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Honda Accord (1990-1993) Maintenance and Repair

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Comments

  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    No prob. Lower powered cars tend to have shorter gearing to help in acceleration. These Accords are no exception.
  • mundolatinoflmundolatinofl Member Posts: 2
    I have a 1993 Honda Accord and has a new Transmission and won't shift passing drive 2nd. ( Automatic Transmission) Can someone give me an advice.. Thanks
  • twa727twa727 Member Posts: 22
    Hey guys.

    Lately I've noticed something interesting. I will be driving along at normal speeds, and on a fairly cold (40 degree) day. The temperature gauge will often fluctuate up to the high end of the temperature gauge (not in the red, but about 3/4 the way up the gauge.) but will then go back down after a bit, to normal. Then it will go back up again.

    Is this something to worry about? Is this simply the fan coming on when the engine gets hot? Could there be a problem with the sensor that tells the fan to come on at a certain temperature? I just need to know since I will be going on a 1200 mile trip at the end of the month.

    Thanks in advance for any help,

    Matt.
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    The gauge should not be leaving this normal zone, pretty much ever. Have it looked at, you may need a new thermostat. If you are moving at speed (say, 30+ mph), the fan won't be needed since natural airflow will cool.

    Don't go on that trip without getting it checked out.
  • twa727twa727 Member Posts: 22
    I tested this out when I got home today.

    After driving home, I parked and left the engine on. The gauge went up to the high end of the thermostat as it usually did. I opened my door and popped the hood. Propped the hood up, and looked over the engine. The radiator fan was not running. I waited and watched for a couple minutes. No fan. I then went back, and the gauge said that the temperature was again in the normal zone. Odd.

    Then I turned on the A/C. The air conditioner fan came on, and so did the radiator fan. The radiator fan would go on and off, while the air conditioner fan stayed on. Temperature stayed within normal range. I then turned off the A/C, and set the temperature right in the middle with a low fan setting. The temperature gauge didn't move. The radiator fan did not come on at any time while I had the A/C turned off. I turned off the car, and the radiator fan immediately came on.

    So is this a bad thermostat, or something more severe? Thanks in advance for any replies. Sorry to keep bugging you guys! :P
  • elroy5elroy5 Member Posts: 3,735
    Read through this link about overheating, it has list of different problems, the symptoms, and causes. You may find something that matches your car's symptoms. Good luck

    http://techauto.awardspace.com/overheating.html
  • rajkmr02rajkmr02 Member Posts: 8
    Just got this unit abt a year back,but seem very very depressed, The engine vibrates so much..when idle..N mode or P mode.at times the engine just shuts off,and i have to re start.Have sent to mechanic,,they said have to clean the long bar like item above the engine,,and re tune the engine,why is this happening?anyone can advice pls
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    sounds like a clooged EGR valve or piping---pretty common problem on older cars.
  • rajkmr02rajkmr02 Member Posts: 8
    Isnt there any permanent solution to this problem,i mean,i like this car and wish to use it for long,kindly advice,
    U said EGR valve,piping,means??
    whats the local name for it amongst the mechanics?
    and i notoce on the streering there is a cruise and set accel button,what is it for,,i dont think its working,how am i to enable it back.
    whats the best shock absorbers for this model- brand and the price each in RM since i am in malaysia.
    As for the auto gear,,,every morning,when i first start the car,,when i set to reverse,it wont move....after abt 3 - 5 mins then only it starts reversing,als,,when on road,..exmple driving,,,at times the gear turm to like free but indicator is at d3 or 4,why,
    any solution to this,?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    EGR--exhaust gas recirculation. That's what everyone calls it.

    The cruise control is on the steeering. That could be a problem with a fuse or the unit itself could have a bad control module. It would need diagnosis. If it is working, you just reach a certain highway speed and then press the "cruise" button and the car should maintain that speed without you touching the gas pedal. When you hit the brake pedal, it shuts off. Not sure this is very useful in Malaysia.

