Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Options
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
:confuse:
i have a 1997 Honda accord, with a f20b engine. My problem stems with the speed sensor... i initially thought it was bad, went out and bought a new one, only to realize the 'plastic gear' in the diff, where the speed sensor goes in is stripped. If anyone can assist me in the part # or where online i can get the gear to buy i will be greatly appreciative of such.
Regards,
Ray.
The Brake light switch would not cause the D4 gear to be iluminated on the dash
4x4Blazer..
GS Performance
Master ASE certified Technician, Automotive Technical Trainer,
Service Engineer, Scan Tool Validation Engineer
4x4 Blazer w/ G.S.Performance
Master ASE Certified Techncian,
Automotive Technical Trainer,
OBD Diagnostic - Scan Tool Validation Engineer.
The speedometer cluster is not as hard to replace as you might think - it's 7 or 9 screws to remove - and it's common to do on an older Honda.
You didn't say if it was automatic or manual. If the RPMs are controlled by the computer but a tied into the ignition timing. Did both RPM and MPH fail at the same time? This points to the computer and/or its connections.
Here's two things to get pointed in the right direction:
1) VACUUM LEAKS: The key thing to check out is why you can only get a small amount of power up any incline. The first thing to check is the vacuum lines connections and/or cracks in the tubing, or leaky gaskets. One key thing is that the idle won't be as smooth as possible (or like new) if there are vaccuum leaks. The cruise control depends on adequate vacuum to work too. It's very typical that the mechanic that did work on the car didn't put the vacuum line back in the right spot. Check the hood of the car which may show a diagram where the vacuum lines are supposed to go, or go to the library and get an auto manual to check out the routing. A good working vacuum at idle should be 27 inches of vacuum or better.
2) LACK OF FUEL: If there are no vacuum leaks, then the problem is that the engine is not getting enough fuel for some reason. The throttle position sensor must be working to tell the computer to send more fuel. The connectors to the fuel injectors must be connected. The oxygen sensor must be connected and tell the computer how to adjust the mixture.
It's helpful to know if the car operates a little better when cold than hot. The computer enriches the fuel mixture when the car is cold and uses less sensors that when hot - so power ought to be better when cold - this points to a problem with the computer and/or it's connections - the computer isn't doing it's job.
While it's possible that a bum computer could cause most (or all) of these problems (flaky gauges, loss of power, no cruise control), it's more likely that the vacuum may have a leak, or certain sensors aren't working and should be checked first.
Be ahead of the game. Do not fall for the VSS as the problem, most likely not. to check the speed sensor, If the car maintains speed in cruise control the VSS is good. 15/!9 speedometer reading would tell me the speedometer head is bad. Junk yard 75/100 dollars.
Honda calls the speedometer cluster "Combination Gauge"
Be ahead of the game. Do not fall for the VSS as the problem, most likely not. to check the speed sensor, If the car maintains speed in cruise control the VSS is good. 15/!9 speedometer reading would tell me the speedometer head is bad. Junk yard 75/100 dollars.
Honda calls the speedometer cluster "Combination Gauge"
Any suggestions plz ?
The whistling sound you heard may indicate that the water level inside the radiator/engine dropped enough to allow steam to form (like a steam kettle). When the pressure rises above the pressure setting of the radiator cap, steam is ejected (making quite a mess). This can be caused by two things: 1) the coolant level leaks below that needed to cool the engine, or 2) the engine is severly overheated and the coolant is ejected through the coolant overflow tank.
I thinking #1 is more likely: you lost coolant, so you had 1/2 water, 1/2 steam pocket. The temperature gauge sensor needs to be immersed to read the coolant temperature accurately. If there is only steam on the temperature gauge, it doesn't read the temperature right.
You are at risk of blowing the engine, so this needs to be fixed before you drive the car anymore - no more delivery until this is fixed (or you will have no car).
First, putting water in the radiator is only a temporary solution - you should always mix in the correct proportion of coolant - the coolant has anti-corrosive additives. Water alone will rust the engine in short order and cause additional overheating - get this fixed right away.
