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Acura Integra

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Comments

  • sakinoshsakinosh Member Posts: 34
    I'm new to this posting stuff...but anyway, I own a '92 Integra LS hatchback (Love it!) and want to know if anyone has any info on their safety in crashes. Edmunds has "insufficient data" but I need some real advice. I've had a couple "one-man" accidents with my Integra in the past (meaning I'm the only one to blame for the mishaps) and the car still runs like a champ. But what I'm really concerned about is rear-end crashes. If anyone knows or has had experience with a rear end collision, I would like to know how badly the car was damaged.
    My main concern is that I will be having a baby soon and although the Integra is not exactly a family car, it will have to do for a bit. This is unless we keep my wife's Accord which I assume would be safer, but we really can't afford the payment right now. Sorry for the sob story, but we are stubbornly arguing over which car to keep... Of course my heart is with the Acura (and the wallet, since it's paid for) but if I know the car will be crushed in a rear-end collision, then that's a lesson that I don't want to learn the hard way... My baby and I thank you.

    P.S. My Integra also has 200,700 miles on it!!! I know, but it's still such a strong car. Consumer Reports shows the Integra's to be some of the most reliable cars out there. But please let me know if anyone has me beat in the odometer, and if so, am I in for any real maintenance surprises? I've had timing done recently, brakes, master cylinder, tune-ups regularly... basically all the things a good owner would do for their ride. Thanks
  • mznmzn Member Posts: 727
    sakinosh, you may want to try the Who's been rear-ended in your Hatchback???? topic for more information. Best wishes for your blessed event!

    carlady/host
  • lancerfixerlancerfixer Member Posts: 1,284
    That would be "speed," not "spped".
  • lancerfixerlancerfixer Member Posts: 1,284
    I was rear-ended in my '92 Integra-- it was a low-spped affair, probably no more than 10 mph. There was no visible damage, but it happened on ice, so I imagine there was some crash energy lost when I slid on the ice after being hit (that's just a guess.) If I were to wonder about crash protection with a baby in the car, I'd probably look at the stats for a Civic of the same vintage, as that's what the Integra is built off of. You probably won't find Volvo-like protection, but by the same token I'd rather be in an 8-year old Honda/Acura than a brand new Daewoo. (go to www.iihs.org or www.nhtsa.gov to see why.)

    p.s. I REALLY miss my Integra. Fight tooth and nail to keep it. I wish I had.
  • sakinoshsakinosh Member Posts: 34
    Thank you for the link carlady, lots of good info over there.
    I'm glad your Integra survived the accident with minor injuries lancerfixer, but I bet the ice did help a lot. I live in Sacramento, CA so unless we have some freak weather coming our way my chances of an ice collision are pretty slim. But believe me...I'm holding my ground on keeping the Acura, she's just too good of a car to get rid of and I know she's got a lot left in her...even if my wife thinks the car's going to break down all the time.
    However, it's a real toss-up for us...keep the Accord for the safety and longevity (it has 71,000 mi on it) but have the car payment and owe way more than it's worth, or keep the Integra with no payment, less insurance, and bank the money we save from not paying a loan off. The answer is obvious to me (financially) but I see it from my wife's point of view about the safety issue... AAaarrgghh...does anybody have a good SUV they can loan me for a bit?? hee hee.
  • lancerfixerlancerfixer Member Posts: 1,284
    A SUV should be your LAST choice for family transport...well, second to last after the Daewoos. Are you trading in one of your cars for a new one? If you are, you're in an eerily similar situation to my own. We need a new family car, and I've got an Accord coupe which I love, and a Cavalier coupe which I hate. One of them has to go to make room for the new car (likely a recent Volvo 850 or leased Saab 9-3.) Of course, the Cav is the one that's paid off, and we can only comfortably afford one car payment at the moment. My wife wants to drop the Accord and keep the Cav, which is easy for her to say; I'M the one that has to drive the Cav to work (in all fairness, my is commute is MUCH shorter than hers) but I feel that long-term, we'd be better off keeping the Accord and sucking up the two car payments. Of course, if we keep the Cav, I can get a used Integra when it dies, which I'm sure will be soon...heh heh heh.
  • sakinoshsakinosh Member Posts: 34
    No, we are not trading in an old car for a new one. Currently we have 3 automobiles ('93 Toyota p/u 2wd, '92 Acura Integra, and the '95 Accord LX). The truck and the Integra are both paid off, but we recently bought the Accord (about 10 mos ago before we found out about the baby).
    We are in a very similar situation...except I would love to be considering shopping for a Volvo 850. Also, I don't think it would be the smartest choice (financially) for us to try to suck up this payment until she goes back to work.
    We're just trying to decide whether or not to keep the Accord or the Integra for the "family" car.
    Why do you say SUV is such a bad choice...besides gas mileage and some have the tendency to rollover, or have their tire tread just fall off? I swear I would not even glance at a Ford dealership. We were looking Lexus RX300, or 4Runner...but the Lexus is a much better value. Then we figured since we would have to put about $7500 down on the Lexus, that we'd much rather save up a few thousand more and put it down on a house... but anyway. If I wasn't looking SUV, it would be between the '01 Accord LX V6, or '01 Acura TL. Although in my dreams I see me in the 3.2 CL type S!!!!

