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Thread: tw sensor swapped but still broken?

  1. #1
    2.0Si User mykwikcoupe's Avatar
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    tw sensor swapped but still broken?

    Im helping out a family member who i conviced to buy a 1989 accord lxi sedan. It has 100k on it and is in good shape but unfortunatly wasnt maintaned very well. the shop we bought it from had a ton of reciepts and it was even a mechanics shop. They used it as a loaner car when people dropped off their cars to be fixed.

    Needless to say the work that had been prefromed either wasnt or done very poorly. The car is hard starting when its warm but will start if you pump the gas when cranking after a few cranks. I have swapped out the main relay and yes you can hear the audible click when turning the key to the on position. The ECU is showing code 6. I looked online and found this to be the black TW sensor located on the thermostat housing. Today I swapped it out, removed the battery terminals to clear the ecu code and when we started it up we got the same result. Hard to start with code 6 on the ecu? She is a high school student and has become the onset of spectators when school gets out. Any help would be great. Im pretty fluent on these cars and am hopeing its something easy and I had overlooked it. Thanks for the help. Mike



  2. #2
    3Geez Veteran ghettogeddy's Avatar
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    Re: tw sensor swapped but still broken?

    check the wires make sure theres no corrosion and its getting good contact to the the sensor check as far in the line as you can if its none of those try a dif ecu or even a 3rd tw sensor
    its is possible to buy a faulty one

  3. #3


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    Re: tw sensor swapped but still broken?

    Check wires first, then ECU.
    Phil

  4. #4
    LX User
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    Re: tw sensor swapped but still broken?

    Quote Originally Posted by mykwikcoupe View Post
    Im helping out a family member who i conviced to buy a 1989 accord lxi sedan. It has 100k on it and is in good shape but unfortunatly wasnt maintaned very well. the shop we bought it from had a ton of reciepts and it was even a mechanics shop. They used it as a loaner car when people dropped off their cars to be fixed.

    Needless to say the work that had been prefromed either wasnt or done very poorly. The car is hard starting when its warm but will start if you pump the gas when cranking after a few cranks. I have swapped out the main relay and yes you can hear the audible click when turning the key to the on position. The ECU is showing code 6. I looked online and found this to be the black TW sensor located on the thermostat housing. Today I swapped it out, removed the battery terminals to clear the ecu code and when we started it up we got the same result. Hard to start with code 6 on the ecu? She is a high school student and has become the onset of spectators when school gets out. Any help would be great. Im pretty fluent on these cars and am hopeing its something easy and I had overlooked it. Thanks for the help. Mike
    black sensor? sure you didn't replace the radiator fan switch?

  5. #5
    2.0Si User mykwikcoupe's Avatar
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    Re: tw sensor swapped but still broken?

    isnt the tw sensor black not the green one?

  6. #6

    89T's Avatar
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    Re: tw sensor swapped but still broken?

    if i remember right the green one is the controls the temp guage.
    un-motivated!
    someone make me an offer i just could not say no to.

    3GR

  7. #7
    2.0Si User mykwikcoupe's Avatar
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    Re: tw sensor swapped but still broken?

    the single wire sensor on the side of the head controls the temp gauge. Man why does this car need 4 ways to find a coolant temp?

  8. #8

    LX-incredible's Avatar
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    Re: tw sensor swapped but still broken?

    On the thermostat housing...
    Black, smaller 2 wire sensor - TW sensor
    Green, larger 2 wire sensor - Aux fan switch
    Small, single wire - temp gauge sender

    Check the wires at the sensor plug. Chances are they are cracking, corroding, or broken. Also check the plug for corrosion and that it is plugged into the correct sensor. They didn't have the decency to use different colored connectors on some of these harnesses. TW wires are black and white/green.
    88 LX-i coupe auto (241K DD), 88 LX-i coupe 5-speed, 89 SE-i coupe auto.
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    CARDONE SUCKS.

  9. #9

    AccordB20A's Avatar
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    Re: tw sensor swapped but still broken?

    Quote Originally Posted by mykwikcoupe View Post
    the single wire sensor on the side of the head controls the temp gauge. Man why does this car need 4 ways to find a coolant temp?
    yeah ive never understood why usdm cars need two radiator fan switches, mine has one on the bottom of the radiator and thats it, goes to a relay and clicks the fans on and off, one screwed into the head is the tw sensor and beside it also in the head is for the gauge.

  10. #10

    carotman's Avatar
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    Re: tw sensor swapped but still broken?

    Mine is like that too.

    The second sensor is for cars that have a fan timer relay.

    http://pages.videotron.com/omus
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    I need these parts!
    https://www.3geez.com/forum/showthread.php?t=67742

  11. #11
    2.0Si User mykwikcoupe's Avatar
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    Re: tw sensor swapped but still broken?

    anyone know which wires are the tw at the ecu or wherever they terminate at. This way I can check for continuity of the entire wire system.

  12. #12

    Re: tw sensor swapped but still broken?

    Looking at my 88 service manual, the wires going into the ecu are a yellow with a green stripe and a green with a white stripe. They both go to the black connector with 15 wires going to it, a 16 pin connector. The grn/wht wire is spliced with the grn/wht wires that go to egr lift sensor and the throttle angle sensor. There are three connectors that go to the ecu, a white connector with 17 wires, and two black connectors. The other black connector has 9 wires going to it. If this info isn't correct it's because I'm looking at a Helm's for a 88 accord and a 87/88 electrical service manual, but I hope it still helps.
    Steve

  13. #13
    2.0Si User mykwikcoupe's Avatar
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    Re: tw sensor swapped but still broken?

    well angus, I dont mean to argue with you but after 30 minutes of troubleshooting heres what Ive come up with. the white plug goes to the green sensor with the black and white yellow wiring. the green plug goes to the black sensor with the green/yellow wiring. In both my accords this the common solution. In her car I did it like this and it cleared the code 6 ecu problem and it starts much easier as well. Maybe its a fluke on my part or maybe Im confusing something in my head.

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