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View Full Version : 1989 Honda Accord LXI Coupe - Oil Leak where? also Electrical and A/C issues



steve520
06-14-2015, 08:59 AM
Hi everyone I am new here and am also new to this car and this type of maintenance. I've always been able to change my own fluids and change tires but am really not that experienced with cars, but I really want to learn and figured this car would be a good car to learn from. I assume the leak is coming from the valve cover because when I bought the car that is what the owner said but not sure if he was leading me on or telling me the truth. As you can see from the video It smokes where the intake manifold is and there is clearly oil that is getting down there. It looks like its not leaking too bad but there is a leak for sure. On to the electrical issues driving at night The headlights came on and everything functioned but then i noticed the Instrument cluster lighting would end up going dead for a second and then come back to life. Don't know if it would be more wise to check the alternator first or maybe something in the instrument cluster itself first. As for the A/C the owner said it has been converted over to r134 but said there is a leak somewhere. I have no clue where or how to check what hoses would be leaking. Also any suggestions would be helpful with the problems or anything someone hears in the video. It sounded like it was running good but i'm not sure. Takes a minute for it to idle down. Appreciate the help thanks!

Also can anyone tell me what hose goes near the air intake you can see in my video apparently im missing one there don't know what it is and what it goes too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DX9ZF8MIPr0

Dr_Snooz
06-14-2015, 07:50 PM
The valve cover gasket is a good place to start. It's prone to leaks and not too difficult or expensive. For the lights,I'd check the operation of the dash light dimmer switch. Just take the A/C to the shop and let them deal with it.

steve520
06-15-2015, 05:29 AM
Sounds like a plan with the A/C system I wouldn't have a clue where to start. Any clue about that hose from the manual it looks like it is the hose going to the resonator from the air filter? Just wondering how big of deal that is and if its worth going to a scrap yard and yanking one off. I will check the dimmer switch today. Just wanting to get it running good. The car is in not too bad of shape and has low miles and the previous owner had a bunch of service records with it. Thanks for the help snooz.

gp02a0083
06-16-2015, 08:52 AM
x2 with snooz, looks like the valve cover and as mentioned it does tend to leak often. if you have smoke / oil drip on the back side onto the exhaust it usually tends to be the oil filter base gasket. As for the A/C if you do not have the knowledge or correct tools i'd advise against it for a newbie. I've heard too many stories of people incorrectly charging the system. I would just poke around the forums to see if you have a denso compressor before having the system serviced. The keinhin compressor does not take well to the 134a conversion. I agree with snooz, check out the dash dimming unit and work from there, could be as simple as a new unit to fix the issue or a little bit of tracing down a potential short. I wouldn't worry about that part off the intake piping, really does nothing except acting as a baffle for the intake noise or something

steve520
06-16-2015, 11:19 AM
Yeah im replacing the valve gasket when it arrives here. It doesn't look like to tall of an order of someone new to this as i am. As for the dimmer switch i'll have to look into it. As for the A/C i'll have to do some searching to determine how to tell which type I have, from what i've read the Keihin is the worst. Good to hear about the intake piping thing I was wondering what was missing off that good to know its not really important. Thanks for the help guys i'll let you know how if the leak stops after cleaning it all up and replacing the gasket.

I'm looking through the manual is there any other way to tell if I have the Nippendenso or the Keihin type? Is it labeled or from what i've read the only way to tell is from the brackets?

steve520
06-16-2015, 03:11 PM
Ahh shit looks like i might have that stupid Kehin A/C compressor it has the same 4 Allenwrench bracket on top as it does in the A/C Faq thread. But supposedly mine was already converted maybe thats why it sprang a leak because those compressors can't handle it? Either way looks like i might need to invest in a Nippendenso. Well i found cans of R-12 here pretty cheap only 17 dollars for a 12oz of R12 but if its been converted can i even use it?

gp02a0083
06-19-2015, 09:49 AM
I would personally hold onto that R-12 as an "investment", ive seen that stuff for ridiculous prices within the vintage muscle car scene like $30+ a 12oz can! I would convert it over to denso compressor and keep it 134 from now on. If you went R134 to R12 you need to flush the system well, the oil used to r12 does not play nice with the newer 134 stuff.

steve520
06-19-2015, 12:44 PM
Hmm I found an 1989 Accord at a UPullit near me. I don't know if it has that compressor but i met check it out. Do you think I can handle taking it out by myself? Is it a hard job and do you have to get underneath for anything?