    As for reverse gear, you should have the transmission oil changed and the transmission filter changed or cleaned, and see if that helps this problem. If not, then you have an internal leak in the hydraulic or a sticking valve, and this will require the transmission to be taken apart.
  • chip365chip365 Member Posts: 1
    i'm driving a 92 honda accord. A few days ago my power steering went, then within 24 hrs, my signals went, then my emerg. flashers, then dash lights and horn. Finally, my gear stick locks. We replaced 4 fuses and all seemed to be working fine...for about 20 minutes. A burning smell seemed to be coming from hatch, then lights went back out. Any ideas??
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Check your alternator belt for slippage/looseness as well as power steering belt if it's a different belt (might all be related to belt slippage). There's nothing electrical about the power steering, so that's why I suspect belts + burning smell + lose of electrical power = alternator drive belt.
  • dawnnikki98dawnnikki98 Member Posts: 2
    Should a mechanic charge me 400 just to put in a directional switch for a 91 honda accord? Thanks! :-)
  • naydinnaydin Member Posts: 1
    I am wondering if anybody has an idea about a problem I started to have with my 93 Accord, automatic tranmission (207KM). Sometimes (not always) it is having difficulty shifting up gear. rpm goes way up but the gear (and speed) does not. Seem to be happening at different gears from 2 to 3, or 3 to 4 (probably 1 to 2 as well). Seems to be worse when the engine is old, or climbing a hill. Shifting down is okay. The problem is on and off.

    Is this a sign of a serious transmission problem, or could there be an easy fix (like adding some kind of fluid to transmission)?

    Thanks a lot
  • elroy5elroy5 Member Posts: 3,735
    There is a wealth of information about transmissions (among other things) on this link. You may have to do some reading, to find the part that pertains to your problem, but it has troubleshooting/testing info. Good luck

    http://techauto.awardspace.com/transmission.html
  • Had an interesting morning today. I'll start with what happened, then give a bit of history.

    Situation:
    - Started the car up and got on my way to work. About 5 minutes into the drive, as I was stopping at a red light, the battery and oil indicators went on simultaneously (check engine did not). This behavior isn't described in the manual, but we obviously know what the lights mean separately. I turned the car off, then tried to start it again. It seemed to almost get running, but then quickly gave up. After that, cranks rapidly but no dice. Battery is new and OK.
    - Tried starting with gas pedal half in, checked oil, tank was full up with gasoline. Cranks plenty, but still won't turn over, so I called for a tow. This took forever, so I poked around under the hood. Things looked OK, but I did take off the spark plug covers (didn't have tools, so left plugs in). In the third hole from the left, I found that the spark plug cover had a substantial amount of oil around the bottom, and I could see oil pooled around the spark plug that remained in the hole. There is oil in the car, but it's at the add line.

    History, which I have no idea if is related:
    - Recently, when it's cold and the car will start, the car starts fine. But when driving, it takes a lot of extra RPMs to get moving (low power when accelerating). For example, I have to rev up to 3k-4k RPM just to get 5-10 MPH, then it eventually shifts up. After it's been running for a while, it seems to run with an OK amount of power.
    - It's also been doing another strange thing. If I'm making a bit of a short stop (i.e., the car jerks back a little bit after stopping), I notice something like a stutter. The RPMs seem to dip, and the electrical system may even slump, then it comes right back to normal in a second or two.
    - The car has a known *exhaust* problem (cracks in the system, maybe from rust). It sounds really loud from the undercarriage.
    - When opening the fuel tank cap after running down to nearly empty, I occasionally hear the brief sound of escaping or sucking of air (like a change of pressure in the fuel tank in either direction).

    Any ideas? I have minimal tools, but this trusty car has served well, and I don't want to throw in the towel. I have virtually no money to invest in repairing it.
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    When opening the fuel tank cap after running down to nearly empty, I occasionally hear the brief sound of escaping or sucking of air (like a change of pressure in the fuel tank in either direction).

