Well... it's a Honda...

[Deadhead]

So i made the decision to trade in my accord. The car had high miles on it, the frame was bent, and the brakes were about to fail.

I went to the local car dealer and found this car, a 96 civic EX. Rebuilt title, so it was super cheap. Air bags were deployed, but i don't really care about that too much.

I'm working on getting it running good enough to pass emissions right now.

Anyway, enough talking, here are some pics :D

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b350/Qman06/P1010015.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b350/Qman06/P1010014.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b350/Qman06/P1010013.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b350/Qman06/P1010012.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b350/Qman06/P1010011.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b350/Qman06/P1010010.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b350/Qman06/P1010009.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b350/Qman06/P1010008.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b350/Qman06/P1010006.jpg

[blazin3gen]

saweet i like but hate the chromies

[blazin3gen]

btw that steering wheel looks freaken funny haha

[Deadhead]

yeah, well, it's some wierd cover because the stock one with air bags was obviousely blown.

The chrome rims, i like em, but the tread is shit, so it looks like i'll have some stockish alloys on hopefully soon.

[Busted_Blue]

step 1 to passing emissions, remove the intake and get stock intake. \


also honda-tech.com sells OEM steering wheels that werent deployed =)

[A18A]

i still dont know what them things are, but what is that black thing on the hood?

[spnrx]

i still dont know what them things are, but what is that black thing on the hood?
I belive that is a "hood protector" or a "bra"

[SteveDX89]

Looks nice although I'd be very leary of the rebuilt title. Hopefully it works out all good for you.

[Deadhead]

yeah... well, if it had a clear title, we would have paid more along the lines of 5-7 grand. How much are those steering wheels busted_blue?

oh, and around here, they don't care what mods you have as long as you pass emissions.

[racerx]

if you're having trouble passing, get a bottle of "Guaranteed to Pass Emissions" at the parts store. just ask, they'll know what you're talkin about. it's right next to the other fuel treatments.

my dad did that in his turbo'd jeep (no cat), and it passed with flying colors...

anywho, i'm sad for ya... a civic... :( oh well, we've all got to move on some time, right? it'll have its advantages, like HUGE aftermarket selection... one of my friends boosted one of those (D16Y8) and it was ok, i guess... about as fast as my lude would be at sea level

good luck with your new car! and dont stop coming around here, cool? (bring it to the next meet, ok?)

[HondaBoy]

i saw that bottle of "Guaranteed to Pass Emissions" at autozone. i've heard it can cause deposits on injectors and such fuel system parts. either way, its worth a try since your probley good with cars to begin with. so how does this car drive? pretty smooth? is it running pretty good though? looks to be in pretty good shape. hopefully this was a good buy for you. just check things over. its not real easy to find a good car deal that turns out being just that, without having to fix things. well make it look good and run like a champ. your not gonna rice it out are you?

[racerx]

well, i don't know what you paid for it, but you prolly got a better deal than this:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y175/academyracer/kbb.jpg

[ZackieDarko]

if that is a D16 i know where you can get a full turbo kit for a decent price

[Selfmindead]

I love the shape of those coupes, nice car!

[Cheeseburger]

nice and its a 5 speed! cool buy dude

[russiankid]

well, i don't know what you paid for it, but you prolly got a better deal than this:
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y175/academyracer/kbb.jpg
dealerships always put the price a bit higher, like my dad was thinking of buying this bmw at a bmw dealership. The car needed some work, had rust spots nad we didnt even look at the engine, it was a 84 i think and the guy wanted $5800 for it, but on kbb it's $3000 maximum

[Deadhead]

since it's got an "S" title, it was priced at 3,000

I got it for 2500 AFTER taxes and handling fees. Plus my accord (they gave me 500 for it, i'm happy because it's something, and it's got frame damage)

The car doesn't run well at all. It starts, but dies immediatly. You have to hold the gas until it's warmed up. Then it idle's ok.