    P.S. Let the Cav. die and go for the Integra!!!!! But don't lease any car (in my opinion). I've never been really jazzed about the idea of "renting" a car from somebody, them setting my mileage limits, and in a couple of years, giving that car back so I can "rent" another one. In fact I got a deal for you. You say you want a used Integra? I've got a real reliable '92 LS hatchback, 200,000 mi., grey, that I can lease to you for, let's say $400/mo. and I'll only limit the miles to 20,000/yr or until failure. Heh heh, sorry for the sarcasm, but you get my point.
  • lancerfixerlancerfixer Member Posts: 1,284
    Without getting too far off topic, leasing does present some advantages. No need to worry about selling the car when you need a new one due to space limitations, a lower monthly payment, the car is always under warranty (or at least it should be, long-term leases aren't a smart move, financially.)
    As far as SUVs not being safe family vehicles, well, it should be obvious. Sure, they're bigger than a good percentage of the vehicles one would hit, but often it's not a vehicle that you hit...plus, yes, the high center of gravity makes a rollover much more likely. Remember, most SUVs are built on truck platforms, which do not have to conform to the same safety standards as cars.
    If your wife wants to keep the Accord, why do you need to get rid of the already paid for Integra? That part doesn't compute. And as far as the sarcasm, no, I don't get your point.
  • sakinoshsakinosh Member Posts: 34
    We would get rid of the Acura and use that money to pay the Accord payment while she is on maternity leave...basically, we are really low on $$$ and I don't see spending $430/month (payment + insurance) just to keep her car. I've pretty much decided that we are keeping the Integra, no matter how many nights I have to spend on the couch, because I know we will be able to save a ton more money that way for our down on a house... and remember the houses in CA are not exactly a great value. We'll have to pay at least $150-200k just to move into a decent 3br/2ba.
    But thanks for all your info, I hope my explanation clears things up a bit. Sorry though, the lease thing just doesn't fly with me. I'd rather have a car of my own to drive and not be driving on borrowed tires even if they were under warranty and I could get new ones in a couple years. Don't you modify the cars at all? New stereo, tires, rims, alarm, etc??? No you're not able to with a lease, but that's just my opinion...although we definitely see eye to eye on the Integras!!!! I wish they wouldn't have gone to the neonesque/late 80's celica looking body style ('94-present) GSR rocks though!
  • lancerfixerlancerfixer Member Posts: 1,284
    No, I always keep my cars completely stock, so that's not an issue for me. Will you be able to sell the Accord for what you owe, or even somewhere close to it? That could be a factor in your decision. And also, is the Accord a coupe or sedan?
  • bobexbobex Member Posts: 1
    I am looking at a 1994 Integra RS for my teen son to drive. It has 49k miles, origianl owner, auto PS, PB PW, stock radio. Has new tires, battery. Orig. exhaust and boddy VG condition. Does anyone have any experience with this model/year that I might help me make a decision?
    Thanks.
  • sakinoshsakinosh Member Posts: 34
    Of course we won't be able to sell the car for what we owe. We're selling for $11,900, but still owe $13,500. Not too bad of a difference, but I would hate to carry the loan out and pay $16-$17k for a car that won't be worth $8k by the time we're done paying the loan off.
    I made a mistake about saying "we" bought the car...she bought it when we were dating (against all of my rantings about waiting a bit to research and not getting into debt). But now, WE are paying for it...And her supposed "friend" at the Honda dealership really took her for a ride!!!
  • sakinoshsakinosh Member Posts: 34
    I would advise looking at a '95 or '96 Integra if you are looking for a good one. First of all the RS is the most stripped model, but still a good car. However, the '94 was the first year of that body style and I've heard and read lots of bad things about loose windows, rattling trunk noises, and even engine problems.