    This is entirely normal. My 1996 and 2006 Accords both do this.

    Sorry, I'm not much help on the other items.

    TheGrad
  • elroy5elroy5 Member Posts: 3,735
    If you look down the spark plug tubes, you will see two seams, one for the valve cover, and one under the rocker arm assembly. The gaskets under the valve cover are easy to change, but the o-rings under the rocker arm assembly are a lot more complicated to change. If the oil gets high enough in the tube, it can short the plug's firing, which would cause the sputtering you mentioned.

    When the car will not start, you need to figure out what is missing, spark or fuel. Next time it will not start, pump the accelerator a few times, remove a spark plug. Is the spark plug wet with fuel? If not, I would suspect either the fuel pump or the main (fuel pump) relay. If there is fuel on the spark plug, reconnect the wire to the plug, set it on top of the valve cover, and crank the engine, and check for spark at the end of the plug.

    If you have any other questions about this, I will try to answer them. Good luck
  • Hi,

    Thanks for any and all feedback. I'm going to do all of this stuff this weekend, and I'll post updates. To be clear, the car won't start at all right now.

    History:
    - One thing I had meant to mention. The car used to do something strange after being started, driven for a very short distance, then stopped and put into park. The RPMs would fluctuate in a rythmic way, maybe from 1k to 2k. So from 1k to 2k to 1k would maybe take 2 seconds, and that would repeat. I never let it go for very long, because I found it disturbing. Driving it seemed to make it go away (if temporarily).
  • elroy5elroy5 Member Posts: 3,735
    The idle surging is probably caused by the FITV (Fast Idle Throttle Valve). There are how-to links on the net, for fixing this problem, without having to buy a new valve. You sure have a lot of work to do. ;)
  • matroy318matroy318 Member Posts: 3
    I have a 92 Accord ex. It hade some water damage and water soaked the front passenger floor. I did all the maintnaced required like a new Timing belt, plugs , wires, starter,distributer cap,and the list goes on.The engine light is on. This is a very nice car. When I drive it and press on the gas there is a huge hesitation to shift gears and increase my speed. I do not believe it is the Transmiision. In addition, it will not start when it cold out side only if the car is at a certain temputare. In the cold I have to use starter fluid.ANy advice outthere
  • elroy5elroy5 Member Posts: 3,735
    This link has a wealth of information on 4th gen Accords. Many problems associated with the 90-93 model year Accords are covered. Have fun. ;)
    http://techauto.tripod.com/
  • joecool1816joecool1816 Member Posts: 3
    About 2 weeks ago my car stopped running out of the blue i had driven it 2 hrs prior and it started and ran just fine. After checking the compression the following day and finding that that wasn't the problem i changed the spark plugs and it started on the first try although there was some oil in the 2nd spark plug cylinder from the right. 2 days later same thing all over again.. drove home from work about a 15-20 min drive without any problems and still wouldn't start the next day... pulled the plugs again and the plug from the 2nd cylinder definitely looked "black" not oil but carbon. Also i changed the air filter, wire set, and the valve cover gasket. When all was said and done the car started once again definitely running alot rougher than before though... come to find out that the 2nd cylinder from the right wasn't firing in the correct sequence or at all i couldn't tell. My Dimwhitted friend who was helping me at the time decided that he would try to adjust the timing by rotating the distributor to see if he could get the 2nd cylinder to fire at all, needless to say i was not a big fan of that idea because i know how important timing is to an engine, so he took it upon himself to do it while i was making a pit stop. Still started repeadly after that lil adjustment but did not fix the problem. At this point we decided to call it a day and when i tried to start the car the next day back to square 1 with the whole not starting problem again. Dont know if ive given u enough info or too much for that matter but any help u can offer me is greatly appreciated. Thanks
  • elroy5elroy5 Member Posts: 3,735
    If only one cylinder is not firing, I would say it has to be either the plug, the wire, or the distributor cap where that wire is connected. Try switching the wire with another wire, to see if the no-spark condition follows the bad wire. Hope this helps
  • joecool1816joecool1816 Member Posts: 3
    Thanks man. Yup been there done all that even gone as far as to switch them all one by one. I hear all the relays working correctly and i can hear the fuel pump humming so i wonder if my timing is really screwed up now because of my friend messing with the distributor.
  • amvamv Member Posts: 6
    My son's car battery went dead, so I took my battery out of my car put it in his car and it started and worked fine, but when putting it back into my car, my car is completely dead, it will not start at all, not even the lights come on. We have checked all the fuses and they are fine. Please advise????? Thank you.
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    You are getting some responses at another post so let's continue here: amv, "Honda Accord (2003-2007) Maintenance and Repair" #3593, 28 Feb 2008 8:09 am.
  • 92cpe92cpe Member Posts: 1
    I'm trying to change the headlight bulbs in my 1992 Accord Coupe. I was able to replace all except the passenger high beam without much difficulty. The coolant reservoir seems to be in the way of that one. Is there a way to easily remove the reservoir? Is there some other trick that I'm missing? Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!
  • elroy5elroy5 Member Posts: 3,735
    Is there a way to easily remove the reservoir?

