Autos Fans

96 Honda accord problems?—by Jamie K

My 96 honda accord speedo doesn’t work and either does the v-tec. I have replaced the vss and visually checked the ecu and tcm. When i have checked the diagnostic the D light flashes 4 times and the check engine light flashes 1 long flash and then 7 short flashes. The engine light will only come on when it has been driven at high revs then slowed down. Please help if you can. Would rather fix myself if i can. Thanks

Best Answer —by honda guy

The speedometer doesn’t work–does the odometer work? If the odometer registers mileage but the speedometer doesn’t display speed the problem is with the speedometer head unit assuming you’ve replaced the VSS and the connections are all good.if both the odometer and the speedometer don’t work the driver for the speedometer is bad, again, assuming their is a signal to the speedometer from the VSS and through the connectors.

you’ll want to check all of the connectors before changing the speedometer.

the DTC doesn’t make sense to me as there isn’t any dtc 17.
if you go to AutoZone or AAMCO in the US they will pull the codes for free.

The VTEC has a code p1259 which isn’t even close to what you report, but the check engine light is coming on consistent with a VTEC failure. For the VTEC, check the oil level. If the oil level is low the VTEC won’t engage and cause the code. Also, a dented oil pan can cause the problem if the oil flow/pressure is reduced around the oil pick-up

The D light is flashing may be because the speedometer isn’t working. that’s usually caused by the VSS. Did you clear that code after you changed the VSS? The D4 light will blink when there is a problem with an automatic transmission control unit input such as the VSS or for a problem with any other transmission sensor or actuator. when they pull the codes at Autozone or AAMCO the automatic transmission DTC will show up along with any other engine related DTCs

the quickest path to fixing you car is to get the DTCs and go from there

hope that helps