The check engine and transmission light are on?

ANONYMOUS

MEMBER
1997 HONDA PASSPORT
146,258 MILES

I have a 97 Honda Passport EX 4x4 automatic and the check engine and transmission light are on. I am most worried about the transmission. When I start it up it makes a terrible whining about 80% of the time, and it seems to depend on the gearbox. If I change it to Low, 2nd, or 3rd, it sometimes helps, and it always goes away if I get it to speed. Low, 2nd, and 3rd all work fine if I select them manually, however if I put it into Drive it is extremely sluggish, sort of like starting a manual car in a higher gear.

1 Reply

SQM

MECHANIC
6,383 POSTS

Hello,

Anytime there is a shifting issue, the first item that needs to be checked is the transmission fluid.
Make sure the fluid is at the correct level and in good condition. Contaminated fluid can impact the shifting of the transmission.

This issue could be due to a weak transmission pump, which is not providing adequate pressure for the shift to happen properly. It can also be faulty shift solenoid.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/automatic-transmission-problems

Since the check engine light is illuminated, it will be a good idea to retrieve the code(s). That can help narrow down the possible issues.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/checking-a-service-engine-soon-or-check-engine-light-on-or-flashing

Please let me know what code(s) that you find or if you have any questions.
Thank you.