Power is horrible, i believe it's the TPS but not 100% sure yet.

[russiankid]

im sure you can figure it out, regular mantaince and tune up probably needed

[Deadhead]

well i just did the rotor/cap/plugs and it really didn't help much. Next is the oil change and PCV.

[Deadhead]

if you're having trouble passing, get a bottle of "Guaranteed to Pass Emissions" at the parts store. just ask, they'll know what you're talkin about. it's right next to the other fuel treatments.
my dad did that in his turbo'd jeep (no cat), and it passed with flying colors...
anywho, i'm sad for ya... a civic... :( oh well, we've all got to move on some time, right? it'll have its advantages, like HUGE aftermarket selection... one of my friends boosted one of those (D16Y8) and it was ok, i guess... about as fast as my lude would be at sea level
good luck with your new car! and dont stop coming around here, cool? (bring it to the next meet, ok?)

sure thing, i need new tires asap though... the rear tires are down to the metal bar things on the inside.... it's got a slight negative camber to it. I was suprised at how cheap low profile tires are, i got a quote of 65$/tire plus 11$ labor on Falken tires.

[racerx]

falkens are the cheapies. (imho)

but anyway, sounds like an IACV (idle air control valve) situation. if you can take pics of the intake, i'll point it out to ya. you'll need a new gasket when you take it off, fyi. pretty much, when the engine starts to go, you get excessive blow-by from the valve cover and pcv, which means you get extra oil and crap in the intake.
that sludge builds up around the AIT (air intake temp) sensor, and inside the IACV, which makes the IACV stick and the AIT useless. You need to spray out the IACV with carb cleaner and some pressurized air, and then it should be fine.

definately check all your vacuum lines too.

i would invest in a full rebuild/build-up. you'll find all sorts of aftermarket parts that are cheap for this motor. (and there's about 2,342,542 swappable parts)

[racerx]

you might wanna look into these links:

turbo (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/D15-D16-Civic-Turbo-KIT-Turbo-DownPipe-Wastegate-NR_W0QQitemZ8037588785QQcategoryZ33742QQrdZ1QQcmdZ ViewItem)

f-ing cheap headers (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/93-94-95-96-97-HONDA-DEL-SOL-DC-S-S-SI-4-2-1-HEADER-D16_W0QQitemZ8037593854QQcategoryZ33631QQrdZ1QQcmd ZViewItem)

Good deal on pistons, rods, cam, pulley, turbo manifold, etc (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/D16-ZC-Turbo-Pistons-H-beam-Rods-Manifold-Pulleys-Gear_W0QQitemZ8037577906QQcategoryZ33623QQrdZ1QQcm dZViewItem)

fairly complete turbo kit (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/XS-Full-Race-Turbo-Kit-HONDA-CIVIC-D-Series-D16-CRX_W0QQitemZ8037300247QQcategoryZ33742QQrdZ1QQcmd ZViewItem)

Good deal on clutch and 7lb flywheel (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Exedy-Stage-1-Honda-Civic-Clutch-Flywheel-kit-d15-d16_W0QQitemZ8037268486QQcategoryZ33730QQrdZ1QQcmd ZViewItem)

well, you get the point... there's a million options and everything is much cheaper for this car than ours... or any other...

[Deadhead]

yeah, that's what they were saying at clubcivic. I have yet to do that, and today i'm getting the oil changed and PCV replaced (the PCV is near impossible with the oil filter on...)

I just replaced the plugs/dizzy cap and rotor yesterday. The cap that was in there was rusted and the cap was corroded lol, my guess is that it was original. I haven't gotten around to checking the T belt yet, but i sure hope it's been replaced... i'm not counting on it though.

I put in an interesting cap... it's clear and has bronze points so that it has a better spark. It also looks pretty nifty when it's running :)

I'm still getting used to driveing a lowered car... slowing down for railroad tracks and bumps etc.

