Weird cold start problems on 87 LX...

[prototype]

When the car's cold and I start it up it doesn't idle up it just sits there at normal idle loping and missing and pouring out black smoke...

If I let it sit for a minute or two then rev the hell out of it in neutral it will sometimes kick in the high speed and then it revs high and doesn't lope... but if I try to go before it's warmed up, regardless if the high rev thing is on or not, it's like driving a car with 20 hp and I can't go any faster than 50 mph and it won't go up above 3k rpm..

I almsot got killed the other day when i pulled out of my driveway onto the highway and the car didn't want to go at all...

So this has become more than a nusance, it's a major health issue now...

What could be causing this? I was thinking the carb is getting choked which is why it's got no power but it seems like it's choking too much for my florida climate of low temperatures of 35 degrees... I don't know,,, help!

[dj mackee]

i seem to be having the same problem. the fumes coming out of the exhaust smells like gas and i have to keep the idle up myself by pressing the gas and keeping it around 1.5k to 2k

[AD9SloAccrd]

I had a similar problem about a year ago, and it turned out to be my timing belt.

[russiankid]

black some means your running rich, my bro's does the same thing, its the slow heater choke, its clears up after a min, then runs fine

[lackej1971]

I Know that this won't sound logical at all, but have you flushed out your radiator and replaced the antifreeze in it? Mine was doing the exact same thing and I had rust all inside my radiator. I flushed out the system and it ran better and better everyday. Seems that there are some sort of valves that this problem really messes up, so you may have to do this before your problem is fixed. Also, check and make sure that you have a good thermostat installed. My thermostat had been removed by the idiot that owned it before me and I was freezing my butt off. I thought my heater was broke, but the thermostat was gone.

Hope this helps ya, James

[lackej1971]

I Know that this won't sound logical at all, but have you flushed out your radiator and replaced the antifreeze in it? Mine was doing the exact same thing and I had rust all inside my radiator. I flushed out the system and it ran better and better everyday. Seems that there are some sort of valves that this problem really messes up, so you may have to do this before your problem is fixed. Also, check and make sure that you have a good thermostat installed. My thermostat had been removed by the idiot that owned it before me and I was freezing my butt off. I thought my heater was broke, but the thermostat was gone.
Hope this helps ya, James

[VTEC_Inside]

I believe that you are having a choke puller problem. I rigged up a cable on mine to open it manually for a while. I did end up changing it though.

The cooling system service is a good idea because so much on this car relies on proper running temp.

[Kabuki]

It's definitely a problem with choke, but I don't think it's the choke Pulloff or heater. Those problems usually crop up when the engine is warm, and it doesn't want to back off of the fast idle. This sounds more like the choke linkage is binding up, so the choke won't set when first started up. What is your startup procedure in the morning?

[VTEC_Inside]

I had the SAME problem and it was the puller.

I swapped it with another one and it has worked fine ever since.

[russiankid]

I had the SAME problem and it was the puller.

I swapped it with another one and it has worked fine ever since.yep...but your going to have to replace it with a new one or rebuild it someday, so it could last another 15-18 years

[Kabuki]

You may be describing the part you are referring to incorrectly. The choke pulloff unit is a vacuum controlled diaphragm, and it only pulls the choke off of each setting. So when IT dies, you get a vacuum leak and the choke sticks ON, and continues to run really rich and at high idle. Even when warm.

[VTEC_Inside]

Im referring to the puller just to the left on the front of the carb.

In my case, the choke would eventually open as the bi-metallic spring heated up, but that was the only thing opening it.

[MattsAccord]

How hard it this to replace. I doesnt look to hard but I cant find any directions.

[VTEC_Inside]

Its not all that difficult if you can get at the screws.

The biggest pains when I did it were:
- drilling out the rivets on the original choke spring
- removing the screws holding the choke puller to the front of the carb
- and, removing the screw from the choke shaft to get the arm off of it. I ended up drilling it out, but only because I had another one handy. You can skip this part if you enjoy dealing with those little cotter pins that attach that choke arm to the rest of the linkage.