Second, only put in the right coolant: the old days of using one 'green' colored coolant are over. You need to use a Honda approved coolant (it will say so on the side of the bottle). It varies by year, so you must ASK to make sure you are using the right coolant. For example, using the wrong cooland in a GM vehicle will destroy the engine by clogging - be careful.
Third, always use distilled water: if you don't (or use hose water), you will get hard water deposits (whitish deposits) on the inside of the radiator - just like you get with a tea kettle or a steam iron. IT WILL plug up your radiator and your car will over heat (maybe that's what has already happened). There are services that will 'boil out' the radiator (at a radiator shop), but they generally won't boil out the engine (you should ask). The only way to boil out both is to use a Prestone Part A/Part B cleaner (it is NOT a flush, it is an acid cleaner with neutralizer). You can flush with hose water, but then you must completely drain the engine of the rinse water. Honda engines have a hidden drain plug on the back of the engine for this purpose. "Draining the coolant" at the radiator only removes about 1/2 of the coolant - you must remove the hidden bolt to get the rest.
The problem: you must get to it from under the car, and it is frequently VERY difficult to remove (I used a 3/4 breaker bar, both feet, and 6-POINT socket, or you will strip the bolt). If you can't get the bolt out, you may be able to rinse the radiator will many gallons of distilled water (they are under $1/gal) if needed, and then put in pure coolant (resulting in about 50/50 distilled water remaining in the engine and pure coolant).
Fourth, this is the time to replace the thermostat and O-ring, and if you have a high mileage car, the temperature sensor (they do wear out eventually).
Five, pressure test the system after replacing the coolant/thermostat/sensor. Kragen may have a coolant pressure tester you can borrow, or go to Harbor Freight Tools to obtain an inexpensive one. The tester needs to be pumped up to 12 psi or so - the pressure should hold for several hours. Inspect the car for leaking hoses, radiator, engine gaskets, etc. This is probably how you lost coolant to begin with. Check the oil too: if you see a chocolate-colored liquid inside the oil, you have a broken head gasket.
I would had said you had a blown head gasket, but apparently the car runs at normal temperature when the radiator is full of coolant - that's good.
The ignition system can be clogged with radiator coolant when the steam was coming out of the overflow tank - dry out the distributor and ignition coil wires. Look for the speed sensor - if it is wet with coolant, it could cause the speedometer to fail temporarily. Same with the fan relay - the fan is triggered by the temperature sensor; it is a good idea to replace and make sure the electrical connections are clean. Just make sure everything is dry, and remove any coolant that might have been sprayed inside the engine compartment (hosing the engine compartment down might be good too, because coolant has a tendency to remove paint if left on too long).
If you still have problems after cleaning and drying the engine compartment & sensors, then you might have two problems: a) coolant system, and b) electrical system (fan, fuel injector system).
Don't ignore this - it will get worse.
Check the fuel pressure 30 to 37 psi
Service Manual Download PDF
http://hondatech.info/downloads/Auto/Manuals/Accord/
Honda 94 Accord Coupe Shop Manual CD7_CD9
Procedure page11-79
Also, my friend says that while this car runs good, the engine idles high right after he starts up and if he tried to drive right away, it is kind of sluggish. I'm wondering if there may be a emissions hose loose or worn. I told him I'd clean the throttle body out when I do the rotors to see if this might help. The car does have a lot of miles on it, I know the transmission was replaced some months ago with a used one, but I think he said the motor is original. Other than these few things, the car runs well and gets terrific gas mileage. Let me know about the rotor retainer and what you think the high idle on startup might be. Thanks and have a great day!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30wnZMPKfH0
Download this service manual.
http://hondatech.info/downloads/Auto/Manuals/Accord/
It is good that there is a place like this where we can come and ask these really important questions. So many of us need to do as many of these repairs ourselves as there is no other option. Thanks again, Omarr, and may God Bless!!
The bearings are probably still okay. they are double row thrust bearings and the bearings will separate when you try to press them off. If you were normally changing standard rotors, you would not change the bearings.Your preference only.
The wheel bearings have "ears" on them with threaded holes. This is how the bearing is mounted to the hub. You have to remove the bearing to remove the rotor.