    I do believe that '93 was the first year of the VTEC system in the Acuras, but going to the '94 body style had to change the configuration of the engine a bit...somebody correct me if I'm wrong. Overall, GREAT choice of car, but I would look for a later year just to be sure that Acura had some time to fix most of the "bugs" in the '94's.
  • only1harryonly1harry Member Posts: 1,140
    I would have to disagree. '94 Integras didn't have too many problems. I have friends with '94 RS, LS & GSRs with 100K mi. and more and have had very good luck with them. Expect to get "near" Civic reliability (I own both Civic & Integra). Whatever the reliability is, Integras are always above average and the '94 models are no different.
    Acura/Honda cars are famous for reliability.
    The only thing when buying a used car is, that you don't know if the person that drove the car before you was a maniac and redlined it every chance they got or at every gear shift.
    Another fact is that the 1st VTEC from Acura was in 1990 with the NSX. The first VTEC Integra was the '92 GSR. RS/LS/GS models are not really VTEC. Only the GSR's.
    BTW, I 've been on vacation for 2 weeks and the last few days of my vacation all I could think of was driving my GSR again. I really missed it. I 'm 34 & married and have owned many cars (about 15) so it's probably weird that I missed my car that much while on vacation :) It's not like I 'm 18 and this is my 1st or 2nd car. So either I 'm not normal (probably so) or this car is really something else because after 15 mos of ownership, I still feel like I just bought it and want to drive it constantly.
    '99 Integra GSR
    '06 Civic LX coupe
    '11 BMW 335i coupe xDrive
    '13 Honda Accord sedan (wife's car)
  • only1harryonly1harry Member Posts: 1,140
    I have friends that bought older Integras with 149k mi. on them. Believe me when I tell you that 49K mi. is nothing for a Honda/Acura. The car is barely broken in. There is someone on this board with an '87 Integra that has 240k on it. Buy the car. From what you wrote in the GSR forum in the sports car section, it sounds like they 're not asking for a lot. This car should be worth between $7-8K if it's in good shape. Just the fact that they have all the maintenance records from the dealership is an big incentive to seriously consider this car.
    '99 Integra GSR
    '06 Civic LX coupe
    '11 BMW 335i coupe xDrive
    '13 Honda Accord sedan (wife's car)
  • sakinoshsakinosh Member Posts: 34
    My bad about the wrong info. I totally agree that all Integras ARE reliable...I have a '92 LS with 201,000k on it!!!! And she's still going strong. I know I can get at least 260k+ out of her.
    However, your friends may have gotten some good '94's, but there ARE also a lot of bad ones out there. There are always problems with the first year of a new body style (big or small) because the long term effects on the car have not been foreseen yet. After a year or so, the company has time and data to fix many of the cars' glitches if you may.
    The problems that I've read about are not engines falling out, or transmissions blowing too soon, they're little annoying things like the hatch making a constant squeaky noise, or the windows rattling while driving. All of which don't exactly affect the reliability of the car, they just annoy the $#!@ out of you for the next 100,000 reliable miles. :)
    P.S. If I had a GSR, I would definitely miss it too if I were on vacation...If you need a carsitter for it, let me know!!!
  • somuchluv7somuchluv7 Member Posts: 1
    Hi... I am intresting in buying this 93' Integra LS. Problem is, I have afew friends telling me not b/c of the miles.. and I have others telling me Acuras and Hondas will go FOREVER! I test drove the car, and rides BEAUTIFUL, so clean inside NOTHING LOOKS wrong... EXCEPT while breaking it shakes alittle, and he said that some sort of springs in the breaks need to be cut which will cost $30?????? He also says he has all the paper work for what has been done to the car. What should I do??????? Its 5-Speed. Hes asking $3800 and its got 160k. miles.... ANYHELP???? Email me at Somuchluv7@aol.com (I prob. wont be back on this board for awhile if I can even find my way back.). And I need advice QUICK!!!
  • hprickettxhprickettx Member Posts: 23
    160K is no sweat for an Integra. That comes to about 22K per year, not excessive. As only1harry mentioned, mine now has over 280K on it. My mechanic who works on Hondas and Acuras says that Integras are the longest lasting cars he has ever seen.

