Some Technical Issues W/ My 88 Accord Hatchback

[TechnoGecko]

I couldn't believe there was a website dedicated entirely to the 3rd generation accords, but sure enough there is! Hopefully you guys can give me some insight on this car as well as suggestions.

Just picked up an 88 Accord DX Hatchback w/ 160k on the clock. I have most maintence receipts back til 97 and it looks like most things have been taken care of on the car. However, there are some issues that are still looming that I have not yet had a chance to look at and would be grateful for any suggestions in diagnosing. So, here they are...

1. When shifting into reverse it usually makes that grinding gears sound the first time you try it. Usually on the second time it goes in to gear but makes a very loud clunk in the front of the car. Sometimes if you drive it around for a while and then put it in reverse she goes in perfectly, other times it grinds and then goes in with a clunk. I imagine the reverse syncro is pretty worn, but would that be the entire cause of this?

2. The high pressure power steering hose in the front has a leak behind the mount that is blowing PS fluid on the exahust which is then smoking off the car. I picked up a hose from Checker for $28, I just need to replace it. Anything inparticular I need to watch out for? Also, I notice it says to only use Genuine Honda PS Fluid, and I've been reading that apparently there is some difference, but yet I can't find it at Checker or Autozone. So, any suggestions on that as well?

3. How the hell do you remove the back seat? I'm assuming its like most rear seats and that you just pull quickly and snugly in the front of it and it will pop out. Well, I've yanked and cursed and pulled til my heart is content. Mabye I'm missing something, otherwise that sucker is REALLY in there good.

4. The DOOR/Seatbelt warning light is on even when all the doors and the driver seatbelt is in. I'm assuming the sensor in the seatbelt latch is broken and that it is safe to just ground it to eliminate this warning?

5. The 'BRAKE LIGHT' warning light comes on every now and then for no apparent reason. All lamps are good and the connections are tight. I'm assuming this is just "one of those things..."

6. Where can you find a throttle cable for this car? Both Autozone, Checker, and NAPA said they don't carry one. I've yet to call the Honda dealership for fear of what they're going to tell me it costs. The rubber outside of the cable is all melted in the engine compartment and the throttle sticks occasionally. It is an interesting experience when it does that to say the least.

7. Sometimes in 4th gear while driving at a fairly constant speed there is a pulsing feeling in the car while going down the road. Usually if you take your foot off the gas and reapply it goes away. Not sure what this is, more of an annoyance than anything.

8. Is there any adjustment for the power steering or is it really supposed to be that featherlight? I can make the car do a 360 with my pinky! It does have a rebuilt PS pump and rack in it, mabye thats the reason...

9. Where is the typical release point on the clutch in this car? I have a feeling its not properly adjusted or something, all the grab is closest to the driver, for a total of about mabye an 1" or so. Seems like the grab point should be much greater...

10. Sometimes shifting in to second is a little rough from third. I'm guessing its probally just a good idea to change the transmission fluid. The shifter boot is in good shape however...

11. Sometimes when making right/left turns there is a pop. I'm guessing CV joint? Records show that it was never replaced but that the boots have been replaced every 30k on the car and they are in perfect shape right now.

.. all in all it sounds like alot but I guess its just a whole bunch of little things. Any suggestions you can make of things I should or should not do would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again for all your help in advance!

Jason

[ Edit: Here is what has been done to the car that I have receipts for... ]

Service History:

New Battery in December
102k - Rear Brake Shoe Kit
103k - Inboard & Outboard Boots
108k - Air Filter, Oil, Fuel Filter, Head Cover Gasket, Plugs, Cap & Rotor
109k - Clutch & Thermostat
113k - Replace Lower Ball Joint
121k - Inboard & Outboard Boots
125k - Cap, Rotor, Fuel Filter, Air Filter, Head Cover Gasket
126k - Master Cyl
130k - PCV Valve
138k - Timing Belt, Water Pump, All Belts, Upper RR Arm, Head Cover Gasket
143k - Brake Hose Set
153k - Plugs, Cap & Rotor, Fuel Filter, Air Filter
157k - Speedo Cable, Rack & Pinion, Tire Tods, PS Pump, Brake Valve

.. only notes left are that the following conditions should be addressed:

- Both Front Upper Ball Joints Worn
- Left Rear Wheel Bearing Worn
- Left Axel Seal

[snow_man_20]

Wecome to the board. This place will help you alot. I feel that most of your questions will be helped.

