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Honda Accord (1990-1993) Maintenance and Repair

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  • elroy5elroy5 Member Posts: 3,735
    You can open up the main relay, and check for cracked solder joints. You can resolder them, instead of buying a new one. I have posted a link below, maybe it will help. Good luck.

    http://techauto.te.funpic.org/mainrelay.php
  • vicfirthvicfirth Member Posts: 1
    Hey everyone I hav been browsing this site and it seem that you may be able to help me out.

    I have recently bought a 1993 Accord 152,000 miles on it and I have a peculiar problem that started about a week after I got the car.

    While on the interstate going about 75mph the car jut starts decelerating while my foot is one the gas pedal. It feels like the engine lost its fire or the fuel wasnt ghetting to the engine. After pumping the gas pedal with no respnse from the rpms or acceleration the engine finally revs and then continues like normal. This happened about 3 times on the interstate and when I finally exit the next complete stop I make the car stalls but then starts immediatly afterwards.

    I have gotten the car serviced and they checked the plugs and wires, cleaned the fuel injectors/filter (possibly the pump), among other things done in a standar tune up. The car ran fine for about 6 days anf then it happened again. This time the distributor was replaced and the car test driven but the same problem occurred again and they tell me that they could not pin point the problem.

    After keeping a log for about 2 weeks I have noticed that this problem only occurs when the gas tank level is below half a tank. As long as the tank is anywhere above half, the car runs splendidly.

    So here is what has been checked to mybe help narrow it down, the distributor, fuel injectors and filter, spark plugs and wires. Also sludge in the tank has been ruled out because the mechanic said the fuel pressure didnt change when the problem occurred.

    Any help or suggestions is greatly appreciated
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Why are these mechanics fooling around with your ignition system?? It seems fairly clear that you have a fuel pump or fuel pressure problem.
  • pender1pender1 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 1990 EXR standard transmission with 138k klm.When the engine is hot or when I am starting up a grade their is a whine sound that almost sounds like metal on metal. It's actually been doing this for years.It appears to be very uncommon and nobody has figured out what it is.The condition has not gotten any worse however it is extremely
    troublesome. I have just discovered this Forum and any
    help would be greatly appreciated.
  • shekky1shekky1 Member Posts: 1
    i am having trouble trying to take my dash off to get to the back of my head unit because i cant find all of the screws. i dont want to pull to hard in case it snaps (expensive to replace) it would be greatly appreciated if i could get some sort of diagram to sho me exsactly were the screws etc. are. thankue
  • mymoneypitmymoneypit Member Posts: 5
    My brake light stay on when the battery is connected. The old battery drained so I bought a new one. I even replaced the brake switch but the brake lights are still staying on. I have to disconnect the battery everythime I park. What else could it be? Plaes, it's driving me crazy!!!!!!!!!!
  • mymoneypitmymoneypit Member Posts: 5
    Hi.

    You have to take out the clock and vents. They have screws behind them. One behind the windshield wiper arm. Should be a little square cover. Two on the rounded upper part of the instrument panel One behind the blinker arm. Same little square cover. two in-between the radio and A/C controls. The are also four under the middle console. The connect to the "Dash Brackets". You don't have to remove these. It's not necessary. Just makes it a little easier. There are also two on the outer portion of the dash. Kind of in the Door Jam. with little round caps covering them. I hope that helped. Good luck.
  • scottz99scottz99 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 1990 Accord with a 2.2L engine with Programmable Fuel Injection and an automatic transmission. It has 110k miles and recent plugs. No check engine light on. Is the idle speed supposed to be regulated and constant?

    With the car out of gear and the AC off it idles at about 900. In gear with the AC on it idles at about 700 and shakes; this is the problem I am trying to correct.

    Should I adjust the idle speed? If so, how? I looked for an adjustment screw on the side of the fuel injection manifold, could not find one. I can change the speed by adjusting the throttle cable housing nuts, but this is not desirable because to make it idle properly in gear, with AC on, it then idles too fast when not in gear.

    I'm thinking there is some electronic module that should regulate idle speed and keep it constant under all conditions; right?

