New to Honda...

[1988HADX]

I just bought a 1988 Honda Accord DX. Im starting to think I should have bought something else...but damage is done...and I have it..sooo.

The lady told me there was nothing wrong with it. I asked about the motor and the transmission and she said both worked great.

I drove 40 miles to check it out...

Car started on first crank. Idled kind of high, lady wasnt sure why. Needs a new muffler she says. Battery about a year old and brakes replaced about two years ago.

Took for test drive, heard clicking in the right front axle...I know what that sound means.

Bring it back...ask more questions. I asked how long has it been sitting...and she replied it hasnt. I know a liar when I see one though. There were leaves and dirt just sitting under the hood...

I decided Id take it...gave her my money and drove it home...

If I throttle up slowly, the transmission shifts ok...but if I give her gas quickly, seems like it revs up high...shifts....revs up...and shifts....which I know nothing about.

Immediately...started checking on the axle. CV boot is completely seperated. Checked the other side...same thing...so looks like ill be replacing both axles. Checked the muffler...it needs replaced along with the resonator. I read up on the high rpms...something about the choke being stuck. (this is carbed)

Other then that...car is in good condition, a few small dings, and little bit of rust. Rear window says its been dipped in the anti-rust stuff...so bottom is just about rust free.

Anyone have any suggestions about anything I found to be wrong with this car? Would like to get it up and running, and as the Title says, I am new to Honda.

(Oh, and the battery wont hold a charge, could that be why transmission dont shift correctly or did I buy junk?)

[1988HADX]

Also, the speedometer is in kms. (kilometers)..but has mps in the center...in small tiny numbers

[Dr_Snooz]

Don't sweat it. These cars are totally awesome and with the right care, you'll be driving around with a big silly grin before you know it. If the car has been sitting, then just drive it. Don't worry that it's acting weird, just drive it. Things get sludged up and sticky and crappy when a car sits. Driving it will, in most cases, get it all working again. For the trans, start with a fluid drain and fill. Then check the adjustment of the TV cable. It is the cable that goes to the transmission and tells it how hard you are stepping on the gas. If it's not adjusted properly, you'll get a lot of strange shifting issues. There is an '89 manual available for download here. The 88s and 89s were the same, so it will work for you. The TV adjustment instructions are on p. 15-90. Most of us prefer to play with the adjustment until it feels right, but the manual procedure provides a good baseline. For the high idle, I would dump a can of injector/carb cleaner into your next tank of premium gas. If that doesn't do it, then you probably have bigger carb issues like a sticky choke. Don't get too excited about it until you've driven it daily for at least 10k miles.

Welcome to the forum!

[J. McNeal]

Welcome 'home!' over the last few months i've come to love this place, fairly new myself, and the car I got was pretty beat up, but i'm getting her back up on her feet, these cars are worth it trust me, the body on mine alone is over 300,000mi and all it has it a tiny bit of rust on the roof, and a small dent on one side.. These cars are ANIMALS and I love mine to death! <3 I hope you enjoy the new car, they're getting harder to come by, and with a good bit of TLC, can be truly ~amazing~ beasts.

Premium gas? O.o for use with FI cleaner only? Or are you loaded enough to run premium all the time?