I think i can help you with a few. You need to pick up a chilton and hayns manual.

1. Yeah it could be worn out, when was the last time the clutch has been adjusted?

2. You have to get the psf and the honda dealer. I highly recomend it.

3. There's a bolt under your back seat feel around (were you loose change), find it remove it and pull up on the back side. (were you loose change).

4. don't know

5. the light is trigered by your e-brake, mabie sticky or need to be loosened.

6. buy at dealer, how did it melt?

7. Oxegen sensor going out can cause that.

8. sounds like it works good.

9. nevermind #1 adjust your clutch cable

10. might not be a bad idea to change the fluid.

11. cv is more like a click sound that is in rhythm with the tires.

hope this helps.

[TechnoGecko]

Thanks for the suggestions. I also edited my post and updated what has been done to the car according to the service records I've got. The car has quite a bit of money thrown at it. It dosen't look all that pretty and I probally overpaid for it, but its cheap transportation for the time being. I just want to tackle any major issues now before they turn in to larger ones down the road.

Also, any suggestions on changing the transmission fluid?

[w261w261]

Well, I'd go for the safety issues first: the sticking throttle cable and the ball joints. The throttle cable you probably have to buy from a dealer: try Majestic Honda in RI, they have around a 25-30% discount on genuine Honda parts. http://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com/auto/jsp/mws/catdisplay.jsp
While it sounds like you need a new one because of the melting of the housing (wonder how *that* happened), you might be able to lube it by disconnecting the cable, tie it off in a "held high" position, and slowly drip some oil into it. Make sure that the rest of the throttle mechanism works well as long as you have the cable disconnected.

The ball joints, if bad enough, will allow the suspension to come apart. If you don't know how to judge the wear on them, contact someone who does. When you see a car along the side of the road with one of the wheels tilted in at a crazy angle, the ball joint has probably come loose.

The boots that protect the CV joints on the drive shafts need to not be ripped. If they are, it won't be long before road schmutz gets into the joints and ruins them...it might already have happened. To install the best kind of boots, the shaft has to be disconnected from the motor or wheel side. But there are boots that can be fit around an existing shaft. They don't have such a good reputation. Assuming you are not going to do this yourself, the labor component is kind of high, so you might look into replacing the entire half shaft with a new/remanufactured one. They're available from various places for not too much money, and then you know you've done the job right. I would recommend OEM Honda boots, some of the aftermarket ones are crap, and if they fail prematurely, you're right back in the soup labor-wise.

As far as the shifting goes, you might just need to adjust the clutch. Or the sychronizers might be worn, as you said. The owners manual (maybe) might tell you how to do it, or any of the aftermarket Honda Accord manual do. It's not hard. But, your clutch may be all adjusted out, in which case you need a new one. That's about $600.00 with labor. There is a way to ease the pain of shifting maybe, which is learning to "double-clutch." That's the way people used to shift all the time, before synchromesh trannies were developed. It's easier to do than to describe, so maybe you could find someone to show you.

I don't know if the "popping" sound from the front could be a ball joint, because I've never had one get that far gone. I did have a ball joint let me know that it was time to repace it, but it was in the rear. I spent time looking for whatever was loose in the trunk, because when I went around a curve there was this "thunk" from back there, exactly like something rolling and hitting the side. As someone else commented, if the noise up front is a CV joint going bad, it's more like a click-click-click when you turn.