    Any advice is appreciated. Thanks
  • amazonamazon Member Posts: 293
    Those idle speeds seem allright to me. These cars do shake a bit at idle, but if it's gotten worse lately, maybe you have a bad motor mount.
  • lilengineerboylilengineerboy Member Posts: 4,116
    93 Accord EX 5spd ~130k
    When driving in stop and go traffic or in town with the AC on, the brake pedal feels like dookie and feels like the master cylinder is going. The pedal is super soft and I can push it almost to the floor. It doesn't seem to happen without the AC on. When it is really bad, I can feel the car pull to the left making me think the right side hydraulic circuit might be weaker.
    Brakes are recent enough and look good (pads, rotors). Lines were bled. Reservoir for brake fluid, clutch, and ABS unit all look good. The ABS unit seems to check more frequently now (kind of a moan under certain driving conditions).
    Is there a failed idle-up switch for when the AC is on? Is there a vacuum line that is sucking too much out when the AC is on and not leaving enough for the brake booster? Did the M/C just croak?
    Any thoughts?
  • butterflyjonesbutterflyjones Member Posts: 72
    My 92 accord has this same type problem and the cause appears to be the motor mount. I've got someone coming the end of the week to change the one in front of the exhaust manifold. I can see that this one is cracked and needs to be replaced. Hope that will fix it. The others appear to be ok. :shades: :)
  • pastatiepastatie Member Posts: 26
    I have the exact situation described by mike711 re: the S light coming on and NO codes showing when the Honda dealer jumps the connector. I am waiting for a 91 Honda accord TCM off of ebay but until it gets here the dealer suggested a total flush and fill of transmission. Within 100 miles of that the S light came on for 5 minutes but has not been on since. Before that it was on intermittently but finally stayed on---stuck in 2nd gear and S light on solid. I will get back to a post if this flush and fill took care of the problem. To my knowledge the dealer did not pull up the carpet and look for blinking code lights. This problem is a total surpriseas I changed the fluid every 7500 miles and when the light is off the transmission shifts solidly with 144K on the odometer.
  • phylliselkindphylliselkind Member Posts: 1
    We were driving our 91 Honda Accord (130,000 miles) on the highway, during a traffic jam, and as we rolled along at 20 - 30 mph we started to hear a thump that increased its frequency with the speed of the car. At some point it sounded like a squeak, as well as a thump. Later, the sound stopped. Mechanic has not been able to find cause but DID find major leak in radiator. Could lack of anti-freeze cause this noises (as well as the fact that the car has been 'rough' in idle)?
  • amazonamazon Member Posts: 293
    One guess could be a bad CV joint. I don't think the radiator leak would cause a thumping/ squeeking noise which changes frequency with the cars' speed.
  • user777user777 Member Posts: 3,341
    i've got a friend that rolled over a fallen branch twice in his accura. each time a piece was kicked up and landed somehow is one of his back wheels. the probability of that happening is ?

    anyway, both times the branch went thump thump thump.

    maybe you picked up something off the road surface and for a while it was stuck in the wheel or wheelwell area.

