Help me out PLEASE. 85 Prelude EX, 50K, twin carb, auto. Car runs/drives great ecxept OVERDRIVE (D4) doesn’t work. Ideas? The car was hit on the left wheel, it bent the rim and broke the CV (which I replaced). I fixed this and the car drives very nicely except…
Spare tire is low
Did it happen immediately after the accident? If so, there’s a few possibilities. First off, it could have moved the transmission or otherwise tweaked the linkage so the transmission can no longer be physically shifted into D4, though if the linkage seems to move smoothly and the “PRNDL” indicator is working properly it’s less likely. I don’t know if this transmission has an electronically operated overdrive or not, but if so the wiring or the actual internals could have been damaged.
My best advice is to take it to a good reputable transmission shop for diagnosis. My guess is that it’ll either be something simple like the linkage or a connector or it will be expensive internal damage which will mean either a new transmission or that you live with your 3-speed.
Related to GreasyJack’s comment, I would suggest that you have the transmission mounts (and motor mounts) checked. A bad transmission mount can prevent the transmission from going into the gear that you select.