Checking the transmission fluid level has to be done from underneath the car, and I believe it's in the owner's manual. If you look on the right side of the transmission you'll see two plugs, like the oil drain plug on the engine. The tranny drain is down lower, and the fill/fluid check plug is further up, you might have to look a little for it, it's up further than you might think at first.
The transmission takes regular 10w-40 oil (10w-30? can't remember at the moment), and you check it by removing the top plug and making sure the fluid is topped off. As long as you're there, you might as well drain it and refill with fresh oil. I believe the interval is 15,000 or something like that. Hopefully, the mechanic who last refillled the transmission didn't wipe out the plug using a vise-grip, like mine did. A new one with a special washer was almost 20 bucks. That mechanic is now history. I have had a niggling kind of question about doing the job myself, which I haven't had to do because I've had regular work down there which has resulted in the transmission being refilled regularly. It is this - when I change my oil or have to get underneath, I put the car up on ramps. This tilts up the front of course, and I've wondered if that might result in an erroneous reading on the transmission oil. But as I said, I havent' had to really address that issue.

BTW, a "whirring" sound coming from the transmission could be low oil. Fix that *right now* or you'll be sorry.

Please get back to us and let us know the resolution of things. It helps for the next guy.

Good luck.

[mouchyn]

it sounds like this is your first old honda. all the problems you're having are VERY typical of older hondas, especially this car.

1. the clutch engagement point should start right off the floor. There should only be about 1/2" of freeplay at the top of the pedal. If yours is tight at the top of the pedal, then the clutch needs some adjustment. Follow the clutch cable down past the battery. You'll see it change into a big threaded plastic tube that continues down to the clutch lever arm. Loosen that plastic nut on that threaded piece to adjust how where the pedal engages the clutch. once that is good, you still might notice some funky shifting with the transmission. Honda transmissions are notorious for having weak synchronizers. From the sound of it, you're doin pretty good at 160k. If i'm not mistaken, reverse doesn't have any synchronizer. If it does, it doesn't function the same as the others. What will usually get reverse to engage without grinding is, in neutral with the car still, move the shifter into 3rd gear, then 4th gear, then reverse. That motion kind of aligns the gears in the transmission and allows reverse to engage more smoothly.

2. transmission fluid. drain it all out and fill it up with genuine honda MTF. this can only be bought at the dealer. It's not expensive and it's really the best thing you can put in there.

3. PS fluid. Genuine honda PS fluid can only be bought from the dealer. Again, it's not expensive considering the benefits. You will want to remove all the oil PS fluid from the system before filling it with your honda fluid. Either suck the oil fluid out of the resevoir with a syringe or just pull the the lower hose off the reservoir and allow the fluid to drain into a bucket or something. Try not to get that much on the car because PS fluid dissolves paint. Start the car with the reservoir empty and turn the steering wheel lock to lock several time to get all the fluid out of the system and into the reservoir. Empty it again. Now, fill it with your honda fluid. The system bleeds itself, you just have to turn the steering wheel lock to lock about 50 times. Keep an eye on the reservoir and top it off when necessary.

4. back seat. pull the cushions up around the edges and get all the mounting bolts. once those are out, the cushion should be semi-loose. there are some big metal L clips on the front of the seat. The bottom part of the L faces the front of the car, so you kinda have to push back on the seat and pull up. Kinda take a look under there when you're trying to get it out and you'll see what i'm talking about. just keep in mind that the L brackets face toward the front of the car.

5. seat belt light. reach under the seats and disconnect the seatbelt sensors. If the light in the gauge cluster stays on with those sensors disconnected, then your problem is with a door sensor. How are the doors aligned? go they sit flush with the body when the doors are fully closed? if you push in on the door from the outside while it is close, does it move at all? All my preludes had this problem. Usually, all you have to do is adjust the door latch striker. Look in the online shop manual for that procedure. If the little spring sensors that turn the dome light on and off is weak, you can fix that, too. Remove it and replace the spring in it with one from a disassembled clicky writing pen.

