car hates the rain

[baron4406]

I mean its really DOES hate the rain. Whever I'm driving in the rain the car loses power to the point that it won't make it up hills. As you may recall I've had nothing but trouble with this car since I got it. Its an '87 Accord 5 speed with the stupid carb engine. Anyway even though I've had a mountain of problems with the fuel delivery I'm positive its not fuel related for this problem. The car doesn't sputter or miss or anything like that......its just has a MAJOR loss of power. Naturally its probably an ignition problem of some sort. I mean its so bad you can push the clutch in and hold the throttle all the way open and all it will do is the rev's will climb slowly and it will stop at about 5000 rpm's. I looked under the hood but nothing appears to be getting wet. The spark plug wires appear new also. Any ideas?? When it stops rainign the problem eventually goes away.

[rocky2]

I would put in a replacement complete distribter from a 1988-89 carbed. Sometimes theres hairline cracks in metal allowing condensation to enter into electronics of the thing. Or they got some type of sealant spary that supposed to divert water away from componets may be a option.

[Greg]

Check your dist cap. If the cap gasket is old & crumbled (or sometimes mechanics change the cap and forget about the gasket) then moisture will get in there and condense.

If I was you, I'd get new cap and gasket. If you can't get a gasket, coat the cap w/ a fine bead of silicone sealer (RTV).

[febigblockford]

No way guys.... if it's 50 degrees or below when it's raining (which is has been where I am in New England lately) then you've got carburetor ice happening big time. Ignition and fuel delivery problems just don't cover these symptoms. There's a little round diaphram on the air snorkel (right where the large plastic flexible air intake tube connects to your airbox)... That round diaphram pulls the manifold heat riser flap open to heat the intake air and keep frost from forming and icing over your carburetor bores. I suspect the heat riser system isn't working. When I have this problem I jam the flap so that it's always recieving full manifold heat and I never have a problem. Also, make sure that the white tube leading from the manifold heat shield up to the air box is connected and hasn't fallen apart.... if the system is functioning but the tube is disconnected you get frost building up and no power!!

Fixing it should stop the problem completely!!

Adam

[baron4406]

Thanks guys. I just put a nice bead of silicone around my distributor cap (cap and wires look new) and also I took out that heat riser flap. I removed all my emissions (only way car would run) so it wasn't working at all. I'll see how they do.......but I kinda doubt the heat riser theory since it was doing it in the summer too. I'm a diehard "American car" guy and I regret buying this Honda for sure.........but you guys seem so eager to help its cyhanged my opinion of Honda guys for sure. Thanks a million for the tips. If I ever get this car to stop leaving me sit on the side of the road I may keep it.

[Immeraufdemhund]

sorry you got such a lemon of a car. Personally i'd ditch it take the loss and stick with EFI. They seem to have a few less problems. I wouldn't know when section of the 3G though.. I'm partial to the 86/7. But some would prefer the 88/9. Just a thought though.

[GreenMachine]

I know where yer comin from ! I expierenced almost every problem with my carbed engine that people have mentioned on this board. the issue of your car slowly revving to 5000 and stopping sounds like an issue i had several times. With that issue I tried carb cleaner, If they didn't work mechanics advised my it was the carb.
That engine hated it me and we did not get along, it left me on the side of the rode too much !
after 2 new carbs i just switched to efi - but thats just my expeirences. Alot of people on this board don't have a single prob with'em - good luck with that

[Greg]

Well, I wouldn't exactly say that the EFI is more reliable than carb. I have an 87 LX w/235,xxx & my girlfriend has 86 LXI w/170,000.

I have problems w/ my fast idle staying on too long sometimes (it's erratic, and I'm not gonna mess w/ it until we get a day that's over 35 degrees in Chicago (it's been like 25 for the past few)) but after my car warms up it's PERFECT.

My girlfriend's car, on the other hand, has some random erratic miss, and the idle goes up & down slowly for the first couple minutes. Some sensor is screwed or the EGR is stuck open or something??? I don't know. But mine gets better mpg & runs smoother (even though it has 65,000 more miles).

I think you can keep the carb'ed 3g accords running for longer while saving $$$ on not having to buy new sensors or injectors that are going bad from Honda. You can rig/hack your carb to keep it running pretty well for VERY little money, but that's much tougher to do on EFI.

anyway, maybe I also have more sentimental ties to my car, which my dad bought new in 87 and I've been driving now for a few years w/o any serious problems.

[GreenMachine]

Ya my carbed engine had 355,000km on when it died.
But after going thru 2 carbs in less then 15000km and was about to go onto #3 until the carb flooded the engine and stripped the cyclinder walls and then i had oil comin out the exhaust ( ya i was happy ). So now i needed a new carb and engine, so i decided to go efi or ditch the car, but i've spent to much to go back on it now. lol