    major leak in the radiator? i doubt connected, but it's possible something got kicked up into the engine compartment. anyway, if there was still adequate coolant in the engine and you got that fixed, you are lucky. loosing the coolant completely and having the engine seize up is nojoy.
  • butterflyjonesbutterflyjones Member Posts: 72
    I got the front motor mount changed and it DIDN"T make any difference at all. THe car still shakes very badly when in gear and the a/c on. I'm glad I got it changed as it was broken and needed to be changed but it didn't help the problem and I must concur that the problem must be with the idle speed. The rear motor mount appears to be ok although its very hard to see all of it. :(:( :sick:
  • fxd2002fxd2002 Member Posts: 1
    The drivers side front parking light is out. I raised the hood and saw and removed the philips screw at the top but the component will not come out so I can get to the bulb. Is there some trick I'm missing to get it out. Thanks for the help.
  • lilengineerboylilengineerboy Member Posts: 4,116
    I think the front one is a generic rubber mount. The rear one (the hard to get to one) has some electro-mechanical connection (with automatic transmision models) and will tighten or loosen based on some type of information it receives. I haven't seen an auto Accord rear motor mount but the manual said it needs to be debugged by a dealer. YMMV.
    When changing mounts, did you use a cherry picker or a support the motor from the bottom?
  • lilengineerboylilengineerboy Member Posts: 4,116
    I checked my oil yesterday at the gas station and found it at the add line. The car typically doesn't burn oil so I was looking for a leak. As it turns out, the valve cover gasket had failed not at the base, but around the spark plug holes. The spark plug holes had filled with oil. At the same time, the car had been exibiting a funny behavior where the power brake booster seemed to "go away" when running in traffic with the AC on.
    Replacing the gaskets and the PVC and cleaning out the spark plug cavities seemed to eliminate the problem. My guess is the spark plug wires are compromised after sitting in oil for however long, but the car runs much better and the vacuum appears normal. Did I get it, or is this more likely to be addressing a symptom than curing the problem?
  • jhdhjhdh Member Posts: 1
    You mentioned draining the transaxle. On my 1990 Accord w/ manual trans, I recently replaced my axle shafts and a small amount of fluid leaked out when I pulled the passenger side. I replaced the assemblies without adding any fluid. Everything seemed to work well for a bit. Now after about a month and 1500 miles, I'm hearing a kind of a roaring sound as I accelerate through the gears. It's still there when I'm coasting, with or without the clutch engaged. I'm thinking it's due to lack of fluid in the transaxle, but I can't find the fill point. Where is it, what kind of fluid should I add, and how do you tell when it's full? Now that I think about it, I'll just drain it all and add new. The Chilton specs say 4.0 pints, but still what kind of fluid?
  • lilengineerboylilengineerboy Member Posts: 4,116
    This info is also in the owners manual so I would double check but I believe it takes 5w30 or 10w40 regular engine oil. There are different weights based on temperature ranges.
    The growling to me seems more like a bearing issue than a oil issue, if axle nut isn't uber tight it can lead to bearing failure so you might want to check the spec on that.
    *edit* make sure you can get the fill hole bolt off before pulling the drain plug bolt

    IIRC, it is a 3/8" ratchet with no socket attached to remove the bolts.
    HTH
  • cb7exrcb7exr Member Posts: 3
    I have a 92 accord exr 4dr. So one of my radiator fans turns on randomly when the car is off and cold (hasn't been driven in over 12 hours).

    The only way to stop it is to unhook the battery. This happens intermittently, like in the morning I come out to the car and the fan is going, and I have no idea how long it's been on. Any ideas/solutions?
  • FukuyamaFukuyama Member Posts: 75
    Hi, I have a 1990 Honda Accord 130 000 miles. I have noticed that temperature indicator rarely goes up. Sometimes is below the C letter. the hottest I have seen is around 15 % of the whole spam form C to H . Is this normal? Oh I drive in hot Miami, FL.

    Cheers
  • lilengineerboylilengineerboy Member Posts: 4,116
    No, prolly bad thermostat or bad sensor. Haynes manual will tell you how to test the sensors, thermostat isn't too expensive or difficult to replace.
    I did a drain and fill of the cooling system when I changed the thermostat and the heat was better in the winter and car has stayed in the middle all summer including today (95+ degress)
  • FukuyamaFukuyama Member Posts: 75
    thank you,
    a friend told me, thermostat not a problem in Miami. So it must be the sensor. Already ordered the hayne manual.

    thank you!
  • user777user777 Member Posts: 3,341
    sticking radiator fan relay in the relay/fuse compartment perhaps.

    pull one of the power door relays (check if same part number) and slap it into the fan relay spot, and put the fan relay you just took out in the glove box.