    It should simply slide up out of the holder. I don't think there are any screws or anything holding it down. Easy as pie.
  • labetteboylabetteboy Member Posts: 6
    we own a 1991 accord, 4cyl auto . a green (S) light comes on dash, ( book says check trans )

    It is Verrrry sluggish when it takes off , almost as if it bypasses 1st gear altogether . if we manually shift from , 1st gear it operates fine and the sluggishness isnt there

    any help would be much appreciated ~
  • matroy318matroy318 Member Posts: 3
    I have been told that it is the TCM (transmission controle module) or the ECM. It should be located under the passenger floor board. It will cost anywhere between $85 - $125
  • amazonamazon Member Posts: 293
    When I was driving home last Friday, my '93 Accord with 255,000 miles on it just stalled, and wouldn't start for more than a second, and then die again. After 3-4 attempts to get the car to run, the car wouldn't fire at all. :cry:

    I checked the fuel pump, and it's working (I can hear it when tuning the ignition on, and I pulled the return line and gas pumps out when the ignition is turned on).

    Then, I checked the spark, and it has spark.

    I couldn't feel the injectors "fire" whine making a starting attempt, so I tried starting fluid- to no avail. :confuse:

    I took it to a mechanic, and they said that they couldn't diagnose any further without replacing the distributor. There's no signal coming out of one of the sensors in the distributor apparently. They want $500 to do that, so I think I'm going to decline and try to do it myself. I did replace a distributor on my wife's Civic, and it wasn't hard. I also have a service manual, so I don't think it's going to be a problem.

    Before I plunge down bucks on a new distributor, however, I'd like to hear if anyone has any other ideas that I should check first?

    Thanks in advance.
  • elroy5elroy5 Member Posts: 3,735
    Read this link. It has some very good troubleshooting tips. Good luck.
    http://techauto.awardspace.com/ignition.html
  • lilengineerboylilengineerboy Member Posts: 4,116
    My '93 was on it's third distributor at 150k. If you can hear the fuel pump, that points away from fuel system stuff...the main relay that triggers the fuel pump is also prone to failure, but if you can hear it kicking in, that's not your problem.
  • labetteboylabetteboy Member Posts: 6
    I'm new to this site ,,, two hours ago . I was reading a current helpful posting about transmission module, for an older 90-93 accord.. , got distracted and now cant find it ,
    it was 2 hours ago ... i've looked thru page after page...any way to find it based on two hours ago