6. throttle cable: dealer item. it's not that expensive. try these sites for discounted prices on genuine honda parts.
www.hondaautomotiveparts.com
www.torringtonhonda.com

7. clicking while turning. If you only hear the click once and then it stops for the rest of the turn, i would check your suspension parts. check all the bushings. Also check your ball joints and tie-rod ends. If those are loose or weak, they could "thunk" when you change direction.

[w261w261]

I checked Torrington Honda vs. Majestic Honda as far as prices go. Majestic sells at a 25% discount, and Torrington is at 20%. Majestic, however, does have a 4.95 service charge per order, and I don't know about the other one. Majestic has always been nice and quick about shipping. They take stuff back at a 20% restocking charge, which is more than I can say about my local dealer in Westport, CT. When I ordered two rear shock mounts and found I didn't need them, well, they're still sitting in my garage.

[BITESIZE]

All of those problems, most of us on here have had! WELCOME TO HELL! :) Just kidding. You will love your 3gee. Welcome to the boards!

[NXRacer]

1. When shifting into reverse it usually makes that grinding gears sound the first time you try it. Usually on the second time it goes in to gear but makes a very loud clunk in the front of the car. Sometimes if you drive it around for a while and then put it in reverse she goes in perfectly, other times it grinds and then goes in with a clunk. I imagine the reverse syncro is pretty worn, but would that be the entire cause of this?

typical honda tranny problem. not much to worry about, just take it easy when shifting into reverse.



2. The high pressure power steering hose in the front has a leak behind the mount that is blowing PS fluid on the exahust which is then smoking off the car. I picked up a hose from Checker for $28, I just need to replace it. Anything inparticular I need to watch out for? Also, I notice it says to only use Genuine Honda PS Fluid, and I've been reading that apparently there is some difference, but yet I can't find it at Checker or Autozone. So, any suggestions on that as well?

get honda PS fluid. its worth it.



4. The DOOR/Seatbelt warning light is on even when all the doors and the driver seatbelt is in. I'm assuming the sensor in the seatbelt latch is broken and that it is safe to just ground it to eliminate this warning?

probably either a bad seatbelt sensor in the seatbelt 'plug' itself, or your door switch isnt working correctly



5. The 'BRAKE LIGHT' warning light comes on every now and then for no apparent reason. All lamps are good and the connections are tight. I'm assuming this is just "one of those things..."

it can also mean you have low brake fluid.



8. Is there any adjustment for the power steering or is it really supposed to be that featherlight? I can make the car do a 360 with my pinky! It does have a rebuilt PS pump and rack in it, mabye thats the reason...

no



9. Where is the typical release point on the clutch in this car? I have a feeling its not properly adjusted or something, all the grab is closest to the driver, for a total of about mabye an 1" or so. Seems like the grab point should be much greater...

it all depends on the clutch



10. Sometimes shifting in to second is a little rough from third. I'm guessing its probally just a good idea to change the transmission fluid. The shifter boot is in good shape however...

another typical 3g problem. new tranny fluid helps. You could also try that royal purple tranny fluid. i've heard it helps.



11. Sometimes when making right/left turns there is a pop. I'm guessing CV joint? Records show that it was never replaced but that the boots have been replaced every 30k on the car and they are in perfect shape right now.

just because the boot is good, doesnt me the axle is. esp if the boots have been replaced recently.


all of these answers could have been found by searching the forum. learn to use it. i'll save you a lot of headaches.

:welcome:

[TechnoGecko]

After fighting with the car for almost an hour I finally got the PS hose removed. I unbolted it from the PS pump, and then took the cover off the bottom of the car so I could see where the metal fitting goes in. I loosened the fitting and let the fluid drain. I then took the two bolts off the clamps behind the engine that hold it in place.

.. it then took about 45 more minutes to figure out how the hell to get the thing out of there and I eventually ended up pulling it down through the bottom of the car.

.. but for the life of me, I can not get the new one to line up so that the metal fitting will go in. After trying or over an hour I got pissed off and said fuck it, and now im here. It's dark outside and I can't see shit now anyway. So the car is stuck now just dribbling PS fluid out of that fitting. I guess i'll go tackle it again in the morning. Is there something I'm missing here?

