Everything I read tells me its behind the passenger side kick panle if front of the door i took it off and its not there? Is it someplace else on an 1986 Gxl

 

It's on the passenger side just about where the passengers feet lay. You pull the rug up. You'll see a metal plate covering the ECU. Remove the metal plate and there it is.

 

I don't think there is a auto computer for S4's or so at least I've read that there is no auto computer on S4's

 

It's there, exactly where HAILERS said it is. I know, because I took the one out of my 86 and gave it away when I put my motor in

 

Thank you so much it was driving my crazy

 

May we ask why your looking for it?

 

I was told I needed to remove it for my auto to manual conversion that was the only thing i had left to do .And also I made my own mount its a little diffrent but super strong

 

That's odd. The ECU is the same on a manual as on a automatic.

Although, the automatic does have its own seperate computer(along with the ECU). I think it's called a ECAT.

I've never seen a automatic or the ECAT. I THINK it is located alongside the ECU though.

You certainly don't want to remove the ECU or the car won't run. Period.

 

Disregard the part about the ECAT mentioned above. I think your looking for something called the 4AT Control Unit. The 88 online wiring manual seems to show it on the passengers side but not next to the ECU which is on the floor. The manual seems to show it up and to the right of the ECU. I think I'll go get my home manual and find it. Later.

 

I think he's talking about the Automatic Transmission Control Unit, not the ECU.
And yes, it is up in the side behind that plastic interior plate. I had to unplug a couple things to get mine out.
I also have an 86 GXL.

There is also a Relay on the front crossmember under the hood. I don't remember which one it is though. I figured it out via the Haynes manual.

 

I looked and it seems if you took off that right hand kick panel on the passengers side you'd find it. It appears in the fsm to be located waaaay up and to the right. That's the best I can do with the fsm.

By the way, the unit located along side the ECU is the ABS Control Unit for cars that have ABS.

 

I just read FLOB. Sorry, the question in the thread said *auto*, which means to me automobile, not automatic. So you see where I was coming from. FLOB is right, I'm confused but now know where the automatic transmission computer is, or the 4AT Unit.

 

What happens If i dont unplug it

 

I am totally confused now because i was told that the 2 useless plugs under my drivers side dash once held the auto trany computer. Now its gonna bug me again

 

I don't doubt you knowledge, just figured what he was asking was misunderstood.

But you must still be confused because there are two bees in FLOBB

 

Here's the B that fell off the monitor in the previous post. FLOBBB

Attached is a location picture. In the far right it shows the 4AT box and to the far left it shows the Power Steering Box that I think Civics is talking about. Actually three jpg. The first shows all in the iterior, the next shows the right closer and the last the left closer.

 

So what happens If I dont unplug it

 

Probably not a thing. The wiring diagrams in the 87fsm are sparse when it comes to the automatic transmission. They do have a section called OVERDRIVE SYSYTEM that I copied some pages and attached. None of the eight wires seem to compromise anything if you don't have a automatic transmission.

It seems the tricky part of the swap lies in the clutch switches and the backup light switch and throw in the neutral switch for extra measure.

There's something called the 4 A/T Relay located way up front near/b/t the head lights. I'd remove that thing for ........superstitious reasons.

The ECU has some inputs related to the automatic transmission. Pin 3D from the Inhibitor Switch. Pin 2K got a ground from the overdrive switch when in overdrive but now will get that ground from the fifth gear switch when your in fifth gear.

Pin 1I got a ground from the auto transmission was in overdrive but now the manual transmission when in any gear but fifth will put a ground on this wire.

1L gets a ground anytime your not in neutral. I can't figure out when the auto transmission got this. Do not really care to know.

1G should have a ground now anytime your in neutral. The auto trans must have had a ground all the time on this pin the way I read the chart.

Yep. Just leave the thing alone and pull the 4 A/T Relay up front. I know not which relay that is. There's no wire colors in the wiring diagram that I noticed right off. Heck. Don't worry about that if you don't know where it is.

 

I did find this jpg out of the online 88 or 89 manual. At least it shows wire colors. The unit seems harmless if left connected up.