Go to a hardware store (Ace Hardware had the bolts I needed), and purchase some 10mm X 100mm (I think, check your bolt diameter), grade 8 bolts. They need to be about 100mm long to stick up enough. Thread these high-quality bolts into the bearing, and then in a cross-hatch pattern, use a small sledge hammer to "rock" the bearing out of its bore. My bearings were rusted in place, but if you are careful and patient you can get the bearings out in your driveway (no press is needed). Make sure to alternate side-to-side, up-and down to rotate the bearings out of their bore. Should take less than 5 minutes.
It's mostly rust that is holding the bearing in the bore.
When you reassemble, clean out the rust from the bearing bore; no press is required to reassemble. I put some grease in the bore to keep the rust level down. Torque the bolts down.
These cartridge bearings are very reliable - you should be able to get 300k+miles out of them before re-greasing.
In my case, all he needed to do was clamp the knuckle in a vise and select the appropriate size bearing and seal driver and remove the 4 bolts holding the bearing to the knuckle. Once that was out he just flipped the hub over and remove those 4 bolts and the rest was history. Off came the old rotors and on went the new, and I was out of there in less than 10 minutes. The bearings were fine so I just reused them, saving the car owner a few bucks. The best part was the mechanic wouldn't take any money for what he did for me, although I offered. That just made my day!
Everything went back together fine and I expect to return the car to my friend tomorrow, although there are other issues to address here, like a fast idle when first started. It takes a while for the engine to come down to a normal idle. I say a while, but it's probable just a matter of less than 5 minutes. Now this car does have over 180K on it, but it does seem to run very well for an 18 year old car. But it is a HONDA! Thanks again, everyone, and may God Bless always!!
If you are mechanically adept, you may be able to clean it/lubricate it and make sure the junk is gone and it operates smoothly, but don't dunk it in solvent because there is no protection for the inner workings. Because it is 180k mile car you might have to replace it: 80-90 bucks new, check around for aftermarket prices too. Avoid "Wells' brand. Or see if there is an air leak from the intake manifold - this can cause similar problem. Air leaks can also be causes by cracked or uninstalled vacuum hoses and be a factor in fast idles.
1996 Honda Accord LX 5 Speed
JDM F22B SOHC Non-Vtech 35,000 Miles. Used only Block and head. Everything else was transferred from previous F22B2 Engine.
After swap car ran perfect with no Check Engine Lights on. Recently after hitting 1,000 miles on the swapped Engine the light came on. I took it back right away to the mechanic and he check the code and said it was oxygen sensor bank 2 and that I would be fine driving until I replaced that. The very next day The engine died while driving. First the tach jumped up and down then it just died. I was traveling at about 45 mph. The engine will crank all day but will not turn over. I got the car towed home and the next day I started troubleshooting. First checked for fuel my removing the main line to the rail and cranked plenty of fuel was coming through. I ruled out the fuel pump and fuel filter. I next checked for spark and found the problem. No spark out of the wires or the coil. I removed the ignition coil and took it to AutoZone and had it checked. He said it was fine. I reinstalled the ignition coil. I checked the 7.5 ECU Fuse it was fine as well.. I then purchased a new main relay just in case and still wont turn over. I pulled off the valve cover cap and the timing belt is fine. Next I pulled out the DIZZY for inspection and there was oil inside and rotor looked bad. So I rebuilt the dizzy. I replaced the Ignition Control module ($49.99 AutoZone).
I replaced the Dizzy shaft Inner Seal and and outter o Ring ($14.99 EBAY) I put the dizzy back together with new rotor (19.99 AutoZone) And new Cap (16.99 O'Ryelly) The only I didn't change is the TDC sensor inside the Dizzy because of Price. Available online only between $160.00-$230.00. (Price of new Dizzy) I installed my Dizzy last night. Still the Engine wont turn over. Whats Next?? Crank Sensor?? or perhaps when my mechanic installed new timing belts with with swap he left them too loose and it jumped timing?? Should I go ahead and buy a new ignition coil anyways just to be sure?? Will a bad TDC sensor stop the Engine from turning over? Somebody please help. I welcome all advice before I start spending more money.