    drive it for a while and see if the fan now behaves as it should. if so, replace the power window relay swapped in for the fan relay with a new one and toss the thing in the glove box.
  • lilengineerboylilengineerboy Member Posts: 4,116
    Where you are has nothing to do with if the thermostat is working or not. That may or may not be the problem but "those don't break in X place" isn't accurate. It is a thermo-mechanical device that opens and closes. If it sticks open, the car takes too long to warm up, if it sticks closed, the car overheats, and that happens in Michigan or California or Florida.
    Make sure there is enough appropiate coolant and water in the system in the right mixture, you can check the voltage across the temp sensors (I believe there are 3) and given the age/mileage of the car, you may want to change the thermostat too.
  • sed1sed1 Member Posts: 8
    Same problem with my 93 Accord and followed the main relay advice I got from this board. My mechanic and I just couldn't find where it was. Turns out, it was under the stainless cruise control panel, under the dash, to the door side of the steering column. Do to some aftermarket, now removed security system, I had a wad of wiring that hid the screws for removal of the cruise panel. I ran out of time and had the Honda dealer fix it for a $47 charge (I had bought the part earlier). No problems since. Hope that helps someone.
  • pastatiepastatie Member Posts: 26
    RE: my previous message indicating full transmission flush and fill might solve the problem--IT WILL NOT. Light would still come on randomly. SOLVED the problem with a replacement transmission control module which is a BEAR to change under the dash, passenger side front floor. Found a TCM on ebay, $112 with shipping, as a dealer wants @$500 for a new one. Transmission now, with 300 miles on the replacement TCM, shifts perfectly. No light. BE VERY CAREFUL which module you get as Honda had a lot of problems with these from 90-93 and superseded parts numbers. You can read the number of the module once you pull back the carpet and then go from there with a friendly Honda parts dealer. Some of these TCMs do cross with another year, model etc. Happy motoring!! Just turned 144K today and want another 50K at least from this car!!
  • cb7exrcb7exr Member Posts: 3
    Thanks for the tip. I will try that. This morning I just took out the cooling fan fuse so it doesn't completely drain my battery. I had to boost it last night.
  • FukuyamaFukuyama Member Posts: 75
    Thank you man!! I will take it to the mechanic!! I mihgt frive to Canada soon....so it has to be perfect!
  • dice77769dice77769 Member Posts: 1
    hey all accord drivers
    im need to replace my front brakes i have done this job many times on other cars but i really dont want any surprises when i take the front tires off does any one have any tricks or a pic of this ps i lovemy car its 325000 km on it fantastic and many more to come thanx all dice
  • 22accord22accord Member Posts: 2
    i have a 90 accord and have 2 or 3 problems first thing the a/c was juz fixed and doesn't seem too get cold like my explorer does and it is not a r12 sys anymore been changed to 134 and when i am using the a/c the car loses power after i have ran it for a long time can hold the gas paddle down all the way and the car takes off slow

    does any one know whats wrong?

    2nd thing is the passenger rear wheel make a loud bang when i hit bumps in the road have replace the strut already
    does anyone know whats up with it?
    little back ground on it the car has 16" wheels with 215/50 on all 4 corners 4-2-1 header aftermarket cat and 2 1/4 pipe to the muffler (also aftermarket do not know model number) strut brace in the front and cold air intake in the fender
    thanx for any help dan
  • lilengineerboylilengineerboy Member Posts: 4,116
    Changing front rotors is a big deal. You have to remove the axel nut and separate the steering knucle from the lower ball joint to get access to 4 bolts on the back of the assembly to get the wheel bearing out which sandwiches the rotor. If you are going to change rotors, its pie.
    --LEB
  • lej5875lej5875 Member Posts: 2
    Hi,If there is NO spark in the HT leads, then replace Coil which is fitted in the Distributer Box.
  • lej5875lej5875 Member Posts: 2
    Its fuel Cut off main Relay which is fitted above the Accelater pedal.
  • zmanecuzmanecu Member Posts: 1
    My 1992 Honda Accord EX seems to be stuck in 2nd & 3rd gears. When in "P" the Dash light shows it in "P" and "D". Put in "D" it starts off in 3rd gear and stays there. Put it in 1st, it starts out in 2nd gear. Whatever Gear you put it in, the dash lights show it in "that" gear and "D".
    It has to be Electrical because when your sitting still, there would be a clicking noise in the shifter between the seats. WHAT"S THE PROBLEM? I'm getting frustrated.
  • cb7exrcb7exr Member Posts: 3
    Ok so I just spent a load of cash on a new clutch. But now when it's very hot outside/ engine is very hot, the car slips out of gears a lot, just like before with the old clutch. It will slip in every gear significantly and it's extremely hard to get up to speed. I brought the car back to my mechanic (who I trust and is pretty good)and he bled the clutch, which it turns out did nothing. Is the new clutch not done properly or is my transmission on it's way out?? Ideas? :confuse:
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Sounds like the mechanic has to eat this one.
  • abbyshondaabbyshonda Member Posts: 1
    We recently obtained a 1990 Accord w/195,000 miles. The problems is with the rear running lights. A "brake lights" red warning comes up on the instrument panel.

