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Honda Accord (1990-1993) Maintenance and Repair



  • kiawahkiawah Posts: 3,666
    Unlikely the starter, remotely possible, but I doubt it.

    The only thing you are doing when 'jumping' the vehicle, is connecting up a known battery of working voltage to your battery. If the starter had a problem, which battery is connected doesn't matter.

    Since you know you have a good battery and alternator, the next thing to eliminate is whether something is draining down your battery. If you have a charged good battery, and lights are left on (or something is draining down the battery), then you will end up with a 'discharged' good battery. When you try to start, there isn't enough voltage and you get the clicking. You come along and jump it, give it the right voltage, and the car starts up.

    The way to figure this out, is to first confirm first that something is draining down the battery. With a digital voltmeter, measure and record the voltage on the battery after you stop the car. (Should be in the 13.2-14.2 volt range) (Obviously check to make sure NOTHING is on ...... inside lights, outside lights, things plugged into the power outlets, etc). Measure the voltage every hour for a number of hours.

    If you are finding the voltage dropping, then either the battery is bad (which you verified that it wasn't), or something is drawing current. If you disconnect the positive lead and put a test light in series, if the light is on then something is drawing current.

    Depending now on your diagnostic skills (and if you have an electrical schematic for your vehicle), you can start pulling fuses to see if you can get the light to go out. If the light goes out with a fuse pull, then you know that something on that circuit is drawing power.

    I have seen vehicles with a light on in the trunk (bad switch causing light on), and a bad switch on power seat (leaving motor trying to adjust), bad relay causing radiator fan to stay on, etc. Just last month my daughter left the inside lights turned on during the day (couldn't see that it was lit).
  • elroy5elroy5 Posts: 3,741
    Sounds like you (or someone) needs to do some investigation into this matter. Here's a troubleshooting link, if you want to check it out. Good luck.
  • aspringaspring Posts: 6
    Your logic make sense.

    I opened the hood today and spent sometime looking into the connections. I saw the wire that connects the starter to the battery really loose. So I cliped it firmly. I will see if this will fix the problem...if not, I will try other possibilities.
  • kiawahkiawah Posts: 3,666
    That will do it. That has to be a really tight connection.

    How could that be loose, if you had the battery checked at autoparts store? They would have tightened it.....
  • Hi,
    I need some help with a problem I have with my 1993 Honda Accord, 142,000 miles. Over the past several months, my car has been
    jumping/hesitating/stuttering. Initially, it happened so rarely I thought I had gone over something on the road. It happened more frequently, I started to pay attention. It felt as though I had driven over speed bumps. The car would lose power, stutter/jump several times and then everything would go back to normal. These events were sporadic. Never happened on acceleration or deceleration, but occurred when cruising (40-50 mph).
    I took the car to the mechanics who have worked with my car for years. They all said, &#147;sounds like spark plug problem&#148;. They found the engine gasket needed replacing, oil in the spark plug wells- I guess as a result of the gasket problem- and wires to the distributor old and cracked. I paid the $$$, drove the car for a couple of days and the problem was not fixed. Back to the mechanic. Faulty distributor wires… which they replaced. Problem still not fixed. Right now this occurs on a daily basis. The car will develop a throaty growl, hesitate a little, then back to normal.
    I have been thinking back as to when I started to notice this, as my old Honda is a great driving car. They had replaced all my belts some months ago and I think it was after this that I began to notice this problem.
    I would appreciate any suggestions or advice anyone has.
  • aspringaspring Posts: 6
    I am not sure how it was loose...I will see if the problem from this wire. I hope this will fix it, otherwise I will write again and ask. Thanks for all your help.
  • xhortaxhorta Posts: 2
    hi, i'm totally new at this and not very mechanicly savy. but from reading different posts on this site i know there is alot of good help here from good people. i replaced both belts, power steering belt, and ac and alternator, which use the same one. when starting the car, before changing the belts, the belts would make squeeking sound. well, the ac belt would make sound when ac was turned on, would last for about 5 to 7 seconds then stop. i decided to replace with new belts. no noise for the first test drive. following day, it became worse than before replacing belts. only does it when starting car and initially turning on ac. i thought i adjusted the alternator as high as possible to keep an adequate tension. is there another area where the tension of the belts can be adjusted?? is there an actual tensioner device on the car i don't know about? how can i tighten the belts?? Thanks in advance.
  • aspringaspring Posts: 6
    It seems that it is not from the cable.

