D4 light stays on and it will not shift gears?

Tiny
ZACKERY L
  • MEMBER
  • 1992 HONDA ACCORD
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 210,000 MILES
I got the car about a year ago and my D4 light as always stayed on but it was shifting gears before. I seen my TCU had a blown capacitor so I replaced it and my main relay but my transmission won't get out of second or third gear. Any tips to look would be fantastic! Also, there is a relay under my dash that keeps going off like a taser. I can't reach it to tell you what relay it is, but it isn't my main relay. It only happens when I start the car. Sometimes it will stop and others it will only happen in park.
Friday, March 15th, 2019 AT 8:50 PM

28 Replies

Tiny
JOETECHPRO
  • MECHANIC
  • 705 POSTS
Hey ZACKERY,

Can you describe the fault in a bit more detail please?

What symptoms did you have before replacing the TCM/why did you replace it?
What changed after replacing the TCM?

Have you fitted a new or used but known working TCM unit?
Brand new relay?

Currently can you select all positions on the shifter and do all lights come on? (1,2,D3,D4,N,R,P)?
Does it drive but not select fourth, get stuck in a gear?

This guide can help as well

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

Sorry it's unclear what you have going on here. Any more information you can give will be helpful in narrowing down checks to start with.

Regards, Joe
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Monday, March 18th, 2019 AT 11:00 AM
Tiny
ZACKERY L
  • MEMBER
  • 8 POSTS
Thank you Joe. Yes, all lights come on but D4 won't turn off no matter what gear I have selected. Nothing major changed when I replaced the TCU. It tried to shift once then never did anything since and I replaced it do to one of the capacitors taking out a few components out on the board and destroying traces. There is a hard to reach relay next to my vent close to my door that I would have to take my dash off to replace but it's really the only change. It sounds like a taser sometimes like if one of it's solder joints are bad on that relay. Most of the time it won't even do anything. It's very close to my main relay but it's label is facing the wrong way to see what it is. I just know it's that relay do to feeling it when it was acting like a taser.
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Monday, March 18th, 2019 AT 10:34 PM
Tiny
ZACKERY L
  • MEMBER
  • 8 POSTS
The TCU I got acts the same as the original does. I did repairs on the board and had a multi-meter so I really don't see my TCU being the problem anymore. Replaced every thing with exact or equal capacitors and resistors. The traces I rebuilt if they were needed.
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Monday, March 18th, 2019 AT 10:37 PM
Tiny
JOETECHPRO
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Hey ZACKERY LOOSER,

Sorry to keep asking about the fault conditions but I need to full fault description to help try and point you in the right direction.

The D4 light is always on with the engine running, from when you start the engine?

You can shift from through 1, 2, D3, D4, N, R, P and all positions work correctly?

You have reverse and neutral? Can you select and drive in 1 and 2?

Does D3 work correctly?

What happens when you put it in D4 and drive, which gears do not select?

Does it get stuck in gear? You cannot then select park? Does this reset with engine stop/restart?

Please give as full of a description as to what is happening, what has changed, what you have replaced with new/used components as possible.

It sounds from your current description that nothing has been affected by the replacement/repairs you have tried so far.

I will add the wiring diagrams and as much information as I can.

Regards, Joe
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Tuesday, March 19th, 2019 AT 8:52 AM
Tiny
JOETECHPRO
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Hey ZACKERY LOOSER,

I will attach wiring diagrams for the transmission control below.

From what I can see the main relay is for the fuel injection control unit (PGM-FI) and not the A/T control unit.

If you have already replaced the TCU or are happy it is now good I would suspect a wiring issue or possibly a PCM related issue.

Regards, Joe
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Tuesday, March 19th, 2019 AT 9:34 AM
Tiny
JOETECHPRO
  • MECHANIC
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Hey ZACKERY LOOSER,

Also, below is a procedure for resetting the TCM and testing for TCM trouble codes.

If the D4 light will not give you trouble codes with the test connector jumped and stays lit it says in the last diagram to replace the TCM, you have already done this.

Is the check engine light on?

Regards, Joe
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Tuesday, March 19th, 2019 AT 9:43 AM
Tiny
JOETECHPRO
  • MECHANIC
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Hey ZACKERY LOOSER,

Do you have access to a donor PCM?

This is the control unit next to the TCU, Fuel injection controller shown in the diagram I sent with the TCU wiring diagrams.

Issues with the PCM I think could cause an faults you described.

A substitution with a donor unit would quickly enable ruling out this as the cause.

