Help a newbie (Mass.)

[nv88accord]

Hello folks
Greetings to all.
I am a first time owner of a 1988 Accord LX-i. I bought one 3 weeks back for $2000 with 107K miles on it.
Was it a good deal ?
After reading all the rave reviews about the 3Gs,
I bought the first one I came across, without really getting it checked out by a mechanic. (was in a hurry as I needed a car urgently).
So far I have been very pleased with the car, and I think I made the right choice for a first car.

I have a few questions for you all, as I'm not really a car guy :

(i) Can you guys please suggest some good and not very expensive mechanic or service station in Massachussetts (I live in Framingham).

(ii) The car is running good, I got the oil change done. But .. the car starts shaking when I hit 65 mph +. It gets vey unconfortable on long drives this way. It runs very smooth, without any noise under 60. What could be the possible reasons ?

(iii) Since the previous owner didnt have any papers of the car at all. I do not know whats the size of the tires recommended. Can someone please let me know.

(iv) I am first time owner of any car, so any good tips for preventive maintenance is welcome.


Thanks you all for reading and your time.
NV

[NXRacer]

welcome to the board. congrats on your purchase. you paid a little much for it, but not too bad. if the body is in great condition then you made out ok.

(i) i dont live in Mass so i couldnt tell ya where a good mechanic is

(ii) sounds like your tires need to be balanced. take em to your local tire shop and have them looked at.

(iii) i believe the stock tire size is 195/60 on a 13 or 14 inch rim depending on what model. thats a good size unless you have custom wheels

(iv) the best thing to do for your car is keep up the maintenance and take care of it and it'll treat you right. we have a few users here who are over 350K miles on their car and they run like a dream.

[PortugalFocus]

sweet congrats on the car......

I usta live in Spencer Mass, outside Worcester.....

dunno If you live near Auburn but there is a god, (by good I mean fair) shop outside the auburn mall accross from the AutoZone.

I dont remember the name of it but I took may car there once to get inspected and they passed me with a CEL on!!!!! sweet

[k-roy]

Welcome to the board.
I need to make a howto on maintaince.
I'll get started soon.

2 grand is not bad is its still looking good all around.

Basic Tuneup
spark plugs
wires
distribtor cap and rotor
air filter
transmission fluid
fuel filter
oil change, witch you allready did, do it often
set timing,

As for the shake at higher speeds my first reaction is the driveshafts. they are about $150 fot both axles. And a few more hundred in labor.
It could asno need brakes or suspension work done.

Look on the side of the tire to find its size. it will be something like 195/80R13. That is not it but it will be written like that on the tire itself.

Preventitive maintaince
Wash, polish and Wax
Grease all bushings, hinges, and locks
Keep it cleaned,
use good gas
do a tuneup

[nv88accord]

NXRacer, PortugalFocus, kroy
Thanks a bunch to you all.

The body is good enough, not too bad.
I feel confident that it will take good care of me, and I'm ready to do so in return.

I love this forum and I will keep you guys updated about my experiences.

-NV

[Neuspeed87lx]

hey man .... welcome to tthe board....im from mass too .... about 10 min from springfield

[Jareds 89 LX-i]

Welcome to the board!! :super:

Stock tire size for 88-89 LX-i is 195/60/14.

For a tune up, do everything mentioned above, and add to that list: check and adjust valve lash (there's a procedure for this in the repair manual.... kinda hard to explain but easy to do). Also just do a thurough visual inspection over everything and make sure there's no loose or broken wires or vacuum hoses anywhere. If you find a vacuum hose that's hard and dry, replace it cuz more than likely it's leaking. Also look on the intake manifold under each fuel injector to make sure it's not leaking. If there's brown spots under the injector then it's leaking.

Other things I personally would do just to be sure everything is good and clean:
-check CV boots to make sure they aren't torn
-check upper and lower balljoints, as well as tie rod ends for looseness and/or torn boots
-check brake pads and shoes for proper thickness
-flush brake fluid
-flush power steering fluid (Honda PSF ONLY! Very important!)
-flush coolant
-if it's an automatic, FLUSH the tranny and use Honda ATF
-if you don't know when/if the timing belt has been changed, change it. These are interference engines.
-check drive belts for wear, replace if any visible cracks are present
-check power steering rack for leaks and/or torn dust boots

That's about all I can think of for that. It's probably a little extreme just cuz I'm a total nut about maintence and like EVERYTHING to be mechanically perfect on my car. It isn't all stuff you need to go out and do right away, just some things to keep an eye on if your under there sometime anyways.

