cronicmole

Good day,

I had a 2012 Honda Civic Coupe. My "D" light began blinking and I received the following error code: P0970 - Pressure Control Solenoid C Control Circuit Low. I was instructed by a mechanic to purchase the following part - Solenoid Assembly B, Linear - Honda (28260-RG5-004) I purchased the part from an aftermarket vendor.

After installation my vehicle got worse and in addition to the aforementioned code I also received a new error code - P0776 Pressure Control Solenoid B Performance/Stuck off.

Can anyone be of assistance? Particularly I have the following questions:

1. Is Part # 28260-RG5-004 pressure control Solenoid B & C?
2. Does anyone think this could be as a result of me purchasing an aftermarket part vs. the genuine Honda part.
3. Any further recommendations ?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

ezone

The first code P0970 is strictly an electrical fault, it can't be caused by a mechanical fault inside the trans.

If that wasn't handled correctly, the second code is likely caused by whatever happened between the first code event and now.


Top of trans closest to the dipstick. Wire colors for CPSCV-C are black and blue/white
I think your Honda part number is correct.
Did you get fresh gasket and O ring?

Was it torqued evenly and to proper spec? (warpage from careless install could cause valve to stick causing new code)
Of course it's possible. There's a reason many of us are leery of many aftermarket parts.
Could be the installation, see comment above.

cronicmole

Your reply is received with thanks. I am a novice with cars so if you do not mind, can you please provide further clarification on the following:

1. "The first code P0970 is strictly an electrical fault, it can't be caused by a mechanical fault inside the trans. " My mechanic did not check the wiring I believe... he just replaced the Solenoid. Should I now ask a mechanic to remove the part and check the wiring?

2."Top of trans closest to the dipstick. Wire colors for CPSCV-C are black and blue/white" - Are these the wires the mechanic should check?

2. "Was it torqued evenly and to proper spec? (warpage from careless install could cause valve to stick causing new code)" - I have no idea... should I have a new mechanic remove the part and re install is? Or would the possible would have already ruined the part.

ezone

A parts replacer makes a guess then replaces parts without testing.
(Another thought, sloppy work habits might have introduced dirt or some other contamination into the new solenoids or even into the transmission itself, causing the new code problems. Maybe a sliver of original gasket material was not completely removed, causing new housing to warp causing the hydraulic valve inside it to bind. Just speculating here.)

"Electrical" includes the electrical portion of the solenoids in question, all wiring between the solenoid and the control unit, and the control unit itself. This sort of troubleshooting requires a unique skill set and equipment completely different from what is required to 'just replace parts'.

If you are dealing with a person who is only a parts replacer, there is little chance that same person is capable of doing any in-depth troubleshooting on an electrical or electronic problem.
In those hands, my $400 digital volt-ohm meter might as well be a door stop.

If you are but a novice with cars, do you think you would need to tell a real technician how to do his job?

You need to find a real tech who can troubleshoot and accurately diagnose the problem.
The life of your transmission is at stake, and that's not cheap at all.


Oh wait. If you're on an island then finding someone capable might not be so simple. Might be money ahead to just go to the Honda dealership
Hopefully your local Honda dealership has experienced and capable techs who can solve problems without guesswork?

Make sure you give all pertinent information about what has happened up to this point: It started with the code P0970 , so the solenoid set was replaced with aftermarket part, now it still has that P0970 code PLUS another new code P0776 , and we aren't real sure the new part was actually installed correctly. (Is that storyline correct?)
Oh no, I thought maybe you were going to attempt to tackle this job yourself and didn't have any service manuals.
A real tech who is doing the troubleshooting SHOULD be able to figure this out using available service information and wiring diagrams.

Do you still have the original part?
I'd probably want the original part back in my hands just so I could inspect and test it. Is it actually faulty? Did it really need replaced, or was it not the problem at all?

Is the original solenoid set still not only good, but is it undamaged? Maybe it can be reinstalled to see if the new code P0776 goes away.
If not, I'd probably recommend a new solenoid set from Honda just so we can assume it is not a faulty aftermarket part. Install it correctly, new gaskets, all that and correct torque on the bolts with a real precision inch-pound torque wrench.
Then erase fault codes, drive it and see if codes reset, then start over at the beginning with some real troubleshooting to figure out what the actual problems are. .

cronicmole

You have been really helpful. You want to hear something crazy.. I bought the car used and I discovered the Solenoid in the car was NOT the ORIGINAL HONDA SOLENOID! The connectors did not fit it.. The set up was Solenoid- > Separate Wire .> Connector.

Based on what youre saying is.. I should probably buy the Genuine Honda Solenoid. Take it to my local Honda dealership ( I tried to avoid this because of the expense but It will be probably be worth it) explain the history and tell them I want it fixed.

ezone

Uh oh. That's some great news [sarcasm.gif]
That greatly increases the number of possible problems yet undiscovered.
Someone couldn't fix it right before, so they sold it off?

It's quite possible the female terminals (contacts) inside the tampered connectors have now been damaged due to someone forcing incorrectly sized (terminals, paper clips, wires, whatever was done to make a connection) and spread the female contact so it no longer grips a correctly sized male blade.

You've already wasted time and expense with people who couldn't fix the car, yes?

If it's beyond your ability, take it to someone who HAS the ability. If it gets fixed correctly without a bunch of hassle, isn't that worth it?
It may not be cheap, but incorrect repairs that don't fix anything and waste money are worse.