[racerx]

wow, a cleared cap! that sounds kinda cool, actually. you need to take more pics (running) :)

you probably ought to change the tranny oil. dont let some oil change place charge you $80 for it though. it's no more complicated or time consuming than a regular oil change... and i bet it uses 10w-30 too... but that should really help too. i bet it's low.

[Deadhead]

yeah... that is if i can get it running!!! I took the iacv and sprayed it out with carb cleaner, now it won't start.

I took out the plugs and they are covered in gasoline. SO i cleaned them off, and tried to start it again, no start. Take the plugs out again, just as covered as before.

Oh well, such a project is fun :P

[Deadhead]

ok, and club civic is FULL of people that give bad advise. I asked if i could put my 13" steelies on for the winter. I got 2, yes TWO responses that said they would fit. (there were only 2 responses)

well, guess what, i go to put them on, and the rotors/calipers are too big for them.

I need a better site to go to now for my civic... any ideas?

[russiankid]

sounds like the engine is flooding

[Accord90]

btw that steering wheel looks freaken funny haha

He said the airbags had deployed, so I guess they didnt wanna put a real Honda steering wheel back on

[racerx]

yeah... that is if i can get it running!!! I took the iacv and sprayed it out with carb cleaner, now it won't start.

I took out the plugs and they are covered in gasoline. SO i cleaned them off, and tried to start it again, no start. Take the plugs out again, just as covered as before.

Oh well, such a project is fun :P

well did you put the IACV back on?! ... sheesh! ;) j/k

anyway, did you buy a new gasket for it? if you're using an old one, it won't work. also, try to make sure the parts still move freely on the inside. i don't know how that one works, but you might try a little oil and try blowing/sucking on the vacuum nipple (which i'm sure you reconnected...)

[Deadhead]

uhm... the one i sprayed was on the back of the TB. it has 2 coolant hoses attatched. There was no gasket.

ALSO. I went outside after it would not start. I parked it there for several hours and it being freezing cold out. I tried to start it, fired up like a new car!

Then after i killed it, i tried to start it again, it did not start. It is definately getting TOO MUCH FUEL.

[Deadhead]

replaced the TPS today, didn't help anything.

[racerx]

take a pic of your intake mani and i'll point the IACV out. it's usually attached to the plenum, not the TB. it's just a funky thing that sticks out like a wart and has 1 vacuum line going to it. when you remove it, you'll notice 2 holes and there's a gasket between this whole IACV and the plenum

[Deadhead]

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b350/Qman06/446b8ebd.jpg

[Deadhead]

oh, and after i replaced the tps, it ran, but power was still horrible and it still would not idle. The old tps looked just fine. There was a way to adjust the TPS, but i didn't know how to do it...

I might also add that it makes a LOT of noise from the intake, moreso than i've heard before, but isn't that just the fact that i have a SRI?

I have NO engine check light on, and i'm trying to see if it's just not working or w/e by taking plugs off of things then turning the key. Still no light. I wonder if it's burned out and i need to get a scan tool of sorts.

[bullard123]

Nice ride dude. I know its hard looking at it and not being able to drive it. Your best bet is to get some estimates from a few mechanics in town, if it boils down to that.

[racerx]

ok your TPS is the dirty black plug on the bottom of the pic, near the TB. it looks like you replaced the black box that's all shiney on TOP of the TB. that's not the TPS, in case that's what you replaced.

also the TPS is adjusted by moving it the same way as a dizzy. loosen nuts, adjust, tighten nuts. and you need a volt meter to do it. i can give you detailed instructions later.

[racerx]

read this too:
http://www.superhonda.com/forum/showthread.php?t=144463

[Deadhead]

no, it's the TPS i replaced, i just took it off an accord at the J/Y. The shiney one above it is shiney because before i got the car, EVERYTHING was detailed and made to look like new.