    I did not drive the car for two days. This morning, the car did not start, there was not even any sound. I noticed that the AC knob was on; could the reason be the AC is leaking some power and draining the battery...this is frustrating.

    My cosuin felt happy and kept repeating that the problem could be from the starter, and that I am not listening to him...LOL; that more frustrating.
  • kiawahkiawah Posts: 3,666
    When the car doesn't start, and the cause is the battery is now discharged and doesn't have enough voltage to start the car, then the problem is either:
    - the battery is defective, or
    - there is something 'on' in the vehicle, which is drawing a current while the vehicle is turned off, and drawing all of the current out of the battery while it sits for two days.

    I don't remember your situation, but the first step is to have an autoparts chain test your battery and alternator under load, which they'll do for free. The battery needs to be able to hold the power and deliver it when needed. The purpose of the alternator is to 'fill' the battery back up.

    So if we assume your battery an alternator are okay (you really do need to verify that first), then your battery would be fully charged when you turn it off. You can verify that by measuring with a digital voltmeter, should be at least 13.0 volts. If you battery then is drawn down when you try to start (test with a voltemeter, and less than say 12 volts), then something is drawing down. By the way, you can buy digital voltmeters relatively cheaply at an autoparts store or radio shack, among other places.

    The way to find what is drawing down your battery takes some trial and elimination, and is helpful if you have electrical schematics. If you disconnect the + cable from the battery, and put a test light (can be purchased at autoparts) from the +cable to the +battery terminal....if the light is on then something is wanting to draw current. You can start pulling the fuses, to help figure out whether it's something on that circuit or not. If this is beyond your capabilities, then take it to a shop who has the background to troubleshoot electrical problems.

    I've seen things on like:
    - trunk lights not turning off
    - power seat with a defective switch, leaving power to the motor
    - defective aftermarket alarms
    - defective engine computers
    - defective diodes in the alternator (won't find this via fuse, but the alternator test will find this)
    - defective door switch, leaving the inside lights on
    - my daughter leaving the dome light on :)
    - defective power window switch
    - defective relay, leaving circuits powered when the key was off

    Good luck
  • 94shadow94shadow Posts: 31

    I have a 92 Honda Accord and my D4 light doesn't come on when I put the gear shift in D4, all the rest of the shifting lights comes on.
    When the gear shift is in D4, the A/T shifts from 1st gear to 4th gear with a clunk. No in between gears. What could be the problem?
    Everything else works fine.
    Hope to hear from someone or anyone for this problem.
  • 94shadow94shadow Posts: 31
    I posted a message earlier but it doesn't make any sense.
    I'll try again...

    Anyway, while stopped with my auto trans in D4, on acceleration,
    the transmission shifts from 1st. to 4th gear.
    Also the D4 light doesn't come on at all.
    While cruising, and I press the gas pedal, the only gear the A/T goes into is 1st gear.
    I am wondering what happened to my 2nd and 3rd gear on my car.
    Hope this makes sense.
  • elroy5elroy5 Posts: 3,741
    When the shift lever is in Park, is the D4 light on, or blinking? If the D4 light is on steady, while the shift lever is in Park, chances are your transmission computer has taken a dump on you. If the D4 light is blinking while the shift lever is in Park, the computer has stored a code, that will give you some idea where to look for the problem. Here is a link describing how to retrieve the codes. Good luck.
  • 94shadow94shadow Posts: 31

    Thanks for your info. and pictures, it's a big help.

    My D4 shift indicator light does not come on at all.
    My car has only 1st and 4th gears.
    I tried checking with the service check connecter (P2) but nothing blinks on the the instrument panel.