For the shaking, I doubt it's your axles. Even if it is, start with the little things that "usually" make your car shake at higher speeds, which is: a) tire balance, or b) alignment, or c) both. Take it to sears anyplace that does tire balancing and alignments and just have both done (or at least I would, that way you know it's right). If either one is off alot it will wear your tires kinda funky.

Great choice on a car, btw!! 3rd gen Accord, as old as they may be, are still some of the most reliable, durable, longest lasting cars on the road today. When taken care of, they'll last pretty much as long as you care to keep driving it, and if that's forever then they'll run about that long, LOL. Think: engergizer bunny, hahah. My car is about to turn 327,000 miles, still runs absolutely perfect (ice cold a/c and all!), and shows absolutely no signs of slowing down anytime soon! :bow: :bow:

[3G Jester]

everyone pretty much suggested all that could be wrong. but dont fret too much over big repair issues. a good alignment and new tires or just a ballancing will probably eliminate the shake. so you really wont be spending to much....probably most likely.

anywyas....welcome to the board. im from CT. the north east [NE] area is probably one of the most active areas on the board. we have meets ALOT in the north east area. check out the 'Lets Meet' section of the board. there are pics of all our meets, especialy the last one on nov 2 at englishtown new jersey's raceway park. it was a lot of fun. keep an eye on that area of the board as well as the rest of the boards. feel free to ask anyquestions you may have, about cars, problems, perchases, audio and everything. most everybody on the board is helpfull and will assist you. and the off topic is a great place to elkt off steam or get help with something non car related. also post pics of hot girls...and..heh... just have fun. welcome to the board :wave:

[superguillermo]

Hello! Yeah...welcome to the board. I don't know if I can help much, but a while back I found a HONDA Accord 86-89 comprehensive shop manual free to download.

< www.pauldesign.ru > under Shop Manual

[3G Jester]

go super! did you use the search for that? Paul has been an upstanding member on the board since its conception...he is well know around here for his dedication to the site. he is anamzing photgrapher and photoshoper. nice guy too. check out his gauges---he has custom 3geez racing gagues--white--available for download. if you print them on high qualilty phot paper or taken them on disk to kinkos or a print center they can print them out for you REAL nice and they will look professional.

[3G Jester]

kiilla9s............for having only 3 posts.......your not getting off to a good start on the board.

youve been warned.....by me not a mod. they will do what they choose.

[Neuspeed87lx]

Originally posted by killa9s
You dumb bitch!!! why the fuck would you buy an old accord??? My want to bomb my accord and piss on the ashes!!! THATS FRICKIN RETARTED!

:huh: my want to bomb my accord and piss on the ashes ?? what the hell is that ?

[Vinny]

who knows banned people never make much sense

[SteveDX89]

I don't know what the market is everywhere but around here for a 3g, $2000 is a good deal. That's how much I paid for mine and most in the area are selling for close to $3000 or more. Congrats on the purchase and maybe I'll see you at a meet.

[nv88accord]

Darn, this sucks. Couldn't pass inspection - for a stupid almost intact (wouldnt say half but quarter broken) back left indicator.

The front springs are broken , Struts and mounts also not in good shape. Turns out, it wasn't too good a deal :-)

But the drive is super smooth after wheel alignment. Put on new tires too. Falling in love with this more and more everyday.

A question anyway, is 1500 rpm at idle and 2-3000 rpm in motion a good sign ?

[danronian]

The idle should be lower. Look under the back of the drivers seat with the seat all the way forward for a little tab on the back of a big plastic box. Pull the tab and with the car turned on see if the little led flashes. If so count the flashes before the slight pause and check in the tech>efi section to see what the code means. Probably some sensor is broken. While your at it get some throttle body cleaner and clean it to make sure that isnt the culprit. The front springs in my car were replaced just before I bought it, that's weird that they break, I have never heard of it happening before.

[nv88accord]

OK, I checked again, the idle speed when the engine starts up is 1500 rpm. but as it runs for a couple minutes, the idle comes down to 1000 rpm until its switched off. I guess this is good enough.
Got the struts and springs changed. Hit me with another 400, but worth it. My Accord rocks baby. If my girlfriend ditches me, I dont care anymore. I have found a new love :-)

[87AccordsterLx]

Your running idle should be around 750rpms... 1000 is a little high.

[PortugalFocus]

good luck with the Accord though.... dont lose faith, the parts maybe a bit pricey but the A20A will give you plenty of happy times.......