Hi!

[ladybug]

Hi everyone. I just wanted to say Hello and tell you a bit about myself and why I came to this website. I am a single mom of two teenage boys, one is 15 and the other is 16. My 16 year old just got his permit and was having trouble driving my Expedition and I went to a tow yard and found a 1986 Honda Accord LX. It is in OK condition. I took it to Firestone to see what they had to say about it and once they told me what was wrong I took it to get a new altenator, muffler, power steering belt, thermostat and new windsheild wipers. So I got that done for $500 bucks and I only bought the car for $300, so not to bad. Anyway, needless to say, it still needs some work. They said to change the timing belt. So I guess that will be next. Anyway, So any thoughts or ideas on what we should do with this car, please feel free to let me know. It runs a bit ruff when you are waiting for a light change, the engine kinda smells weird, like oil but its not smoking. There is the white cord running from a fan in the engine that goes to some fuse box under the steering wheel and there is some small areas of rust, very small, and after getting the power steering belt put on the steering wheel feels weird like it wants to stick but doesnt and only when you are backing out and turning the wheel to the right, it screams So thats about it. I joined this site after reading some of the other questions and answers, I felt everyone here was very helpful and insighful. Thank you for your time

[frantik]

can't help too much with your problems but the smell could just be years of old oil which has leaked out and is burning.. or it could be coolant. one thing you said about a wire running from a fan to the fusebox makes me concerned the engine may have overheated since that is usually a hack job to keep the fan running at all times (due to something not turning it on at the right time).. usually people don't notice the fan is not working until the car overheats. but if it checks out then hopefully it's not an issue

[ladybug]

Thank you very much for your answer. I will have that looked at for sure.

[MessyHonda]

i started driving my mom 88dx back when i was 17 also.....i still own that car...i love it...but i also love my modified lx-i

[chino4u]

Hola...

[Vanilla Sky]

Ladybug, where are you located? there a several of us here that would be willing to check out the car without you having to take it in. At least good for a second opinion.

Welcome

[2ndGenGuy]

Sounds like a good deal. Once you get those little things fixed, the Accord should be a great car that will last. Timing belt is a must for any car that you don't know the history on. It's supposed to be changed every 60,000 miles I believe, and most people don't do it, and good chance it's long overdue. If it breaks, you can expect a high repair bill.

The rough running at at stoplights might be remedied by simply turning the idle up. There's a black screw on the back of the carburetor underneath of the air cleaner box. It's kinda hard to find, and buried but if you can find it or get someone to adjust it, it could be a quick fix.

Main thing with these cars really is just to make sure they don't overheat. So make sure there are no cracked hoses, you already got the thermostat replaced so I imagine the hoses were inspected at that time.

I think the most common reasons I see these cars broken is blown head gaskets due to overheating and broken timing belts. So if you take care of those, I'd be willing to bet the car will last you a long time....

Just my $0.02. Enjoy and good luck!

[Kagato]

Main thing with these cars really is just to make sure they don't overheat. So make sure there are no cracked hoses, you already got the thermostat replaced so I imagine the hoses were inspected at that time.

I think the most common reasons I see these cars broken is blown head gaskets due to overheating and broken timing belts. So if you take care of those, I'd be willing to bet the car will last you a long time....

Just my $0.02. Enjoy and good luck!

Very good advice, have all your radiator hoses, AND the heater core hoses checked.... just warped my head due to negligence of inspecting heater core hoses, and it doesnt take much for the engine to overheat to the point of painful damage. Welcome to the forum!!!

[carotman]

Welcome here!

I'm sure someone local to you could check the car for free (Well I would)

[AccordB20A]

walcome