    With the headlights on, the rear running lights don't work. With the headlights and left signal on, everything works. With the headlights and right signal on, the running lights don't work. On the running lights setting, the running lights work fine.

    Any clues :confuse: ? A lighting relay? Wiring?

    Thanks
  • lilengineerboylilengineerboy Member Posts: 4,116
    That sounds like a ground problem of some sort...was the car ever rear ended? I would check both filiments on the rear bulbs (there are 2, one brake and one tail lamp) and the CHMSL. I would then check to see if power is going to the socket in each case using a volt meter. If there is no power there, check the upstream wiring and the switch. If there is current going to the bulb and it doesn't light, check the ground paths. Also, check for corrosion about the bulb socket and make sure the wiring isn't loose.
    HTH,
    LEB
  • FukuyamaFukuyama Member Posts: 75
    hello My 1990 honda is getting water in the trunk when it rains(pours...miami, FL). I sealed the back lights and I put some silicon around the rubber around the trunk . Still it gets wet inside..Should I change the rubber around?
  • lilengineerboylilengineerboy Member Posts: 4,116
    There is a drain line (I think it starts above the rear window) that gets clogged and then leaks into the trunk. IIRC the dealer did repaired it and it wasn't very expensive.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I'd be more apt to swap out the headlight switch/directional assembly --that should be a one piece unit on a stalk off the steering post.
  • FukuyamaFukuyama Member Posts: 75
    in myhonda the left fan..looking at them fron the driver seat ...is connected to the same input as the windshield wipers....it has been working for years!
  • bulldog6821bulldog6821 Member Posts: 1
    Where can I get this drain line at or how do I find it? I have the same problem on my 1990.
  • sed1sed1 Member Posts: 8
    Our 93 Accord had the same problem and our body man sealed the rear turn signal/taillight assemblies because, I was told, the grommet dried out. When they dry out and shrink,it lets let the drain/rainwater, which drains down the channel on the side of the roof above the doors, then runs to the channel in the trunk, which probably then goes to the mentioned hose or drain hole. Hope that helps, and it wasn't very expensive.
  • pastatiepastatie Member Posts: 26
    I also had the trunk leak, right side. Bulldog6821 is correct. There is a gasket behind the turn signal/tailight assembly. I believe 4 nuts hold is on. Take them off, pop off the lense. Clean the area and use silicon caulk on the gasket. You could buy a new gasket but the silicon works. I had not more trunk leakage. All roof/trunk surface water drains through these channels on either side of the trunk by these lenses. Hope this helps.
  • roclimberroclimber Member Posts: 2
    don't know if anyone got back to you regarding this or if you still need help with that. If you do, let me know, i have the repair manual, can scan in a couple pages for you.

    i removed mine last year, there were a couple tricky part or spots in order to remove the front bumper.

    or you can email me at roclimber@shaw.ca
  • roclimberroclimber Member Posts: 2
    hi there, my driver side power window won't go straight up. It goes down no problem, and when it goes up, it goes all the way to the top but will slide out of the rubber channel, so when it rains water will come in and of course driving on the highway is worst with the wind noise since it will leave an opening. If i push the window back while it's going up, it seems to stay on its track ( after my fingers got caught between the glass and the door frame ).

    would like to have it fix before the snow comes but am not sure where the problem comes from. is it the riser bar or is it the windown guide insdie the door.

    comments are appreciated.

    Thx
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