It seems like it almost lines up perfectly except it needs to push forward closer to the bumper and it wont because something is in the way, which appears to be two hoses? I think they have a T in them? I can't see shit back there behind the engine which doent make this any easier....

Is it supposed to go between those hoses? In front of, behind?

.. any photos, diagrams, whatever would be greatly appreciated. Its only day one and I'm ready to kill this damm thing! :pc:

Thanks again,

Jason

[mouchyn]

and now we have learned the lesson of carefull studying the old part before removing it. I always snap several pics with my digital camera before removing stuff like that just in case i run into little problems like you are encountering.

[NXRacer]

look here
http://www.pauldesign.ru/honda/shopmanual.html

you should be able to find all the diagrams you need. hope you have broadband! :D

[TechnoGecko]

I've got the shop manual but there isn't a decent diagram of that hose and how it mounts to the chasis....

Have you of you guys replaced this part before? If so did you feed it from the bottom of the car to the engine compartment or engine compartment down...

EDIT: Moreso, its just a matter of how to get it to line up - not how it gets installed...

[shepherd79]

I couldn't believe there was a website dedicated entirely to the 3rd generation accords, but sure enough there is! Hopefully you guys can give me some insight on this car as well as suggestions.

Just picked up an 88 Accord DX Hatchback w/ 160k on the clock. I have most maintence receipts back til 97 and it looks like most things have been taken care of on the car. However, there are some issues that are still looming that I have not yet had a chance to look at and would be grateful for any suggestions in diagnosing. So, here they are...

1. When shifting into reverse it usually makes that grinding gears sound the first time you try it. Usually on the second time it goes in to gear but makes a very loud clunk in the front of the car. Sometimes if you drive it around for a while and then put it in reverse she goes in perfectly, other times it grinds and then goes in with a clunk. I imagine the reverse syncro is pretty worn, but would that be the entire cause of this?

our 5 speed trannies don't have reverse syncros. to make ths noice go away, shit to 2nd gear before you shift to reverse.



2. The high pressure power steering hose in the front has a leak behind the mount that is blowing PS fluid on the exahust which is then smoking off the car. I picked up a hose from Checker for $28, I just need to replace it. Anything inparticular I need to watch out for? Also, I notice it says to only use Genuine Honda PS Fluid, and I've been reading that apparently there is some difference, but yet I can't find it at Checker or Autozone. So, any suggestions on that as well?

i get mine from Autozone all the time. it is a black bottle. about the size of injector cleaners. and it says HONDA power steering fluid on it.



3. How the hell do you remove the back seat? I'm assuming its like most rear seats and that you just pull quickly and snugly in the front of it and it will pop out. Well, I've yanked and cursed and pulled til my heart is content. Mabye I'm missing something, otherwise that sucker is REALLY in there good.

I am not sure about the hatchbacks but on sedans and coupes it is easy. you have to remove the bottom part of the seat first.



4. The DOOR/Seatbelt warning light is on even when all the doors and the driver seatbelt is in. I'm assuming the sensor in the seatbelt latch is broken and that it is safe to just ground it to eliminate this warning?

i would fix it if i was you. go to junk yard and see if you can find the parts you need.



5. The 'BRAKE LIGHT' warning light comes on every now and then for no apparent reason. All lamps are good and the connections are tight. I'm assuming this is just "one of those things..."

if you open the taillight covers from the inside. you should be able to see a little black box mounted on the taillight. well, that is what is causing that problem. get them from junkyard.



6. Where can you find a throttle cable for this car? Both Autozone, Checker, and NAPA said they don't carry one. I've yet to call the Honda dealership for fear of what they're going to tell me it costs. The rubber outside of the cable is all melted in the engine compartment and the throttle sticks occasionally. It is an interesting experience when it does that to say the least.

don't be affraid to call the dealer. according to Majestic (http://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com/) the cable cost is only $23.52 you have to look under 4D LX accord.