[Deadhead]

OK, got some pictures of the IACV.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b350/Qman06/th_537f637e.jpg (http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b350/Qman06/537f637e.jpg)
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b350/Qman06/th_1921626a.jpg (http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b350/Qman06/1921626a.jpg)

it looked relatively clean when i took it off, but i'm letting it dry now after spraying the hell out of it with carb cleaner.

AND what is that screw thingy on the side??? It is not a normal wrench that goes in there.... it's got 5 sides.

[Deadhead]

ok, i need a few things. How do i adjust the TPS?

also, I put the IACV back on after cleaning it real good. Nothing changed... I also replaced the Fuel pressure regulator and that did nothing also.

With the check engine light, someone removed it or the light is just burned out. I need to get a code reader to see what else could be the matter with it.

[racerx]

to adjust TPS:
http://www.integra.orcon.net.nz/tps

[Deadhead]

Hey thanks... now i've just got to buy a multimeter..

[88Accord-DX]

Did you do that compression test on it like we talked about? What was it? Car looks real clean since you bought it & clean it up.

[Deadhead]

yes i did... gave out awesome numbers.

the compression gauge was some POS from walmart, and it wouldn't hold pressure for some wierd reason...

It came up to 90 psi on the first pump in all cylinders.... then leaked out of the gauge lol.

Not too bad IMO...

I also found out who owned the car before, and i was right, some dumbass who beat the shit out of it...

the car was taken off jumps and one of my friends has seen it on two wheels before.

frame is still straight though lol...

[racerx]

uhm... 90 psi is really shitty.

my lude is supposed to be 178psi stock, and that's 9.0:1 compression. (it's a bit higher now, but that's because I milled the head)

anyway, 90% of Honda's say that the servicable limit of the engine is 120-130psi. meaning, 90psi is way below what it ought to be, and shouldn't hardly run... you need a full rebuild.

[Deadhead]

no no no...

When you do a compression test, your supposed to look at the first pump the gauge gets. It's supposed to show at least HALF of what it will be after total cranking.

My gauge is a POS and won't hold pressure... so it just bounced up there and dropped.

My accord was at 50-60 psi on the first pump.... and it averaged 125 or so for all the cylinders.

[racerx]

oh... well that's better, but still pretty crappy.

I don't mean to say your car is a pos or anything. i'm not putting it down. i'm just saying you really need a rebuild. :(

[Deadhead]

no.... if stock specs is around 178 or so like you said, then i'm doing great... no need for a rebuild.

90psi is supposed to be at least half of the total compression... therefore 180psi...good compression, but anywho, when i get my car down to the community college, i'll grab the snap on one.... that one actually holds pressure.

also talked to a mechanic today and found out a way to test the IACV. The one on my civic has a little motor in it that opens a retaining spring to allow air to flow. He said that i should hold the car at a steady rpm and pull the power plug... and if the car dies, it is working because it will block off the air. Well, I did that and guess what, the car stayed on. So i'm going to replace that and probably the o2 sensor in the CAT. Hopefully that's all i'll have to fix.

[racerx]

......
the max compression that your gauge reads is the max compression that your engine has, period. sorry...

the first pump has nothing to do with the total compression. that's totally obscure and makes no sense... probably some old school dukes of hazard theory...

125 is bad. very bad. like 350,000 miles bad. (or abuse bad)

don't be so discouraged though. like the links above show, you can get a FULL build up kit for under $800 (and that's forged parts, not just cheap rebuild crap).

but whatever. if you wanna run low compression, go ahead. it'll last another 10,000 miles before the rings disintegrate... lol

[Deadhead]

*sigh*

I can truthfully tell you that's bs.

We JUST did this in my auto tech class, even on NEW vehicles it was like that...

you know when you do a compression test, you crank it over until all of the 4 strokes of the engine are complete. And if you watch the gauge at the same time, the first "jump" on the gauge should be at least half of the total compression that you will get.

I'll get our worksheet scanned when i get it back from the instructor and show you.

