Clutch Pressure Control Solenoid A And B (2001-2005 1.7L Honda Civic)

How To Test The A/T Clutch Pressure Solenoids A And B (2001-2005 1.7L Honda)

There are two basic tests to diagnose a defective A/T clutch pressure solenoid A or B on your 1.7L Honda Civic's automatic transmission.

The first test is a simple multimeter resistance test and the other is a bench test in which battery power and Ground (from your Civic's car battery) is applied to each solenoid with jumper wires.

In this tutorial, I'll show you how to do both in a step-by-step manner and help you get to the bottom of the A/T clutch pressure solenoid trouble code(s) lighting up the D4 light and/or the check engine light on your Honda Civic.

The following 2001-2005 Honda Civic automatic transmission diagnostic tutorials may be of help too:

In Spanish You can find this tutorial in Spanish here: Cómo Probar: Solenoides A y B de Control de Presión de Embrague (at: autotecnico-online.com).

Symptoms Of A Bad A/T Clutch Pressure Solenoid A Or B

Here's a breakdown of the symptoms produced by each A/T clutch pressure control solenoid (when it fails), you'll see one of the following:

Symptoms of a bad clutch pressure control solenoid A:

  1. D4 light blinking on the instrument cluster.
  2. P0962: A/T Clutch Pressure Control Solenoid A Electrical.
  3. P0963: A/T Clutch Pressure Control Solenoid A Electrical.
  4. P1768: A/T Clutch Pressure Control Solenoid A Electrical.
  5. Harsh downshift:
    • 2nd to 1st gear.
    • 3rd to 2nd gear.
    • 4th to 3rd gear.
  6. Harsh upshift:
    • 1st to 2nd.
    • 2nd to 3rd.
    • 3rd to 4th.
  7. Flares on upshift:
    • 2nd to 3rd.
    • 3rd to 4th.
  8. Excessive shock or upshifting:
    • 2nd to 3rd.
    • 3rd to 4th.
  9. Stuck in 4th gear.

Symptoms of a bad clutch pressure control solenoid B:

  1. D4 light blinking on the instrument cluster.
  2. P0966: A/T Clutch Pressure Control Solenoid B Electrical.
  3. P0968: A/T Clutch Pressure Control Solenoid B Electrical.
  4. P1773: A/T Clutch Pressure Control Solenoid B Electrical.
  5. Harsh upshift:
    • 1st to 2nd.
    • 2nd to 3rd.
    • 3rd to 4th.
  6. Flares on upshift:
    • 2nd to 3rd.
    • 3rd to 4th.
  7. Excessive shock or upshifting:
    • 2nd to 3rd.
    • 3rd to 4th.
  8. Torque converter clutch does not disengage, operate smoothly or engage.

Basics Of A/T Clutch Pressure Solenoid A And B

Basics Of A/T Clutch Pressure Solenoid A And B. How To Test The A/T Clutch Pressure Solenoids A And B (2001-2005 1.7L Honda)

A/T clutch pressure control solenoid A and solenoid B are part of the same assembly and the tests outlined in this tutorial apply to them both.

Because of where the clutch pressure control solenoid assembly is located, the easiest way to test each solenoid (or both) is with the assembly off of your Honda Civic's automatic transmission.

In case you're wondering, the clutch pressure control solenoid assembly is located on the front of the automatic transmission (facing the radiator). Image 2 of 2, in the image above, shows you the location of the solenoid assembly.

Here are some basic things you need to know about both clutch pressure control solenoids:

Clutch Pressure Control Solenoid A:

  1. The connector color is brown.
  2. The WHT/BLK wire connects to terminal labeled #1.
  3. The RED/BLK wire connects to terminal labeled #2.
  4. Both circuits connect directly to the Powertrain Control Module (PCM).

Clutch Pressure Control Solenoid B:

  1. The connector color is black.
  2. The BRN/WHT wire connects to terminal labeled #1.
  3. The BLK/RED wire connects to terminal labeled #2.
  4. Both circuits connect directly to the Powertrain Control Module (PCM).

START HERE: A/T Clutch Pressure Control Solenoid A And B Tests

Troubleshooting clutch pressure control solenoid A or B isn't hard. As mentioned before, there are two basic tests and in this section I'll briefly describe them.

The 2 tests in this tutorial are:

  1. Resistance testing clutch pressure control solenoid in question..
  2. Manually applying 12 Volts and Ground to the clutch pressure control solenoid in question.
Honda Vehicles:
  • Civic DX 1.7L
    • 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005
  • Civic EX 1.7L
    • 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005
  • Civic LX 1.7L
    • 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005