Thank You.
Yesterday I changed the valve cover gasket on this car as it seemed to be leaking. The gasket kit comes with those 4 gaskets that keep oil from accumulating in the spark plug holes. They were ALL shot! I had a job getting #3 and 4 plugs out because of all the oil down there. I wouldn't have thought there could be that much resistance, but there was. I cleaned and regapped the plugs and coated the threads with a dab of Anti-seize as I always do for plugs. I was also able to fix my friend's passenger side power window. This car had been hit on that side years ago and he said the window never worked right after that and he put a piece of tape on the driver's side button so nobody would use it. I found that just about every screw on the motor and track was loose and one was gone altogether. I replaced it and tightened everything up and lubed ANYTHING that moves, literally. All seems well now. Thanks again Jim for all your valuable info.
One thing that you can kind of rely on is that the air idle control (IAC) valve must introduce air during idle (the computer controls the fuel ratio). Therefore, the logical location is near the butterfly (throttle) valve. Typically the IAC is cylindrical because there is a stepper motor that extends or retracts the 'pintle' valve that actually controls the idle air flow. It will also need 3 to 4 wires to get the stepper motor to reverse directions.
The computer controls the idle speed almost as if you were manually opening and closing the throttle yourself, even though the throttle butterfly valve is not being actuated. If the idle is slow to come back down, the IAC valve could be getting dirty (or there could be some other source of air bypassing the IAC, slowing it's response time). Of course, the IAC control valve is supposed to raise the idle when the engine is cold, and lower it when the car warms up - but if it is taking too long, it could be getting gunked up.
The Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) valve stops the engine from producing too much NOx gas by diluting the air/fuel ratio with exhaust gas during normal driving, lowering the combustion temperature.
The problem during idle is that if you introduce exhaust gases to the air/fuel flow during a time when the engine is barely turning over, you run the risk of a rough idle and stalling the engine. For this reason, the EGR valve is commanded to shut off (and not introduce exhaust gases) to promote a strong, reliable idle. The EGR valve may (or may not) be clogged with exhaust gas deposits (carbon) and not shut off adequately. If this is your situation, cleaning out the carbon deposits would enable the valve to shut off properly and promote a good idle.
I checked my EGR, and it was clean - it just depends on the condition of the engine and whether the fuel/air ratio is rich or lean. The automatic tranmission Honda has a tendency to run rich relative to the manual transmission version in my experience. I have over 200k miles on my manual xmission Honda, and I can wipe my finger inside the exhaust pipe and get *zero* black deposits on my finger - not so with the my friend's Honda with the automatic. I also run synthetic oil, so the engine condition may be better - your mileage may vary.
The valve is probably not bad, but it is possible it is gunked up and just needs a cleaning and lubrication, because the idle DOES eventually come back down where it should be (?).
Don't forget to look for air leaks/loose hoses/cracked hoses (which can cause a high idle too).
A dirty or sticky EGR valve could potentially be a source for an air leak if it didn't shut off, but the idle stability would be crappy and the engine might stall on putting a load on it.
Speaking about the temperature, I noticed while operating the car that it took a while for the gauge to register what I'd consider a decent position, It NEVER even got to half way at any time, and never once did either fan come on. I told Mario about this because engine temp is crucial to other controls sending the proper information to the ECU, right? I ran the heater to see how the heat output was and it was OK, not too great. But Mario was just happy to have the car back, and I was able to save him over half of what a garage would have charged him for the brake job and the other thing I was able to do for him.
Again I want to thank you Jim and all of you who have helped me with this Accord. Have a Blessed day!
My son drives the car now and it has over 240k miles.
I've gone 200,000 miles, but your mileage may vary. I'm a pretty conservative driver, so the stress on the belt is pretty low. If the car engine has been raced at high RPM, or installed with an over-stretch, or bent less than the minimum radius during shipping/installation (a No-No), then your belt life could be less. Some shippers bend the belt over on itself and wrap tape to make it a smaller package. These toothed belts cannot be mis-treated that way - it cracks the fiberglass, and you don't want it.