7. Sometimes in 4th gear while driving at a fairly constant speed there is a pulsing feeling in the car while going down the road. Usually if you take your foot off the gas and reapply it goes away. Not sure what this is, more of an annoyance than anything.

sounds like the carb may need to be rebuild. it may be dirty. so get rebuild kit from autozone.



8. Is there any adjustment for the power steering or is it really supposed to be that featherlight? I can make the car do a 360 with my pinky! It does have a rebuilt PS pump and rack in it, mabye thats the reason...

the PS should be feather light when you stop or driving under 15 miles per hour. anything above and the steering should get hard. if that is doesn't happen, you need to replace the PS speed sensor that is located on the transition. the Speedo cable goes into it. and you should see two hoses go into it.



9. Where is the typical release point on the clutch in this car? I have a feeling its not properly adjusted or something, all the grab is closest to the driver, for a total of about mabye an 1" or so. Seems like the grab point should be much greater...

the pedal should have some free play, so download the shop manual (the link is on this board under sticky).




10. Sometimes shifting in to second is a little rough from third. I'm guessing its probally just a good idea to change the transmission fluid. The shifter boot is in good shape however...

when shift becomes hard, you have to consider next: the cluch may be on it is way out, cable needs to be adjusted or the syncros for 2nd gear is gone.



11. Sometimes when making right/left turns there is a pop. I'm guessing CV joint? Records show that it was never replaced but that the boots have been replaced every 30k on the car and they are in perfect shape right now.

.. all in all it sounds like alot but I guess its just a whole bunch of little things. Any suggestions you can make of things I should or should not do would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again for all your help in advance!

Jason

[ Edit: Here is what has been done to the car that I have receipts for... ]

Service History:

New Battery in December
102k - Rear Brake Shoe Kit
103k - Inboard & Outboard Boots
108k - Air Filter, Oil, Fuel Filter, Head Cover Gasket, Plugs, Cap & Rotor
109k - Clutch & Thermostat
113k - Replace Lower Ball Joint
121k - Inboard & Outboard Boots
125k - Cap, Rotor, Fuel Filter, Air Filter, Head Cover Gasket
126k - Master Cyl
130k - PCV Valve
138k - Timing Belt, Water Pump, All Belts, Upper RR Arm, Head Cover Gasket
143k - Brake Hose Set
153k - Plugs, Cap & Rotor, Fuel Filter, Air Filter
157k - Speedo Cable, Rack & Pinion, Tire Tods, PS Pump, Brake Valve

.. only notes left are that the following conditions should be addressed:

- Both Front Upper Ball Joints Worn
- Left Rear Wheel Bearing Worn
- Left Axel Seal

the clicking noise is a sign of work CV axels. you may as well replace them. it is easy and cheaper to buy the axels than just the joint.
Autozone has them with lifetime warranty.

[TechnoGecko]

Thanks for all the help everyone. I'll be working on the car all day tomorrow to try and resolve all these little issues. I did sucessfully replace the PS hose after about 4 hours of work. There is just no way to do it with one person, its a two person job. One person to be under the car pushing the hose upwards and another to guide and twist it through the other hoses. When I did it that way it took us only about 45 minutes.

Topped her off with some fresh Honda PS fluid and were all set to go. Yes, it appears AutoZone carries Honda fluid, the two stores near me were both just sold out. No leaks! Though the A/C and engine compartment wreak of PS fluid, its time for some engine degreaser and a good cleaning tomorrow.

Tomorrow ill most likely tackle changing the trans fluid, I picked up some high milage 20-50W Mobil that should work nicely. My only question is for those of you who have done this in the past, how did you get the oil in the trans considering the hole is on the side? Funnel w/ a long hose?

As for the DOOR/Seatbelt light is has to be the seatbelt - all door sensors are working properly including the hatchback and no lamps are on for any door on the display. I'll also look in to that tomorrow.

