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View Full Version : What could this be? *please help*



bobafett
05-29-2002, 08:10 AM
my car is doing pretty well, but there are a few quirks i would like to get worked out before i start to modify this car!

1) the accelerator seems to stick if the car is kinna cold (ie like 2 hours of sitting) -- if i tap the gas before i turn the car on, its not a problem, and it hasnt ever occured while i am driving, so its not a safety hazard, its just kind of annoying.

2) at certain times (starting in first gear, downshifting from 3 > 2, and when starting out in reverse) while i am letting the clutch out, unless the rpms are high, like 1800-2000+ rpm the whole car will kind of shake, its like its having a seziure or something... the only way this doesnt happen is if i rev it. cuase if i try to go slow around the "normal" rpm i would drive with, the car doesnt cooperate, it just starts jolting and being a bitch! my grandfather says he thinks its my clutch, but i have a feeling its not, since it only does this during the 1000-1600 rpm range... i am baffled by this problem, but i want to get it taken care of! but it basically only occurs when my rpms are a this certain range....

2a) another thing i notice, is when the rpms are starting to get into the range, i can hear the exhaust start making the same kind of shimmying rattling noise... and sometimes if i slow down a lot for a speed bump, and i dont downshift, i can hear the exhaust doing that...
could it be that if i am trying to get into a gear and the rpms are in that range, that the exuast is being funky, but since the clutch is out its making the whole car jumpy?

anyway, i dont know much about cars, so i dont even know where to start...

3) another thing i have noticed, is that my car has vtec!!! lol j/k. but when i floor it and get up to around 4000rpm, all of a sudden it picks up and pulls like mad, and its WAY faster and stronger... but this is almost like a *click*, its not a gradual change...... is this normal? a friend of mine said "thats how honda engines run", and i dont know about that... but maybe its a normal thing....of course i expect more power at a higher rpm, but this seems like it kicks into a whole different mode once i get up there...

4)when i turn the wheel a belt starts squeaking and its annoying (not critical i imagine, but i want to get it working good :))

5) it leaks a little bit of oil from the valve cover, and some from around the camshafts (or so i was told) :), is this something i could get fixed, or should i just deal with it and hold out for a b16-b18? an engine swap is my "plan" so i dont know if investing in this a20a would be worth it.... but how expensive would it be to fix that? i assume it means changing all the seals down there, and prolly the timing belt while i am at it!

umm, thats all i can think of right now, but i would really appreciate some help on diagnosing these issues

87accordlxi
05-29-2002, 08:33 AM
2) most likely the clutch.
2a) exhaust is probably loose, or it could be a loose heat shield
4) probably power steering belt, but could also be the alternator belt.
5) valve cover gaskets are cheap and extremely easy to replace. it is not worth investing in another engine just because of the valve cover gasket

bobafett
05-29-2002, 09:12 AM
Originally posted by 87accordlxi
5) valve cover gaskets are cheap and extremely easy to replace. it is not worth investing in another engine just because of the valve cover gasket

but if it is leaking from the cam seals too, (i think this is where more of it is coming from) would that make it a bigger deal to fix?

i plan on getting the exhaust done soon... would that maybe make the rattling go away? if so, i will jump on that oportunity, since i wouldnt mind an extra few hps... hehe

and about the clutch, whats the best way to figure out that on? just replace it? and if so, would there be any advantage to upgrading it now? (consider i have no performance mods now, but plan on doing many) .... but if i got a better clutch i wouldnt have to worry about it... but i dont wanna go overkill, and make it a pain in the ass to drive... pointers?

POS carb
05-29-2002, 05:36 PM
1) normal cold fast idle
2) could be a motor mount problem or a clutch problem
3) yea honda engines are like that, no torque, but if you have an 88-89 LXi then it's the little secondary air door in the intake manifol runners opening up
4) tighten it or change it!
5) try changing your valve cover gasket. If your valve cover isn't the stong aluminum one chances are that the ends are warped and it needs replacing. If it's neither of the latter then change the cam seals