1990 Acura Integra GS from North America - Comments

First level of air conditioning switch doesn't work.

Gasket around the passenger window is loose causing air to seep in.

Lately the shift lock in the gear goes into effect and I have to put the key in its slot to unlock this.

This car still runs like it did when I bought it.

The seats are very snug and comfortable.

Size and economy make this a great car for a single driver or student.

My mom had a 1990 accord, and the same shift lock thing happened to her starting around 150k miles. Guess all Hondas had some glitch with this, but its really not that big of a deal.

The shift lock release has become an extreme pain and tends to make me really upset because it can take up to 3 minutes for it to release. The shorter of a distance I drive the longer it takes for it to release, I'm a very small girl so when I try to push my spare key in I have to be very forceful to it because it doesn't want to take - other than that... it's a beautiful well engineered car, that I enjoy and LOVE to drive.

I have that same problem on my 90 LS 4dr, the problem is the shifter assembly... currently I have one on order and will be at my house in days... I notice mine only does it when the outside temp reatches 20F sometimes even a little warmer then that.. I live in vermont and this is a pain, but all I do is turn off my cdplayer and turn the key all that I can... What ticks me off about the shiftlock selniod is when it goes in, but then goes out... I'm like WTF..

Just turn the car off all that you can and leave the key and come back... in like 5min or spend 175 on a shift linkage and assembly.

I'm trying to find a shift lock switch, but it's on national backorder. where did you get you switch from?

I have a 90 Acura Integra with shift lock problems also.. It only occurs when temps drop to 30 +- degrees or colder..can't get key out of ignition and have to use a second key in the shifter release.. from what I have researched this could be a problem with the solenoid.. an adjustment is necessary or possible replacement. I am about ready to try this adjustment and see if that solves the problem. It doesn't seem to me if the problem only occurs when temperatures drop that the entire assembly would be bad. If this were true the key could not be removed in warm temperature either. An adjustment seems logical due to contraction/expansion of metal in varying temperatures thus throwing things out of adjustment. I would appreciate responses to this theory. Hopefully tomorrow I will try to prove it.

I have a '91 Intergra RS and same problem. I read a site last year where someone said that this was a problem with either the shift lock or the shift sensor. Unfortunately that web page is no longer up so I don't exactly remember which part it was, but it had something to do with a waxy build-up near one of these two components. This build up freezes when the temp goes down. The person on that web page just cleaned and regreased whatever part it was (now, I really wish I had printed the article) and the problem was gone.

Buy a manual transmission integra. that's the true solution to your problem. automatics are not only more complicated, but also more expensive to replace work on and have more parts able to break. an automatic transmission only has an advantage over manual in very high HP application where manually shifting would be very difficult while trying to speed. at which point you would have to have a very costly. very high performance tuned automatic transmission (for example a toyota supra with 800-900+hp)

Hey guys, check under the dash where your brake pedal is, theres a switch that goes into effect when you press the brake, this is what releases the shift lock normally, if this is broken then your car will be stuck in gear and brake lights won't work, so check that out first, I had the same problem and this fixed it, so just letting ya guys know.

1990 Acura Integra shift problem.

I have a 90 LS with the same symptoms, took a while to figure it out. BUT I HAVE THE ANSWER! The acura part# is 35700-SK7-A01, description is "switch assembly, inhibit". It's located on the right side of the shifter, and is made of white and black plastic. I think its 10mm bolts (2) holding it. I paid $53.25 (CAN) + tax from Silverhill Acura in Calgary. Got it in 3 days.

When you move the shifter from park, reverse, etc, a pin on the shifter fits into a sliding contact in the switch. This tells the ignition what gear you're in as you move the shifter back and forth. The electrical "brushes" that make the connections have little springs behind them to ensure good contact. There is grease in these springs, that over time, pick up dirt, dust, etc that gums up these springs, and prevents them from pushing on the brushes adequately to make good contact. When the temperature drops, this condition gets that much worse with the cold grease. When you put the car in park, The connection is not made in the switch to tell the ignition you're in park, thus, it won't release the key. This is why after you give the spring some time to put pressure on the brushes and make a connection you can remove the key from the ignition.

I took the old one apart and cleaned all the crap out of it. It works fine now, so I have a spare. Use needle nose pliers to pinch the black tabs on the switch body to get it apart. It'll snap back together.

I hope this helps someone before they go through the same hassle!

Hi. I have a 1990 Acura Integra GS that has an odd problem. When you shift from drive to neutral to reverse to park it does what it's supposed to do, but when you go from reverse to neutral and press the gas while the car is in "neutral" the car will go in reverse.

We took it to a transmission shop and they took the transmission apart and didn't find anything... could this problem be in the shifter leaver/shift lock problem that was described above? thanks.

Email: shane.jenkins@hotmail.com.

My 1990 Acura Integra GS 2 door automatic has over 160,000 miles and hasn't had a single problem. It still is running great. In my opinion Honda make very good cars. But my solution to your problem with the shift lock would be just to take the shift lock out.

Answer from 31 Jan is absolutely correct. Last year I cleaned the switch on my 92 LS and it helped some but now that the weather's getting colder the interlock problem's back. Those contacts are wear parts and will need replacing eventually. I just ordered the part from the local Honda dealer at $56 US plus tax. If you're at all handy with a screwdriver and socket wrench, get yourself a Haynes manual for the correct steps for removing the console cover (have to drop the lower dash panels first, easy), and go for it, rather than paying for shop time.