The power steering I'm just not use to being so light. Getting in to reverse after passing through 2nd definatley helps - havent made a single bad noise yet! Thanks!

One additional thing I have noticed however is the idle. Twice now since I've had the car when I pull up to a stop light and stop the idle increases on the car to 2k RPM as if it were warming up. If I hit the gas it will rev up higher and then stay there. If I turn the car off and back on it resumes its normal 1k idle. I'm guessing this is a cracked vaccum hose and/or cap? Any suggestions on which one would cause this?

I've also been doing some reading on the vaccum removal procedures. I'm uncertain however what the advantage of doing this is ( besides now having to deal with the vaccum issues ) and what the difference between the stages is. IE, would it be beneficial from a maintence standpoint to do stage 1 or 2, etc...

I was under the assumption that w/o this vaccum system the car wouldnt run. Any clarification on this would be greatly appreciated. I'm working from a FI engine mind here - I'm going backwards in time! :)


Again, I appreciate all your help and time - you guys rock!

:rockon:

Jason

[mouchyn]

1. the fluid you bought at autozone wasn't honda fluid. it was fluid made for honda/acura vehicles, but it wasn't genuine honda fluid. buying genuine honda fluids from the delaer isn't all that expensive and it's the best you get put in there.

2. it seems like you didn't read any of the advice on the transmission fluid. the oil you bought is too thick and will cause rough shifting. I sure hope it's not synthetic, too. You really REALLY should be using Genuine Honda MTF. It coats the synchros the best and promotes smoother shifting. Yes, a long tube and a funnel will fill the tranny. So will a bottle pump.

3. on all my preludes, it was the door sensor. it might not be for you, but on my preludes, none of the warning lamps were lit on the gauge cluster. Everything was fine, but as soon as i drove over 10 mph, the seat belt light would start flashing. It took me months to track down the problem.

4. sounds like you have a vacuum leak with those idle symptoms. check all your intake gaskets, vacuum hoses, etc. if those are fine, look some more.

5. removing vacuum lines from your FI engine won't do anything but cause it to stall.

[TechnoGecko]

1. the fluid you bought at autozone wasn't honda fluid. it was fluid made for honda/acura vehicles, but it wasn't genuine honda fluid. buying genuine honda fluids from the delaer isn't all that expensive and it's the best you get put in there.

Obviously it's not Honda OEM fluid but at the time I was going to do the repair no Honda dealership was open. I'm sure the generic Honda stuff will work fine...


2. it seems like you didn't read any of the advice on the transmission fluid. the oil you bought is too thick and will cause rough shifting. I sure hope it's not synthetic, too. You really REALLY should be using Genuine Honda MTF. It coats the synchros the best and promotes smoother shifting. Yes, a long tube and a funnel will fill the tranny. So will a bottle pump.

.. I did read the advice. I decided to go w/ the non synthetic 20-50 due to the high temperatures here in Arizona. I run 20/50 in several of my cars in the summer due to the temp being well over 100 nearly every day during the summer. I've found the 10/30 thins out too much in the heat and 20-50 works nicely. In the winter I simply switch back to 10-30. I suppose this may not work all that well with the Honda, but there is only one way to find out...


3. on all my preludes, it was the door sensor. it might not be for you, but on my preludes, none of the warning lamps were lit on the gauge cluster. Everything was fine, but as soon as i drove over 10 mph, the seat belt light would start flashing. It took me months to track down the problem.

The seatbelt sensor is working properly however the DOOR/Seatbelt light is still on. I went ahead and removed the switches and reseated them to make sure it wasnt that, as well as bypassing them. Im fairly sure its the seatbelt sensor harness that goes from under the seat to the front of the car, its looking pretty frayed but I didnt get a chance to get a meter on it and tackle that yet...


4. sounds like you have a vacuum leak with those idle symptoms. check all your intake gaskets, vacuum hoses, etc. if those are fine, look some more.

.. obviously a vacuum leak, just not sure which hoses would cause that which is why I asked.