Dr_Snooz
06-19-2015, 08:44 PM
You should really have a shop look at it before you do anything. "Leak" could mean a pinhole that requires filling only once per season. It could also mean a gaping hole in the condenser. It could also mean a bad fuse and no other problems. It's hard to know what, if anything, needs to be done until someone puts some gauges on it. If the 134 conversion was done and worked with the Keihin, I'd rock it until it fails. Which shouldn't take long. LOL

steve520
06-20-2015, 03:36 PM
Probably what im going to do rock it till it fails. Shops don't charge much to check leaks because im kind of on a budget.

gp02a0083
06-22-2015, 08:48 AM
Do the leak check yourself, grab a black light and look around. Most of these refrigerant oils and stuff have a uv dye. the swap over isn't hard at all to do, if you got a picknpull go grab the compressor bracket and high / low side lines. Also don't forget to snag the ipper manifold part of the compressor, i've never got one with a rebuilt unit. I recall it only took a few hours to convert and have the system up and running again after the conversion.

as snooz mentioned the leak could be a number of things and the Kehin is known for failing with the 134 refrigerant. it could last a few weeks and fail and on rare occasion from here on the forum a few guys were lucky and had it last a year or two.

Oldblueaccord
06-23-2015, 04:10 AM
7020

https://imageshack.com/i/idSdeHQ6j

https://imageshack.com/i/ey2EHQatj

http://imageshack.com/a/img913/8947/wwuPlt.jpg


Im thinking the mounting bracket goes with the ND compressor as well. If you grab it grab it all.

gp02a0083
06-24-2015, 08:57 AM
Oldblue, yes the denso compressor bracket is needed. As mentioned before also snag that manifold on the compressor

steve520
06-24-2015, 10:41 AM
Sounds good thanks for the help fellas.

steve520
06-26-2015, 04:40 PM
Well update the A/C in the other Accord was also a Kehin not planning on replacing a broken compressor with another lol oh well. I replaced the Valve Cover Gasket and looked great cleaned the areas of excess oil and stuff of where it went and didn't see a drop. New problem i'm still getting alot of smoke coming from the exhaust manifold in the front. I think that maybe alot of oil from the previous owner leaked in down into it and that is why it is still smoking, or could this be a new problem i'm facing? I don't know if it will take a while to burn off or not but im going to let it run next time, just hope its not power steering fluid. I'm wondering if it is difficult to identify a leak though is it hard to take off the exhaust manifold or is it just those bolts on the front because I have a pressure washer and can use that to clean off the stuff that leaked down there.

Dr_Snooz
06-27-2015, 08:01 PM
The only other seal that would be remotely close to the exhaust manifold would be the distributor seal.

steve520
06-28-2015, 06:16 AM
i'll check that seal out i'm thinking it was just the old oil burning off though i'm going to let it run and hopefully it stops smoking. Any idea what the little rubber piece goes right above the Engine Identification code? It fell off somewhere in the engine bay and have no clue if its important or not?

Update: Checked the distributor seal and around it looked good except for a little oil build up but i suspect that was from the valve gasket as it has been bone dry since i changed it thank god. I started it up again got it up to temp and of course it started smoking looks like its just an oil build up from where the old owner just left it. Im going to pressure wash around the area its smoking in and hopefully it will go away. I'm shocked to say the Kehin compressor actually looks like its functioning properly which is weird still havent searched for a leak i'm going to be getting the can with the dye in it soon and try and find it myself hopefully its not compressor once again thanks for the help.

Oldblueaccord
06-28-2015, 07:02 PM
I have had the power steering hose that runs across the exhaust manifold drip a little on it and make smoke once in a while.

Dr_Snooz
06-28-2015, 08:17 PM
It's also possible that the valve cover is bent.

steve520
06-30-2015, 03:12 PM
Getting ready to put the A/C in and noticed that the gauge is reading 0 psi. Is that normal for a car with no A/C to be having no pressure or does that mean something is wrong with the compressor? I figured it would at least have some sort of pressure.

steve520
07-01-2015, 09:11 AM
Well did the recharging thing and had the psi where it should be got in it was blowing semi-cold and then it went right back to hot and the compressor clutch isn't engaging again. It was engaging when i was recharging but it seems like it wont right after i tried it.

Dr_Snooz
07-03-2015, 07:35 PM
What were the gauges showing?

steve520
07-04-2015, 06:42 AM
Nevermind i got the A/C working shocking that it the compressor is still kicking couldn't find the leak but im going to see how long it last hopefully it will get me through the summer thanks everyone.

steve520
07-18-2015, 04:32 AM
Hey guys back here again. Turns out the A/C wasn't holding all pressure leaked out still has about 10psi but you can tell its leaking. Any common leak places to replace or look for I think it might be from this retrofitted schrader valve but im not sure. Also what is the normal idle for this car. It naturally starts hight around 2k. Then comes down but even full warmed up the best im getting is 1250rpm. I thought the idle should be somewhere around 800. Idk help would be appreciated again you guys are amazing this site has helped me out so much.

Dr_Snooz
07-19-2015, 05:35 PM
In general, the leaky spot will have a wet oily spot around it. Factory spec for the idle speed is around 850 rpm, but things are much smoother when you keep it closer to 1000.

steve520
07-23-2015, 10:33 AM
Its weird snooze I had the PSI up to normal range and A/C was working didn't see any oily spots. Checked the pressure after a/c stopped working and the PSI started going down. I changed over the schrader valve and tightened it down good the other one was oily and seemed like it could have been leaking all of it out not sure though. But now the PSI has stopped at right above 10 PSI. I don't know if that means ive solved the leak or not. Shouldn't the rest have already leaked out by now? I keep checking it every few days to see if it has gone down and it stays at right above 10. Kind of afraid to add more and waste more money but for some reason its holding. Any ideas? Also changed the breaks today and man did they need it those front pads were shot.

