jfratch2
12-16-2014, 12:22 PM
Hello, everyone! I am currently driving my 1987 Accord LX in a new terrain with new weather conditions and it seems that everything is going wrong now. Here's a little history on the car:
I have had this car since high school (7+ years) and it has been my daily driver for the most part. My dad and I have done most of the maintenance and repairs together so I'm somewhat familiar with a lot of the car. It was originally a California car. I should note I am the third owner. It was having difficulty passing smog due to high NOx levels prior to moving out of the state but it runs fine under normal conditions. It has been a great commuter when I need to take it on trips to the city, two or more hours away.
As of September this year I have moved to Iowa with this car. Our first snow came earlier than expected and I had major defroster/heating issues. Basically no heat at all when the car was fully warmed up. I took it to a local shop and they replaced a valve on the heater core, flushed it, and added new coolant. They also adjusted my idle. (It was around 2000 when warm and had trouble idling down on its own since the cold weather set in.)
I immediately found the idle was adjusted way too low. It was around 800 when warm and would stall out at every stop. With the help of my boyfriend, (I am a lady btw), we adjusted the idle back up to about 1250 when warm. Here's the problem now:
The car has always had a minor oil leak that the current mechanic said was due to an oil pan gasket. It has been rapidly burning or losing oil to the point of needing to add a quart every two weeks or so. This issue was never this severe before.
It is leaking coolant now that it has come back from its last shop visit. It didn't do this before I took it in.
Even with the idle adjustment the car is still stalling during abrupt stops and tight turns. I suspect the battery may be insufficient for this cold but haven't been able to take it in yet. (I'm about an hour and a half from the closest Honda dealer and our auto parts store closes the same time I get out of work each day. Also, its a very small town with only two mechanics.)
I should also add that after all the time the car spent in the shop here and the money I had to dish out for it, there is little to no difference in the heat/defroster situation unless driven for extended periods of time. Once the car is driven for at least an hour it tends to blow a bit warmer but not nearly as efficient as it was before all these issues.
In short, I am frustrated and cold and need some advice! Any ideas are greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!
I have had this car since high school (7+ years) and it has been my daily driver for the most part. My dad and I have done most of the maintenance and repairs together so I'm somewhat familiar with a lot of the car. It was originally a California car. I should note I am the third owner. It was having difficulty passing smog due to high NOx levels prior to moving out of the state but it runs fine under normal conditions. It has been a great commuter when I need to take it on trips to the city, two or more hours away.
As of September this year I have moved to Iowa with this car. Our first snow came earlier than expected and I had major defroster/heating issues. Basically no heat at all when the car was fully warmed up. I took it to a local shop and they replaced a valve on the heater core, flushed it, and added new coolant. They also adjusted my idle. (It was around 2000 when warm and had trouble idling down on its own since the cold weather set in.)
I immediately found the idle was adjusted way too low. It was around 800 when warm and would stall out at every stop. With the help of my boyfriend, (I am a lady btw), we adjusted the idle back up to about 1250 when warm. Here's the problem now:
The car has always had a minor oil leak that the current mechanic said was due to an oil pan gasket. It has been rapidly burning or losing oil to the point of needing to add a quart every two weeks or so. This issue was never this severe before.
It is leaking coolant now that it has come back from its last shop visit. It didn't do this before I took it in.
Even with the idle adjustment the car is still stalling during abrupt stops and tight turns. I suspect the battery may be insufficient for this cold but haven't been able to take it in yet. (I'm about an hour and a half from the closest Honda dealer and our auto parts store closes the same time I get out of work each day. Also, its a very small town with only two mechanics.)
I should also add that after all the time the car spent in the shop here and the money I had to dish out for it, there is little to no difference in the heat/defroster situation unless driven for extended periods of time. Once the car is driven for at least an hour it tends to blow a bit warmer but not nearly as efficient as it was before all these issues.
In short, I am frustrated and cold and need some advice! Any ideas are greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!