1986 Honda Accord lxi

[shorty]

So I got the car and immediately had a few small problems to fix like for example the power steering pump was out the lights on the dash like for the tach and the fuel gauge and all that stuff will not turn on when I turn the headlights on the dimmer switch doesnt work and to flip the right headlight up I have to push the fog light button idk if thats normal or not but yea. Also the newest thing is a few weeks ago I flushed the radiator and drove the car to the grocery store and its overheating so when I go to leave I notice its leaking antifreeze so for the next week or so I do everything I can to figure all of these problems out and nothing and at this point the car wont overheat it wont even get to the halfway mark on the temp gauge and it doesnt seem to be leaking coolant anymore. I just need advice on all these issues mainly the last one. so for anyone who can help thank you very much. By the way I think it was leaking at the water pump, And Im sorry this was so long. lol

[Dr_Snooz]

Welcome to the board. Do me a favor and work on your use of punctuation and avoid run-on sentences. It's really hard to read what you posted.

For the PS pump, can you give a little more detail? Are you not getting any assist or what?

For the dimmer, ignore it. You'll never use the dimmer anyway and fixing it will be a gigantic time suck.

For the overheating, make sure the gauge is working. It has a single wire that connects to the thermostat housing. If it is not making good contact, it will make the gauge behave strangely.

For the coolant, check to make sure your hose connections are all tight. Also make sure the hoses are in good condition, firm and springy, not soft and mushy. Probably a good idea to replace them all if it hasn't yet been done.

[shorty]

Alright as far as the power steering pump goes It is fine, it leaks fluid slowly out of the gear box which I have yet to fix but soon will.
The dimmer switch I am not worried about I am just trying to figure out how to get the lights to work so I can see the tach and all the other gauges at night, so far nothing I have tried has worked.
Everything you have mentioned about the overheating I have done, It seems to leak right around the pulleys and its hard to tell for sure but it looks like the water pump.
I am sure that the temp gauge is working properly.
Like I said now it won't get higher on the temp gauge unless the heat is off, if the heat is off it slowly moves up but it doesn't seem like its overheating like it used to.
By the way I am sorry about the previous post I was kinda in a hurry I really hope this one was a little easier to read. Thank you very much.

[shorty]

Also, I forgot to mention is it normal to have to use the fog light switch to flip up the right headlight? It seems to me that they should both pop up when you turn on the headlights.

[Dr_Snooz]

That post is great. Thank you. Us old-timers have a hard time reading sometimes.

Check fuses for your dash lights first. For the headlight, get down there and look at the way your fog lights got wired in. It sounds like somebody haywired them into your headlight harness. If so, fix that properly.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you have a number of wiring issues and, unfortunately, those are about the most difficult problems you can encounter in an old car. It's also somewhat difficult to help people troubleshoot issues like yours over the internet. If you aren't familiar with electrical troubleshooting already, here is a good primer: http://www.aa1car.com/library/tselec.htm. If it isn't something simple like fuses or obvious haywiring, then you're going to be stuck poring over wiring diagrams and contorting yourself into strange positions to check voltages around the car. Get yourself a good voltmeter, a cheap test light and buy a copy of the factory service manual from helminc.com. If you can swing it, get the Electrical Troubleshooting Manual from helminc too. Then expect to spend many hours trying to figure it out.

Doing basic routine maintenance on a cooling system that has been neglected often results in a subsequent cascade of failures. If the system isn't maintained properly, old coolant will turn into acid and eat everything away. Somehow it all holds together for years until you touch it. Then it all breaks. Check that the cooling fans work and find the leaks as best you can. Just keep fixing until it holds together again.

Good luck.

[shorty]

Alright, Well I kinda figured that I had a problem with wires being disconnected and wired all funny and you saying that pretty much confirms it, and that sucks but I will deal with it little by little I guess.
My main concern is obvious and that is the antifreeze leak, basically I have been doing what you just told me already so I guess I will just keep it up, Also I think I should be okay as long as I keep it from overheating.
Could you recommend any cooling system stop leak that might work? I am afraid to try any of them because of all the mixed reviews, plus I think when at all possible its better to fix something the right way the firdst time.
My biggest issue here is that this is my first Honda and I know nothing about them, If it were Ford Dodge or Chevy I could fix it all in a couple days. lol Thanks

[Dr_Snooz]

The Honda manuals are out of this world. We have some *.pdf manuals on the wiki, http://3geez.wiki-tv.com/Honda_service_manuals. Read up and you can have it all done in a few days.

I used a stop leak on my first car. I can't remember whether it fixed the leak, but I do know that the heater stopped working afterward. Not having a heater was a far worse hardship than fixing a leak. I would use stop leak only as a last resort.

[obdriver6]

As far as the lighting goes it could be your light control unit, its on the lower panel under the steering wheel. If you download the 1989 USDM Factory manual on the wiki and go to page 25-27, it gives you a good way to test it and the lighting system. Thats how I found mine was bad.

[Vanilla Sky]

I can almost guarantee your coolant leak is the water pump itself. Replace it, don't attempt a stop-leak "repair" for a pump. You'll end up with a failed pump anyway, so just replace it now.

