Auto Transmission Issue

22vtec4WSAuto · Post by **22vtec4WSAuto** » Wed Jun 26, 2019 3:36 pm

Hello, I hope someone can help. I have a 1997 Honda Prelude 2.2 VTEC 4WS Automatic. When cold it drives fine but when warm, I get a click from around the gear shifter and the transmission locks into top gear. Also the illuminated (top gear) "D" light n the dash goes out. If I stop the car & turn off, it resets but only for a brief while (unless left to cool down, then all gears work normally until warm again). Could this be the Neutral Safety Switch? Or perhaps a shift solenoid? My local Honda dealer is usually great but doesn't seem to be able to help on this one.

Scott560 · Post by **Scott560** » Wed Jun 26, 2019 4:39 pm

im no expert on the schematic, but it sounds like the ECU for the autobox is losing power, hence the light going off, and the solenoid clicking off, and the gearbox going to sleep.

The heat is most likely expanding a dry/cracked solder joint somewhere. This will either be the main relay, a sub relay, or perhaps on the ECU itself (the 4th gen 4ws ECUs used to do the same, work when cold, warm up, then turn off).

It should be an easy fix technically, but might be a bit of a cat and mouse game to find where the issue is.

Perhaps start with the auto box ECU - im not sure of its location, but removing the cover and checking the connectors solder pads is a good start.

I have no experience with the auto box though - but thatd be my educated guess...

22vtec4WSAuto · Post by **22vtec4WSAuto** » Thu Jun 27, 2019 11:00 am

Cheers Scott, much appreciated. I’m taking my Prelude in to my local Honda dealer for a service on Friday where their best suggestion is to flush the ATF. I’m happy to do this anyway as it’s about 3 years since I had the g’box rebuilt but am sure that this won’t fix my problem. I’ve done a screenshot of your response which I’ll show them. In the meantime I’m going to see another 2.2 VTi this evening - it’s a low miles example for under £1500 in that nice blue and if relatively decent will allow me to take my old girl off the road, get to the bottom of this issue, tidy up a couple of minor body blemishes, stiffen up the now rather tired shocks and fit a set of the later (refurbed) 17” alloys.

ATR84 · Post by **ATR84** » Thu Jun 27, 2019 4:15 pm

Your issue sounds different but I will copy and paste what I put in another auto box thread:

I have never owned a 5th gen auto, however, I have a 2001 Lexus GS300 as my daily hack to get me to work and back. Lovely machine, so smooth and comfortable, until the gearbox started slipping. I was ready to take the car to the scrap yard as it would be uneconomical to repair, the car is worth a grand tops, anyway as a last throw of the dice I got my mechanic to put Lucas Oil Transmission Gearbox fluid in. All I can say is that it fixed it, made it smoother than it ever was previously, and 3000 miles later it is still going well. It took a few miles to fix, but I noticed a difference right away, I would say that within 100 miles it was totally fixed. For about £10 it is certainly worth a try in my opinion. Once you drain the fluid out, say you drain out 3 litres, put the full litre of the Lucas stuff in and and the remaining 2 litres should be the normal Honda automatic transmission fluid.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/Lucas-Oil-Tran ... ZOEALw_wcB