One way to check the belt condition: pull off the valve cover (it's held on with 4 bolts) and look at the belt. IF YOU SEE ANY CRACKS IN THE BELT RUBBER, IT'S TIME TO CONSIDER CHANGING IT. I had an older Honda ('78) and it was full of cracks. These belts do fail, without warning, and in the older models can destroy your engine.
My belt at 200,000 miles only had a few cracks - not much at all, but just because I was taking a chance doesn't mean you should go so long. If the belt looks to be in good condition, then you probably can get another 10k miles. Living in Los Angeles will shorten rubber product life due to the ozone in the air.
When you do replace the belt, the water pump should be replaced too (although my original water pump lasted the 200,000 miles also). I did it myself, but I hear the cost is on the order of $1200 for the belts, pump, coolant, thermostat, alternator belt, etc.
1) First, when the car is cool, open the radiator cap and look inside the radiator. You should see the radiator core, and core should not be covered with white hard water deposits nor should the coolant be rust-colored or have oil in it. The radiator coolant should be transparent.
If you have white deposits, then you need to chemically clean the radiator system - there are citric acid cleaners that are relatively safe to use and the directions can be found all over the web. The white hard water deposits act like a 'blanket' over all the cooling surfaces inside the engine and radiator and promote overheating - get rid of them and your temperature will drop. No excuse for having these. What usually happens is "someone" puts in ordinary tap water into the radiator instead of distilled water - that is the source of the hard water deposits. ONLY used distilled water, NEVER tap water (or you will have to clean out the cooling system again).
Also, when you drain the cooling system on Accords, you DO NOT drain all the fluid - there is a section of the engine that does not drain (there is a special drain bolt on the back side of the engine which is VERY hard to remove). This old coolant will contaminate the new coolant, so the easy way to deal with it is to drain twice as frequently until the system coolant is transparent and clean. The right way is to get a 3/4" breaker bar and 6 point socket and STAND on the breaker bar to knock the drain bolt loose (and hopefully not strip the bolt head). Then you can drain all the fluid.
2) Change out the thermostat and radiator cap - if it doesn't open in time the engine will overheat. They are inexpensive (compared to a new engine).
3) If the car still overheats, then you may have a larger problem. Examine the coolant for oil - there should be NONE. If the heat gasket is blown (it happens on occasion) oil from the engine will get into the cooling system (and vice versa). Look at the oil - if it looks like 'chocolate milk shake', water is getting into the oil. If this is the case, get this taken care of IMMEDIATELY. You can confirm you have a blown head gasket with a 'pressure tester' - the system will not hold 15 psi pressure for any length of time - the after market auto parts stores will loan/rent you the tool - no disassembly is required; or you can buy one inexpensively at Harbor Freight Tools (in-store or on-line). Boiling in the coolant tank is a clue that there is overpressure in the cooling system, even before the car has a chance to warm up. If you are mechanically inclined, you can change the head gasket but you will need 3/4" drive tools - the usual home mechanic tools are not up to the task.
4) There is a remote possibility that the fuel/air mixture is too lean, but this is unlikely - you would notice this only after some extended driving.
IF YOU ALLOW YOUR ENGINE HEAT TO GET INTO THE RED ZONE, THE HEAT WILL ANNEAL YOUR PISTON RINGS AND THEY WILL LOSE THEIR 'SPRINGINESS'. THE ENGINE WILL BURN OIL FOREVER AFTER AND YOU WILL NEED AN ENGINE REBUILD TO CORRECT IT. GET THIS TAKEN CARE OF IMMEDIATELY.
Time for another Honda?
Time for another Honda?
I'm currently in my other car (I already owned it at the time), a 2009 Sonata V6. Have 92k on it now, will probably drive it another 50k before I make another purchase. I paid cash for it and am happy with no car payment for a while. it's not given me any trouble thus-far, knock on wood.
Despite those prognostications from 20,000 miles or so ago the car is still running and changing gears adequately as far as I can determine, though the clutch is probably harder to depress and the gear shift stick doesn't move as smoothly as it once did.