  • cybercoolcybercool Posts: 117

    I'm having the same problem, my D4 light starts blinking and then goes away. feels like I'm driving in 1st gear, slow. This happens once in a while not all the time. Is this expensive to fix? Is it a major transmission job?
  • elroy5elroy5 Posts: 3,741
    If the light does not come on at all, it could still be the computer, the position switch (next to the shifter) or something on the tranny itself. If you could see under the car, maybe you could determine wether or not the shift cable going to the transmission is actually moving. Some testing would have to be done to find the root of the problem. Some transmission shops will run a diagnostic for you free of charge so maybe that would be a logical next step.
  • elroy5elroy5 Posts: 3,741
    If your D4 light starts blinking and the transmission acting up, especially when it's hot inside the car, I suspect your transmission computer. The computer is located under the carpet on the passenger side front. Peel the carpet back from under the dash, disconnect the computer, and open it up. You will probably find dark spots on the circuit boards where the capacitors have leaked on them. If the computer is the problem, I would try to find a used one or repair the old one. A new computer would cost over $500. :surprise:
  • 94shadow94shadow Posts: 31
    Hello again,
    I checked my car with service check connector and found a
    flashing D4 trans indicator light.
    The D4 indicator light blinked (1) long and (5) short blinks.
    I checked the D4 indicator light 3 times to be sure.
    How do you decipher the flashes.
    Hope to hear from someone on what the indicator light flashes mean.

  • elroy5elroy5 Posts: 3,741
    Code 15= Input shaft (mainshaft) speed sensor. Sorry, don't know exactly where it is located on your transmission. Do you have a service/repair manual? Could be #16 in this illustration cgry1=ACCORD&catcgry2=1992&catcgry3=4DR%20EX&catcgry4=KA4AT&catcgry5=AT%20%20%20- %20%20%20RIGHT%20SIDE%20COVER&vinsrch=null
  • 94shadow94shadow Posts: 31
    Thanks a lot for all your help elroy5.
    Yes, I have a repair manual and I'll look for the sensor in the manual.
    I'll keep everyone posted on the outcome.
    Cannot work on the car for a few days so it might be awhile for me to post the outcome.
    Thanks a lot,
  • twa727twa727 Posts: 22
    Hey guys, it has been a while but I still have a question about my A/C system.

    In a previous post, I described a chirp that occurs ONLY when the A/C is on. There is a click in the dash, and then there is an audible chirp sound from the engine compartment. It is also accompanied with a little jerk (that can be felt inside the cabin, and accompanied by a small, short decrease in RPM) from the engine.

    I had the serp. belts replaced a month ago, but the squeak still continues. Could the belt be on too tight/too loose? Could there be a problem with the A/C pulley or something else inside the unit? Thanks again for any help.
  • i have a 92 honda accord automatic. the sportsshift has been on permanently since i got the car. recently the sport shift light flashes off and on, and the car will get stuck in park. then when it is put in reverse it makes a loud klunk. the car has also lost power when taking off. could it be the shift solenoid or internal?
  • elroy5elroy5 Posts: 3,741
    It's that time of year again. The extreme heat in the summer time can kill a transmission computer. This link should help you to determine if it's the computer, the "S" switch, or the tranny itself.
    PS: I thought the "sportshift" was only on the 90, 91 models. :confuse: Sure you don't have a 90 or 91? If it has the automatic seatbelts, it's not a 92.
  • I have only 22000 miles on it..Pessenger side window rattle slightly whenever I hit a pot hole or something or go over bumps. Is this a serious issue? It is happening only on the driver side. Dealership is asking $108 for diagnose the problem. I said that my car is still under warranty but they say they can't tell and have to bring the car to them to figure out if it is still under warranty? Is this normal.

    Thanks :D
  • the title says 92 but yes it does have automatic seat belts. on top of that. today when the car was put into reverse...the whole motor jerked hard and made a loud noise. i have already taken the console out around the shift knob and sprayed some lube on everything in there so...
  • suecoxsuecox Posts: 1
    My local mechanic says bad AT Control Unit 28100-pxo-732 3ex caused the transmission to go bad. Does anyone know if I can have the AT Control (computer) Unit rebuilt? A new one from Honda is $570.28 :( I called Honda 800-999-1009 and there are no recall notices on the part. Thank you in advance for your time.
  • jazzchazjazzchaz Posts: 19
    90 accord LX....does anyone know if replacement headlamp (exterior) lenses are available in the aftermarket? thank you!
  • FukuyamaFukuyama Posts: 75
    go on ebay, and get a rebuilt on. There are many messages here with the same topic...check mine, the same happened to me.

    I got mine from ebay, the seller knows about this glitch and even gives you 3 month warranty... I replaced mine last year....everythiung is fine.

    good luck
  • do you still have the same sellers name? and how much did you have to pay?
  • nope looking for the at tranny computer
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