Regards, Joe
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Tuesday, March 19th, 2019 AT 9:51 AM
Tiny
ZACKERY L
  • MEMBER
  • 8 POSTS
Thank you for your replies. I don't have any donor parts. My check engine light turns on for like five seconds then turns off as normal. My D4 light won't do anything at all. I got that part out that was ticking, it's a Mitsuba Inter Lock Control but I don't know why It would be ticking like that and only do it at odd times. The transmission tries to switch sometimes as well but it will only do it a couple of times and it will ether shift up or down once then back into the original gear it was in. Also, yes all my dash lights work and I can put it into all 6 gears. Park all the way to gear 1 and they all light up but D4 will stay on no matter what gear it's in.
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Tuesday, March 19th, 2019 AT 10:07 PM
Tiny
ZACKERY L
  • MEMBER
  • 8 POSTS
Here is the model of my Inter lock control:

https://www.ebay.com/i/301828798208?chn=ps
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Tuesday, March 19th, 2019 AT 11:14 PM
Tiny
JOETECHPRO
  • MECHANIC
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Hey ZACKERY LOOSER,

I have attached the wiring diagram for the interlock control you are talking about.

The interlock control unit controls the key interlock solenoid (stops you removing key unless you are in park) and the shift lock solenoid which stops you shifting out of park unless you have your foot on the brake.

The shift interlock is controlled by the TCU.

Having replaced the TCU I can only see that you have a power/ground issue or a PCM problem.

They both seem to ground at G401 and G402

I have attached a picture to this message.

Please check if the connections are clean and tight.

Regards, Joe
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Wednesday, March 20th, 2019 AT 10:15 AM
Tiny
ZACKERY L
  • MEMBER
  • 8 POSTS
So, you're thinking I have a bad ground connection? Would explain a little of why it sometimes wants to work and others it does nothing. I'll check these two ground planes and let you guys know how it works out. At this point though, it's starting to get under my skin.
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Wednesday, March 20th, 2019 AT 10:26 AM
Tiny
ZACKERY L
  • MEMBER
  • 8 POSTS
Oh! I forgot to mention that the radio does turn off randomly sometimes as well. It's very rare but may be tied into all of this somehow. I can turn the radio back on but it acts as if all power was lost.
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Wednesday, March 20th, 2019 AT 10:28 AM
Tiny
ZACKERY L
  • MEMBER
  • 8 POSTS
Last bit of information but it may just help at this point. I disconnected my horn do to it wanting to go off when the gas pedal is pressed. I do not know if it's still a problem but it was doing it before I disconnected them. Could it be a short wire doing all of this?
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Wednesday, March 20th, 2019 AT 10:30 AM
Tiny
JOETECHPRO
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Hey ZACKERY LOOSER,

You do seem to have some interesting faults.

With these ground connections unbolt to inspect the condition and give them a good clean with sandpaper or a wire brush to ensure you have a good ground connection. You should have shiny bare metal both sides of the connection.

It is worth looking around the gas pedal to make sure there is not wiring be crushed and shorted by the pedal.

These faults could be linked or separate but ensuring you have good ground connections is a great place to start.

Regards, Joe
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Wednesday, March 20th, 2019 AT 11:04 AM
Tiny
RHKILGOUR
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
  • 1992 HONDA ACCORD
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • MANUAL
  • 150,000 MILES
The car was shifting and running fine for months. It started becoming more and more difficult to shift until it eventually would not go into 1st, 3rd, or 5th. A friend and I replaced the clutch and throw out bearing, but it did not fix the problem. The car shifts easily into 2nd, 4th, and Reverse. However it will not shift into 5th, or 3rd at all. Any help would be appreciated.
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Saturday, September 26th, 2020 AT 11:52 AM (Merged)
Tiny
HMAC300
  • MECHANIC
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See pics it may be a bad cable disconnect the cable and see if it will shift into the gears you are having problems with if it won't then it may be a trans problem.
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Saturday, September 26th, 2020 AT 11:52 AM (Merged)
Tiny
RHKILGOUR
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  • 2 POSTS
There are no adjustments on the selector or gearshift cable
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Saturday, September 26th, 2020 AT 11:52 AM (Merged)
Tiny
HMAC300
  • MECHANIC
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They sold be under the console so remove cables from trans and see if it will shift into 3rd an d5th if it does then it's cable/shifter problem like stretched or broken cables or shifters.
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Saturday, September 26th, 2020 AT 11:53 AM (Merged)
Tiny
LDEBERRY038
  • MEMBER
  • 4 POSTS
  • 1992 HONDA ACCORD
  • 4 CYL
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 180,000 MILES
I have a 1992 Honda Accord LX with a 2.2L automatic transmission with 180,000miles on it. I was having trouble getting the shifter to go into the park position or getting it out of it. Then today I went out and put it in reverse and it went forward. No matter if I put it in P, R, or N it continues to go forward. The fluid is full, no visible leaks I can see. Some people say it may be the shifter cable or the linkage. Is this inside of the transmission or the outside? I don't have much money or I'd be driving a newer car. Please help me. Lisa
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Saturday, September 26th, 2020 AT 11:53 AM (Merged)
Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
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It is outside the trans and from your description, it sounds like the cable has a problem. It is tricky to change and if you have no experience, I suggest letting a shop verify this and give you a bid. It is not too expensive to replace.

Roy
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Saturday, September 26th, 2020 AT 11:53 AM (Merged)

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