    I really need that info to fix mine !
  • elroy5elroy5 Member Posts: 3,735
    If you haven't read this link yet, it may help you. If you plan to keep this car for a while, I suggest holding on to this link. It covers just about every problem that generation had. Good luck

    http://techauto.awardspace.com/transmission.html
  • amydiane_81amydiane_81 Member Posts: 1
    I just bought a 1993 honda accord with 188,000 miles on in. When I test drove it and drove it home everything was fine. Now the car almost caught on fire!! Help!! I don't know what to do!! I got in it and the check engine light was on and it didn't have any power. I only drove it a couple blocks and I started smelling electrical burning. By the time I got home it was smoking ALOT and so I parked it. I looked around a bit after letting it cool down, and went to start it and now everything is fine. The car didn't come with an owners manual so I don't even know were to start. Can anyone help me??
  • twcinnhtwcinnh Member Posts: 14
    My 93 Accord SE cranks but won't start. It's happened in the morning at first attempt to start, and it's just gone dead while driving and won't start.

    A mechanic says it's the ignition switch, but that's after he thought it was a battery connection.

    Any suggestions or experience with this problem.

    Thanks,

    Tom
  • amazonamazon Member Posts: 293
    Thanks guys. The troubleshooting guide is indeed very good. I'm going to try the igniter...
  • matroy318matroy318 Member Posts: 3
    Will it start when you spray starter fluid in it?
  • elroy5elroy5 Member Posts: 3,735
    Tom,
    Sounds like you could use this link too. It has troubleshooting tips for most 4th gen Accords. It would be a good idea to save this link for the future. ;)
    http://techauto.awardspace.com/ignition.html
  • twcinnhtwcinnh Member Posts: 14
    It sounds like it starts, but when the letting go of the ignition key it stops.

    Tom
  • elroy5elroy5 Member Posts: 3,735
    It sounds like it starts, but when the letting go of the ignition key it stops.

    That definitely sounds like an ignition switch problem. If you start the engine, but don't let the key go all the way back, it may stay running. If so, the ignition switch is bad. I think you can change only the electrical part of the switch, and not have another key to carry around. Good luck
  • twcinnhtwcinnh Member Posts: 14
    The switch has been changed. So far so good.

    Thanks for your very useful responses.

    Best regards,

    Tom
  • jazzchazjazzchaz Member Posts: 19
    ...on my '93 LX (131000 mi. 5sp.), i'm feeling a lot of engine movement or play when slightly accelerating from stop (idle)...is this worn engine mount syndrome or something else?
  • user777user777 Member Posts: 3,341
    nice bit of sleuthing i just witnessed. :)
  • twcinnhtwcinnh Member Posts: 14
    My 93 Accord has a small transmission leak under the radiator. One mechanic said "Don't worry, just replace it when it gets low."

    The other said, it's a slow leak but someday it may suddenly let go and there goes your transmission. But, it's cheap to fix."

    I said OK, fix it. Suddenly the entire radiator had to be replaced as part of the solution. Something about the transmission line connects to the bottom of the radiator and that's where there is some corrosion on the transmission line.

    Am I getting a line, or does this sound plausible?

    Thanks for any help understanding what's going on.

    Regards,

    Tom
  • lilengineerboylilengineerboy Member Posts: 4,116
    The transmission cooler for the automatic is integrated into the radiator. The radiator is plastic with metal clips IIRC. The metal clips rust and bust the plastic connections when someone tries to remove them. All the radiator changes I've done have been with manuals, but even those hose clips can be challenging to get off without breaking 15 year old heat cycled weather beaten plastic.
    I would think a professional could get the trans coolant line off without busting the radiator, but I could also see that plastic connection as being the failure mode itself.
  • labetteboylabetteboy Member Posts: 6
    can anyone help with a Surging .up and down when car is shifted into Park
  • automoronautomoron Member Posts: 8
    My Honda dealer says my 92 Accord (manual trans) w/181K miles needs the radiator replaced, and that this is not very difficult to do myself. I am looking for feedback for those who have tried, to confirm this.

    Also, does anyone know of a link to step-by-step instructions with pictures? Thanks.
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