Speedo and Odo a nogo - Honda Prelude Forum

Azriel · 03-10-2011, 08:43 PM

89 4ws 2.0 si 5speed odo and speedo not working ran code 17 vss needs to be replaced correct? Also having just bought the car I have to get the emissions tested the nox are super high even after replacing the cat,both 02, egr, sparkplugs and wires, valve cover gasket and pcv would the vss cause the nox to be that high? any ideas or direction would be awesome thanx

errr so does the damn car have vss or the cable ?

Colfax · 03-11-2011, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azriel

89 4ws 2.0 si 5speed odo and speedo not working ran code 17 vss needs to be replaced correct? Also having just bought the car I have to get the emissions tested the nox are super high even after replacing the cat,both 02, egr, sparkplugs and wires, valve cover gasket and pcv would the vss cause the nox to be that high? any ideas or direction would be awesome thanx

errr so does the damn car have vss or the cable ?

First I'll address the speedo problem. All 3rd gen ludes have a vss. On 88/89 models, the vss is mounted in the back of the gauge cluster and is driven by a cable. On 90/91 ludes the vss is mounted directly to the transmission housing and there is an electrical connection to the gauge cluster. Since yours is an 89 you have a cable.

Your problem could be the vss, speedo cable, a broken wire, or the ecu. You'll need to do a little troubleshooting to figure out which it is. It's very handy to have a spare ecu and spare gauge cluster for this. Junkyards are the best source for these parts.

I don't see how the vss problem could be related to your emissions failing. But I don't have to do emission testing so I really don't have a lot of experience dealing with that. But you didn't mention changing the distributor cap and rotor or adjusting the ignition timing. I know those can affect your emissions so do those two things if you haven't done them yet.

Azriel · 03-11-2011, 01:47 PM

Thanks so much replaced the cable the odo and speedo now work and no more check engine light going to have the timing reset right now .... Emission retesting will be done next Monday! Will post new info when I get it !!!!

Was also wondering what parts are transferable to a b2oa5 like speedo clusters lights etc? Not a whole bunch of 3g 4ws 5 speeds in my area

Colfax · 03-11-2011, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azriel

Thanks so much replaced the cable the odo and speedo now work and no more check engine light going to have the timing reset right now .... Emission retesting will be done next Monday! Will post new info when I get it !!!!

Was also wondering what parts are transferable to a b2oa5 like speedo clusters lights etc? Not a whole bunch of 3g 4ws 5 speeds in my area

Glad to hear your speedo/odo are working again.

Make sure you follow the procedure in the online manual for checking and adjusting the timing. Here is a link (scroll down to the fuel injected engine section)...
http://media.honda.co.uk/car/owner/m...sf100/5-17.pdf

As far as other cars for donors? The short answer is you are pretty much limited to other 3rd gens. Most parts are interchangeable between 88 - 91 as far as body (except for the front/rear bumpers and trunk lid), engine, and suspension parts go. There are some differences on the 90/91 Si, which has the b21a1. The 90/91 2.0Si models also use the b20a5 engine, so all the engine parts will work on yours. The 88/89 transmissions are different from the 90/91, and it's easiest if you stick to those two years. For the gauge cluster, you're limited to 88/89 Si or S models. Pretty much all the rest of the interior is interchangeable between all 3rd gens. For tail lights, fog lights, and front turn signals it's possible to convert the 88/89 to the 90/91 styles, but there is some modification involved. The headlights are a direct swap for all 3rd gens.

I've tried to sum it up for you, but there is a lot of detail that I purposely left out because I didn't want to write a book. If you have questions about the compatibility of specific parts I'd be happy to answer them.

Good luck with your emissions testing.

Azriel · 03-11-2011, 07:12 PM

You are seriously awesome ! But after getting her ran for 80 miles the speedo quit working but the odo still works.... Didn't even get a chance to get the timing fixed going to a shop for that as I don't have a timing light or is there a way to set the timing without a timing light( dumb question I know) but ya know I figured I would ask

Colfax · 03-14-2011, 08:31 AM

Are you getting a code 17 again? The odometer is mechanically driven by the cable but the speedometer runs off an electrical signal generated by the vss. I'm thinking that your problem is in the vss located in the gauge cluster.

As far as setting the timing goes, you really need a timing light. You can buy them for 20 to 30 bucks so it's not expensive. It would be worth picking one up if you plan to keep your lude around for a while.

Azriel · 03-14-2011, 03:40 PM

No check engine light this time it works intermittently but I passed my emissions today !!!! But I am looking at possibly replacing my cluster as well but I am thinking that because the cable input to tranny keeps backing out that I just may need a new clip to secure it as I have yet to see one there. Now that I can get the car transfered into my name the real work begins..... Any ideas of where I can order some touch up paint for it y-49 paint code my local stores don't stock it .... I also found a online repair manual at another forum site lemme know if your interested I will send anyone that needs it the link as it is downloadable I have it saved on my external and printed out

Colfax · 03-14-2011, 04:14 PM

Congrats on passing your emissions! Glad to hear that. Now you need to figure out the speedo problem. If you don't have the clip on there the cable will back out of the fitting.

Y49 touch up paint, is that Barbados Yellow? The one thing I've learned is that the paint on a 20 year old car will fade, and even if you were able to get some Y49 touch up paint it won't match what's on your car now. I usually go to one of my local paint shops and have them try to match it up. They are usually close enough. I had them mix up a gallon of R51 (Phoenix Red) last summer when I painted my red lude. It wasn't even close to the original paint except for what was on the inside of my trunk lid. The rest had faded enough so that it was a different red. My biggest issue was with the bumpers which had faded to almost pink, lol.

Is the other forum Honda Prelude Forum : Honda Prelude Forums There is definitely a lot of 3rd gen information there if you can put up with some of the members comments. The FAQ in the 3rd gen section is especially helpful for information and links.

Azriel · 03-14-2011, 07:57 PM

Yeah she is yellow was planning on painting my replacement bumper , I can get a pint of paint for 20$ at my local body shop ramping up for the whole paint job going to do some light body work tomorrow and getting my other project car also a 95 hatch but that one I am selling as soon as possible to feed my lude addiction lol

Colfax · 03-15-2011, 11:23 AM

Lol, I know what you mean. That Prelude addiction, she's a hungry beast.

Azriel · 03-16-2011, 04:25 PM

Yeah I bought another one today strictly for resale has 131k on it runs awesome but my yellow one comes first