My instructor is an ASE triple master and has worked on all kinds of cars (specifically more toyota and subaru).

This is a NATEF certified school with ASE approved material and ASE master instructors.... I think it's correct.

fact is that my gauge would not hold pressure lol... I got the gauge at wal-mart for christs sake. i need to get the snap-on one to get an accurate compression reading. My gauge would go to 90 psi and then drop to zero in a fraction of a second... the gauge is a pos.

yes, 125 psi is bad for my old honda. However, it still ran pretty good.

I seriously doubt it needs a rebuild. The car was driven hard for only about 5000 miles. It was given to this kid by his grandmother at around 85k miles from what i know about the car.

[88Accord-DX]

You should do a compression check with a screw type compression gauge, warm the car up to oprerating temperature so the rings expand first. I wouldn't be concerned with the first reading, but after 4 or 5 revolutions of the motor. The compression gauge has a pressure releif valve so it holds pressure untill you release it. That is the how I take compression tests on vehicles.

Interesting what your instructor is talking about, but ASE tests will not see that as significant readings though.

[Deadhead]

i'm not saying it's incredible by any means..

The gauge has a problem somewhere, i'm not sure where because i haven't taken a look at it again. The pressure release button was not pressed when doing this... so it's something to do with the seal. And yes it's a screw in type.

The pressure usually doubles after about 4-5 revolutions of the motor from the first revolution.

so yeah, i'll get better readings... oh, and that was with the engine cold, i couldn't warm it up ----> dealership was being bitchy.

[racerx]

alright man, but being a physics major, i can tell you that the 50% percent rule is just someone's best guess, and not at all scientific.

that has to do with volume, atmospheric pressure, velocity of air, wind resistance, friction, the amount of imperfection in your rings, pistons, valves, etc... there's just WAY too many variables involved to make a neat, little rule like that. and besides that, there's also a hug difference between engines...

but maybe 50% is "generally" close on most engines... who knows...

[Deadhead]

haha ok, that's just what i was taught...

[Tecknixia]

You did rotor/cap/plugs but not wires?

Seems like you are getting plenty of fuel and air... and unless the wires are bad you're getting spark... next thing I would consider is timing.

Unless it's just WAY too much fuel in which case perhaps you have a stuck open injector?

Edit:
The car doesn't run well at all. It starts, but dies immediatly. You have to hold the gas until it's warmed up. Then it idle's ok.

Oh, well, in this case, maybe you are running lean until warm... in that case it sounds like the IACV was the problem, since it was stuck open, it was giving you a lot more air then fuel. There should also be a temperature sensor that tells the ecu to inject more fuel when the car is cold.


ALSO. I went outside after it would not start. I parked it there for several hours and it being freezing cold out. I tried to start it, fired up like a new car!

Then after i killed it, i tried to start it again, it did not start. It is definately getting TOO MUCH FUEL.

Ok, now I remember why I said what I said at the beginning of this post... ugh, I'm confused now. Since it's a good idea to anyways, I would replace the spark plug wires just in case.

Edit 2: Btw, did you ever find out what code you're getting with the CEL being on?

[Deadhead]

I've already decided the IACV is the problem. It is stuck CLOSED. Too much fuel and not enough air.
Also, the o2 sensor is another part of the problems.
Just waiting on parts.

The CEL has not been checked yet, but will be soon.

I know the IACV is bad because the car didn't die when i unplugged the plug on the lower part of the motor. It was more than likely stuck closed as the car was getting too much fuel and on a full tank was getting about 200 miles out of it.

The o2 sensor is probably also a cluprit seeing as the o2 on the manifold is brand new and the one on the cat is old. My guess is that code came up and they replaced the one on the manifold. Thinking that there was a glitch with the light not going off, they decided to take out the light on the dash to pass inspection.

I am just waiting on parts and tires... then we will know what code the computer has stored, I'll keep you guys updated.

[myaccord7]

i cant see it, you need bigger pictures.!




ha
zach