Is the "fog light" button next to your illumination controller? If it is, that's not a fog light switch, it's the manual override for the headlights for flash to pass. I've had a control box go out causing the same issue. I'd test it, not simply replace it. You can find all of the available online manuals HERE.

[kentwat]

Welcome. Download the manual and swap that water pump out. I've done it and the manual helped a lot. Thanks to the guys here that maintain it. I would also not use that stop leak. It mainly plugs stuff up that you do not want plugged.

[shorty]

Yes the button is next to the illumination controller. That shows How much I know. lol So what is it exactly? I mean what is the purpose of that button because its just weird when you press that button the right headlight flips up but when you turn the headlights off you have to hit the button again to close BOTH headlights.?.?
My biggest concern at this point is figuring out the electrical issues because to me they are the most frustrating and technical, so any help would be appreciated. Also, I plan on fixing the water pump issue the right way and ASAP.

[zenapup]

That button is a manual override for the headlight switch on the steering column, it serves the same purpose, it just raises the headlights, both should go up when it is pressed in, and both should retract when it is pressed again.

[Vanilla Sky]

It's for flash to pass. With the lights off and down, you can't use your headlights to signal to another car that there is room to pass, or to alert them of your intent to pass. Miatas and RX7s have lenses in the bumpers that allow light through for this function. Since our cars don't have lenses like those cars, you have to raise your lights to flash them, then lower them when you're done.

I really think that your retractor controller isn't working correctly. It's been a long time since I've looked at the schematics for that system, so I couldn't point you in the right direction without looking it up first.

[shorty]

That makes alot of sense now that you said it but why would only one flip up? I don't know but it's not a big deal right now. I actually at this point have a much more pressing issue which is the fact that out of nowhere My speedometer stopped working, I have taken it out and clean it and to the best of my knowledge its fine and I have no idea what else would be the cause. If anyone can help please do, I need to fix it like yesterday. Thanks

[Vanilla Sky]

The cable will pop out of the speed sensor if there isn't a clip in it. Super common issue. It's on the back of the transmission. The power steering lines hook to it along with the speedometer cable.

[shorty]

I traced a cable from the firewall on the driver side over across the top of the engine and it ran down next to the throttle body and it looks like it connects straight into the transmission. Does that sound right? If so what exactly would I need to do? Just tighten it up?

[Vanilla Sky]

Yes, that's the speedometer cable. Pull on it and see if it comes out. If it does, you're going to need to track down a clip for it, because it's likely going to happen again. For a temporary fix, just push the cable back into place. It could also have come loose behind the speedometer. If that happened, you'll have to pull your gauge cluster out to reseat it. This usually only happens when the gauge cluster has been pulled at some point.

[shorty]

I have had the cluster out multiple times and after this last time is when it happened but the weird thing is that I drove it after putting the cluster back in and it was fine, And then a few hours later just not working. So I took it back out and cleaned everything up and put it back together and still nothing. I have pulled on it a little where it meets the transmission and it doesn't seem loose or disconnected. But in the middle of the wire on the top of the engine the rubber around the cable is basically broken all the way around and you can see the cable and the little wires, I would think that is the problem but I'm not sure. If it is, How could I fix it?

[Vanilla Sky]

From the sound of it, you might be dealing with a broken speedometer cable. There are 3 layers to one of those cable casings, but if you have some of the wires in the casing broken, you're likely to have an issue with water intrusion.

Another thing that I've had happen is the cable pulling out of the housing enough to disengage from the speed sensor when pulling a cluster. In order to check that, you need to pull the cable at the speed sensor and see if there is enough cable to engage. Another test is to chuck the cable in a drill and spin it. You should see the speedo work if it's connected.

[shorty]

Okay, I will have to try that. I don't think water is an issue, It honestly looks like someone who previously had the car has somehow broke it but most everything inside the casing is in tact, But I don't know how sensitive it all is maybe it just takes very little to mess it up. Is there anyway to repair it? If not how hard are they to replace? By the way thanks to everyone for your advice and suggestions it has really helped me understand alot of things about the car and really given me knowledge that I desperately needed.

[shorty]

Alright, so I have confirmed that the speedometer is broken and so I pulled it out and the little piece that connects into the transmission was so loose that it snapped off very easily. Does anyone know where I can find a new one online cheap? I have had no luck at local auto parts stores.

[Vanilla Sky]

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/x,ca...,parttype,1440

[shorty]

I have a quick question for anyone who may know, The accord I have has a sun roof and it leaks because the seal doesn;t quite meet with the roof on the back. Should I just put shims up there to raise it really high? I have already checked all of the drain holes and they are clear. Thanks to all that reply!

[Dr_Snooz]

I would adjust it before resorting to brute force measures.

[shorty]

Quick update to all that has been going on. I have replaced the speedometer cable and it works fine now although somehow in the process I have lost the clip to hold it into the transmission even though I took every precaution to not lose it, but it works none the less.
I haven't really done much else except replace a broken ported vacuum switch, which by the way I think I have an understanding of what that is but could anyone tell me exactly the importance of that particular part? Thanks