Anyway, I was content to just wait till the transmission went and have it replaced with another standard transmission, but recently I've started thinking about pre-emptive action. These thoughts have been inspired by a left foot problem which has been building up for the past couple of years (Morton's Neuroma?). I don't think the problem was caused by the clutch pedal, but the use of the latter has become unpleasant and certainly aggravates my foot when I drive the car.
My question then is this: is it possible to replace the manual transmission in this car with an automatic? I'm assuming the answer is yes and that an mt Accord and an AT Accord are the same in all other respects save the transmission type, but I don't really know.
The second part of the question is, assuming that the swap is feasible, how much more would putting an automatic transmission in this car cost me than simply putting in another manual transmission?
The last part of the question, assuming that the swap can be done technically and won't be prohibitively expense, am I likely to get a good result?
Thanks for any opinions that anyone cares to offer.
Regards,
John
As for the clutch being hard to depress, that's a clutch issue, not a transmission issue.
As for the transmission, if I were you, I'd refill the transmission with synthetic transmission fluid, such as REDLINE.
Unless a transmission is howling mercilessly, or grinding badly during every shift, I don't see why you even need to worry about this right now. In fact, based on your descriptions, if there aren't loud noises from the transmission, either when running or in neutral with foot off the clutch (noise with the foot ON the clutch is a throwout bearing, another clutch issue--noise occurring when you take your foot OFF the clutch might be a transmission bearing).....anyway, it's possible your hard clutch pedal and lack of smooth shifting is all clutch related.
I'd add synthetic fluid and then have your clutch free-play checked. A clutch replacement would be justifiable but not a transmission swap. You could buy a good running '94 automatic for the same amount of money, or less.
Clearly you need a transmission, but you also need a new console containing the automatic shift lever. Some Hondas have a light display in the speedometer that shows the transmission gear currently engaged - so the instrument cluster may be involved. The transmission in many cars has a computer of its own that determines shift points (that needs to be replaced too). There is a special Honda rear transmission support that is dynamically controlled to make the engine vibrations smoother: this device does not exist on the manual transmission version. The shift console is connected to the transmission through the wire harness - perhaps the wires are there in your harness, perhaps not. There could be considerations for electrical power (fuses), and the automatic transmission fluid may have a "cooler" feature that runs ATF coolant up to the radiator and back (this doesn't exist for the manual transmission) - if it does, you need a compatible radiator and coolant lines routed in the car.
If you had two cars (one manual xmission, one automatic) and you wanted to swap the transmissions from the auto to the manual, then most or all of the parts would be available to you. If you got a wrecked car with an undamaged automatic tranmission, perhaps this swap could be economical - but it would have to be a labor of love.
I'm not sure what '95 Accords are going for these days, but somewhere in the range of $1-2,000. Just the transmission alone with labor is going to be that much. Perhaps you might want to trade cars with someone who has an automatic?
I have 208,000 on my '90 Honda manual transmission. There is a design defect (in my mind) in that the clutch pedal really needs to be depressed all the way to the floorboards to get the clutch to fully disengage. What happens practically however is that people don't push the pedal all the way to the floor, so the synchromesh has a harder time shifting to the next gear - that wears out the synchromesh and could be why they are saying "it's on its last legs". Do you ever experience "gear grinding"? Hard shifting? Does it get any better when the clutch pedal is pushed all the way to the floor? Otherwise my transmission is in good shape - I haven't heard of these manual transmission having a problem of wearing out (other than the synchros).
It is a good idea to replace the transmission oil with a synthetic oil - my synchros became quieter because the viscocity lower and "grabbed" the gears better.
I replaced the standard hydraulic fluid in the clutch with synthetic DOT5 silicone fluid years ago and have had no problems - standard brake fluid needs to be changed every year or two.
The clutch does eventually wear out (although I'm still on the original). Replacing the clutch/throwout bearing, even the flywheel is affordable, but it's not going to help you with Neuroma in your foot. Rather than put an automatic transmission into the car, it would probably be more economical to trade it for a car already with the automatic.