5. removing vacuum lines from your FI engine won't do anything but cause it to stall.

.. its not a FI engine, its carb'd.

[raygv]

I bought a 87 lxi hatch a few months ago. I've had the same problem with the seat belt/door light warning if I opened the door with the car on. The previous owner apparenty already had it with the chime thing on the rear view and disconnected it. After reading everyone's post about the sensor under the seat I went and looked for it in my car. I disconnected it. But I'm a bit concern. Does that sensor control anything really important that would outweigh the annoying flashing light on my instrument panel?

also...I noticed another box when I was looking under the seat. what is that?

[A20A1]

One of the boxes controls the power windows I believe the other is the carb black box solenoid control circuit... but I'm not sure.

[A20A1]

I've also been doing some reading on the vaccum removal procedures. I'm uncertain however what the advantage of doing this is ( besides now having to deal with the vaccum issues ) and what the difference between the stages is. IE, would it be beneficial from a maintence standpoint to do stage 1 or 2, etc...

I was under the assumption that w/o this vaccum system the car wouldnt run. Any clarification on this would be greatly appreciated. I'm working from a FI engine mind here - I'm going backwards in time! :)


Again, I appreciate all your help and time - you guys rock!

:rockon:

Jason

Vacuum is the carbed engines way of saying "I'm Okay" or "Help"

A lot the the emissions and electrical carb equiptment needed to be controlled via the various load conditions the carb underwent.
EFI motors use electronic sensors to deternin load.
Basicly the vacuum removal gets rid of the signals going to the Carb chip and allows you to remove the electronic controls. In some cases it can be benificial, but if you don't know how to adjust the carb jets or anything about carb tuning you may be stuck with a poor running carb. in some areas though you will see an increase in performance.

There are a few mods on top of the vacuum removal mod I would recommend.
1) EFE Plate, Punch out the white screen
2) Add a second Phenolic Spacer between the carb throttle base and the carb body.
3) Upgrade the fuel pump

The further along you go in the vacuum lin removal the more parts you remove that are not 100% nessescary for the car to operate.

Some parts like the vacuum advance still require a vacuum signal and shouldn't be removed.
Also some internal carb valves require an external vacuum source because there was no easy way to make and internal vacuum passage to supply the vacuum to that particular valve.

[XBoom135]

Don't know how other members would feel about it, but I use Redline oil in my tranny. Excellent lubricant in my opinion. Royal purple is also good. Lucas makes a product that improves shifting action and transmission durability. Used it in many automatics. Never a stick though.

[Shirako]

Wal mart carries genuine honda power steering fluid. i'v bought it there myself, atleast I think it said genuine...was awhile ago.

[lostforawhile]

2. transmission fluid. drain it all out and fill it up with genuine honda MTF. this can only be bought at the dealer. It's not expensive and it's really the best thing you can put in there. genuine honda manual transmission fluid is nothing but overpriced oil,it says right in the factory owners manual to use normal motor oil, i do like the red line though. it's just a gear box,nothing fancy. as far as the ps fluid the stuff at walmart isn't real but is exactly the same as the stuff at honda,they can't say honda on it is all,i've used it for years never had a problem. as far as 20-w 50 i use it too in the summer here because it gets so dam hot. never had a problem. the dealer will even try to sell you genuine hona oil filters, they are exactly the same as anyother oil filter, i like the nappa gold myself a little more expensive but good quality. don't use fram they are crap. also don't use those filters with teflon crap in them,i just read an article about them and it's been proven they do nothing,the first time the oil goes through the filter it traps all the teflon,plugs the filter,and the bypass opens rendering the filter useless and sending unfiltered oil through your engine. teflon is metal filters trap metal. a far as the ps fluid being for honda/acura vechicles it's the same thing.uh acuras are made by honda. any of them that use the special fluid use the same thing. the point of the special fluid was that honda designed a seal that would never leak,but regular ps fluid destroys the seal, thats where they got the rep that the racks all leak. if you run a new rack with honda fluid or equilvilent it should never leak.