Buying 92 or 93 Accord, which year is better?

[ptc1625]

im looking to buy a 92 or 93 accord, i was wondering which year had less problems.. etc etc i read something about the 93s having bad trannies and tcm's. i was just wondering what some common problems for these cars were so i would know hat to look for when buying one, any advice would be greatly appreciated.

i was thinking a 4 cyl 5sp, but well see what you guys say, thanks

[Igovert500]

Um, I honestly don't know. I havn't read anything that would suggest one is better than the other...I mean they are practically the same car. And I've heard of 90s, and 92s having problematic tcms as well..so if you can get your hands on old consumer report books from those years, then perhaps that will help. But otherwise, I think it would be better to focus on the specific condition of the cars you are looking at, rather than which of the 2 years they are.

Common problems...hm, well make sure it shifts smoothly. Make sure you aren't getting any lights flashing or staying on on the dash. A flashing 'S' light or 'd4' light can indicate a bad tcu or vehicle speed sensor. So make sure it shifts smoothly through all the gears, and that the cruise control holds a steady speed.

I'm assuming the car will have semi-high mileage due to the year...so some of these wont apply as much if you find something with under 90k...but I'll say them anyway.

Check for vibration. Older honda's motor mounts tend to wear out causing lots of vibration...you will notice it if you accelerate or if you are just sitting at a light and getting alot of vibration through the steering wheel.

Check for burning oil, smoke out of the exhaust. Blue smoke from the exhaust suggests worn piston rings or valve stem seals...both of which can occur over 100k.

Check the trunk for water, as the taillights can leak, also the sunroof drains can clog and cause water to leak into the car...so check for water damage.

Those are off the top of my head. Also, just check the normal stuff, and have a mechanic you trust check it out. Check the suspension...push down on every corner of the car, it shouldn't bounce up and down more than like 2x. Check fluids for leaks, check for rust, just make sure everything is working correctly...

[19prixgt98]

well obviously the 93 is better cuz it one year newer, but for the parts and dependablility, they are the same, there is no difference b/w the two years. the models on the other hand is what seperates the cars.

[ngc604]

ok not to sound like a dumb a$$ but wtf is the tcu? my d4 light starts blinking about once a month then i restart the car and it doesn't come back on for awhile.

[19prixgt98]

Originally Posted by ngc604

ok not to sound like a dumb a$$ but wtf is the tcu? my d4 light starts blinking about once a month then i restart the car and it doesn't come back on for awhile.

the tcu is the "transmission control unit" what year honda do you have? Im nto sure if this works on all the years but i do know for a fact that on the 90-93 models, if you get under the passenger side dash, and the little plastic piece against the right side of the car, by the hinges of the door.(its part of the plastic interior trim) Not sure how else to explain it......but there is a little blue plug thing that is just hanging loose. Take a paper clip and unfold it so the ends are pointed out.


then stickboth ends into the plug like you would electrocute urself, but dont worry, you will be fine. Then one the paper clip is inserted, hold it in there and watch ur gauges, it will throw a code, then once you know the code, there is a site somehwere that tells u what each code means, and t hen you will know exactly why the problem is happening!


But if u do not have a 90-93, then i do not know for sure if that plug is there or not!


good luck

[AccordCodger]

And incidentally, ngc604, why did you hijack this thread for an unrelated post?

[ngc604]

thank you for the info. will use for my 93. sorry about the "hijack" but i have asked about the blinking d4 to many people and i have asked on here before. never posted again because i didn't want to be redundent. sorry about that