doesn't know how to check codes, 2) automatically assumes it's a bad TCU, and 3) has done absolutely no investigative work on their own... so they have almost no details to provide us with!

[DiscoDinosaur]

I'm definitely going to replace the VSS, but I'm not entirely sure where to get one. There are a few on ebay for around $15, but that just seems fishy to me. I've read elsewhere on the site that they don't last very long, or arrive DOA. Should I try picking one up at the junkyard, or would I be better off going to a place like Autozone/Advance?

[deevergote]

The ones you find at the junkyard may be as old as yours, so that may not be the best choice. Wear items are best replaced with new parts. However, you could always try junkyard parts just to see, as long as you can get them really cheap or free (I've done that with ignition coils and ignitors in the past...)

Advance/Autozone will probably be just fine. I would assume Rockauto.com would have them as well, or hondaautomotiveparts.com (Majestic Honda... a dealership, with great prices on OEM parts, since they deal with a LOT of volume via internet orders.)

[DiscoDinosaur]

Thanks, Deev. I'll definitely check around online for prices and possibly call a few Honda dealers tonight.

[deevergote]

Cool. Yeah, if the Honda price isn't terrible, that's always your best bet. It will be guaranteed to fit and work properly.

[DiscoDinosaur]

I haven't called Pensacola Honda yet, but the cheapest auto parts store in my area seems to be NAPA. I'm not sure if I can justify spending $82.75 on a VSS. It has a 12 month/12k miles warranty on it, but that price caught me off guard.

https://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/C...257703024&An=0

What do you guys think?

[deevergote]

Rockauto.com has one for $57, but I don't know for sure if it's the one you need.

[DiscoDinosaur]

My dad said he orders parts from NAPA for his job quite often, so he's almost positive he can get a discount on the VSS. I also just checked Rockauto and found one for $60.79. If the discounted cost is less than $70, I'll just get it in person so I can diagnose the rest of my problems sooner.

Since you're clearly such a helpful dude, any ideas on why my brakes are fading? After all the searching I've done on the forums, I haven't encountered anyone else with a similar problem.

Like I said, we think there's a bypass in the master cylinder somewhere that's causing the brake pedal to creep towards the floor and lose pressure. I checked the brake fluid and all seems to be fine (no discoloration or debris), and the lines also seem to be holding up.

[deevergote]

I thought I had commented on the brakes in my first reply. I guess I didn't. I meant to!
It's definitely your master cylinder. As the master cylinder fails, it allows fluid to leak internally. This happens most often when the brakes are hot, frequently in hot summer weather. Replace the master cylinder, and you'll be good to go. I have an Autozone brake master cylinder in my car right now, and it works just fine for me (actually, I think it's Pep Boys... regardless... autoparts store chapie!)

NAPA is good stuff. That's often where the dealerships go when they need a part they don't have in stock. I'd say the VSS from there would be fine, if you're OK with that price.

[DiscoDinosaur]

Thanks for your help, Deev! I'll definitely bother my dad while he's at work to drive across the street to NAPA and check the prices on a VSS and a master cylinder. Hopefully I'll get to pull the transmission out this weekend to have a look at the internals to see why 3rd is slipping.

And if you haven't figured it out through some kind of manly ESP type thing, I love you and your website for helping guys get tech info about old-lady accords.

[bobbycos]

old lady Accords ????????????????

you need to go to AFM 11


Part Number: NMC M3069
Product Line: NAPA Ultra Premium Master Cylinders
Price : $58.99

tell your dad here is the Napa part #


Vehicle Speed Sensor
Part Number: ATM 1433041
Product Line: Altrom Imports
IMPORTANT INFO: Ultra-8 Brand
Price:$139.99

I would look around for a better price on the VSS but the master cylinder is a good price and its new

[Fleetw00d]

Make sure the VSS is bad first. If the odometer and cruise control work consistently, then the VSS is OK. Your problem may be the speedometer. How close to PCC are you, I'll be in Pensacola Sunday evening/Monday morning - may be able to provide some on site assistance. Bought my wagon from Pensacola Honda.

[Leung]

I actually bought a VSS off of Ebay and i've never had and problems with it. Best of all i only paid like 15 bucks for it after shipping.

[DiscoDinosaur]

I would look around for a better price on the VSS but the master cylinder is a good price and its new

I actually just bought the VSS and master cylinder today at NAPA for about $125 total, and I'm going to install them both tonight and take her for a test drive.

Make sure the VSS is bad first. If the odometer and cruise control work consistently, then the VSS is OK. Your problem may be the speedometer. How close to PCC are you, I'll be in Pensacola Sunday evening/Monday morning - may be able to provide some on site assistance. Bought my wagon from Pensacola Honda.

The odometer doesn't function correctly after the VSS fails. After I cleaned the inside of the VSS and made sure the connections were solid, it worked for a few minutes and died again.
I haven't tested the cruise control because we can't get to cruising speed.

When you say PCC, I'm assuming you mean Pensacola Community College? I think they changed their name to Pensacola State College a few months ago. Don't worry about it though; I can take care of everything myself tonight. Basically everything's bolt-on and my dad taught me how to get the air out of the brake lines.

old lady Accords ????????????????

90-93 accords are totally old-lady cars. :P Mine was super clean when I got it, so I think it previously belonged to an older woman, or a neat freak. Either way, I just love the way they look, so maybe I'm an old lady.