Dr_Snooz
07-23-2015, 06:55 PM
Most of the time, the leak is at the schraders. Your 134 adapters can also leak. I had terrific difficulty getting mine to seal properly. I finally epoxied the damn things on and then they held.

steve520
07-24-2015, 04:10 AM
I think thats where mine was coming from might try some epoxy as well got nothing to lose. Also had another oil leak again near the same spot as the manifold. Figured it was the distributor and sure enough it was. The O-ring where it was supposed to be on the end was literally non-existent so that fixed all my oil leaks. The idle problem wasnt really a problem I just didn't let it warm up enough its around 850-900rpm now. Next project is to fix the drivers side power window that won't roll all the way down. The motor works its just it wont go all the way down in the door strange. Im going to keep an eye on that PSI i really think it was that aftermarket schrader valve.

steve520
07-26-2015, 07:29 AM
Jeez took the Door panel off today on the drivers side it clearly needs replaced anyway due to the fact someone just used beige duck tape to hold on the exterior of the door panel. Good luck to me finding a coupe lxi Beige interior door panel all the ones at a junk yard ive found so far are either gray or maroon. But anyways heres a pic of what it looks like. Awful someone just ruined it. I have no clue where to start my goal is to get it to roll all the way down. It stops with about 3 inches left. So annoying when you have no A/C and you want to hang your arm out the window. I don't know whats causing it but the inside is a mess. Any suggestions on where to start snooze? Could make a video if that helps diagnose the problem. This site has literally helped me so much and I appreciate it.

Edit Pictures: 7087 7088 7089 7090

steve520
07-26-2015, 12:10 PM
turns out that big blue thing with duct tape in the bottom of the door was preventing it from going all the way down. I took it out and it was two wooden blocks with insulation around it. Rolled the window down and it went all the way down yay! Now the window wont go back up lol. Of course its starting to rain and I cant figure out how to get the damn thing back up.

Edit: Got it back up to the top again its that damn wheel that is at the bottom of the regular that kept popping out of place. Held it in and went straight back up. Now i need to find a good tutorial on how to take it out. Im assuming just take out all the 10mm bolts and it will pop out. I've been using your slow window tutorial snooze but thats for the passenger side plan on lubricating and cleaning real good to make it work right.

Dr_Snooz
07-26-2015, 05:52 PM
I notice you have an aftermarket speaker in the door. Those can stick into the path of the window and cause trouble. The slow window How-To should apply to the driver door as well. They're not that much different.

Also consider replacing the regulator. Clearly, someone has been inside that door before and they put all that stuff in the bottom of it for some reason. Probably to catch a falling window...

steve520
07-26-2015, 06:02 PM
I noticed the wheel keeps popping out of place when it reaches the complete bottom of the door. And to get it too go all the way back up I have to put pressure on it so it gets going again. I think they had that stuff there to stop it from going all the way down so it wouldn't pop out of place. I'm going to take it all out clean and lube up the regulator like your slow window fix tutorial. The aftermarket speaker isn't affecting the track. I made sure of it by taking it out and seeing if it changed at all.

Edit: It seems they were concerned with it falling so what I did was I removed the wood and wrapping. I re-wrapped only one piece of wood and slapped it back in there. It is a perfect height just enough so the window will go down all the way and now I can hang my arm out of the window that was so annoying not being able to do that. I oiled it up the best i could it seems to move up and down fine the regulator was replaced in the early 2000's which was a good thing. Don't know if they had a problem with the window falling but so far its managed to hold steady up. Next job is to find out how to fucking tape this plastic shit back lol.

steve520
07-27-2015, 12:53 PM
Haha got the window back together and door panel on and I can hang my arm out the window. Now i've realized I have a new problem but its an old car so i figured it would have a few. The distributor O-ring fixed the oil leak on the left side and the valve cover gasket fixed the leak going down into the exhaust manifold but now a new oil leak is discovered lol. I noticed it a while ago but figured it was oil left from where it was leaking at the valve cover it's not. From what i've read on here it seems to either be a Crank, Cam, or Oil Pump seal. It's not easy to track down but it looks like its coming from below the timing belt cover. This is where having a real car jack would help. Snooz what would be your advice for a novice like me take it to a shop or try to determine where the leak is coming from first? I noticed it only leaks after I have driven the car and parked it it starts dripping from one certain area. If it helps i'll try to take either some video or a picture from where its coming from the bottom.

Dr_Snooz
07-31-2015, 09:00 PM
You can pop the top timing belt cover off easy enough and check the cam seal. If it's fine, then you'll need to decide if you can handle a timing belt service. It's not difficult, but it is a lot of work.