    If the seller has all the maintenance paperwork and is only selling b/c he needs something more "practical" now, I would say go for it!
  • sakinoshsakinosh Member Posts: 34
    You say you have 280k on your Integra... What are some of the "major" maintenance problems that you have run into? The only reason that I ask is because I have 201k on my '92 LS and plan on keeping it for a while and I would like a heads up on what I may need done.
    Do you have auto/manual? Has the transmission ever needed replacement? What about your suspension? And I'm willing to bet you've gone through a master cylinder or two??
    I know Consumer Reports shows that suspension, brakes, and I think A/C are a few of the problems with the Integras (in the looong run).
  • sionsion Member Posts: 14
    I drive a 93 Integra RS. It's the ultimate car !
    I had it for the past 5 months already and
    i drove 7k miles with 0 problems.

    Recently i changed the front pads and rotor
    as well as the broken cv joint boots ... at
    pepboys. When i left the shop i noticed than
    when driving over 60mph and braking the car starts
    shaking a little bit etc.

    I went back to pepboys
    and they said that it's nothing, the new rotors
    have to adjust etc etc. Now, 4k miles after that
    the car still shakes and i can gradually feel it
    even at lower speeds, when braking at the
    stop light for example. Is this a rotor problem ?
    My "lifetime" with pepboys expired ;( ...

    Also the other problem i seem to have is that at
    speeds between 70 and 90 (pretty much the highway
    range ;) i feel/hear a certain rattling, (mainly when pushing the gaspedal) located somewhere near the cv joints ... is this something related
    to the joints themselves ? (also the car shakes a little bit until i hit 85mph) do i need to replace them ? the car has now 87k miles.

    I posted this here because i am sure that some
    of you guys might have been through this at some point ... this is my first car in the US ... my european renault had WAY MOOOORE problems than
    the integra etc ;)

    thanks,
    sion@cs.purdue.edu
  • lancerfixerlancerfixer Member Posts: 1,284
    One thing you may want to check-- the combination of shaking at speed and when slowing down leads me to believe that perhaps the lug nuts were improperly torqued. Probably the best way to confirm this would be to go to one of those places that rents equipment and tools, and get a torque wrench. The correct torque settings for the lug nuts are either in your owner's manual or perhaps on that tag inside the driver's door.
    Also, if getting new CV boots installed, it's a good idea to just get the whole CV joint replaced. When I did the same thing for my Accord, it was onlt $50 more per side, and I got a whole new joint, instead of one that could fail sometime in the near future anyway. Also, I'd look around and find a reputable import repair shop instead of having major service like CV boots done at Pep Boys. Just my opinion.

    Oh, and welcome to the US! :-)
  • hprickettxhprickettx Member Posts: 23
    My '87 Integra has never left me stranded. Only "major" work has been replacement of both inner cv joints at about 230K. I'm still on the original 5 speed transmission. Still original master cylinder too, I think, but I did have a slow leak in a diverter valve that had to be replaced. Suspension is still all original parts. Refer to my post #454

    Regards
  • sakinoshsakinosh Member Posts: 34
    Just curious, but what type of gas do you use in your Integras?? I always put in 92...no matter how much it cost nowadays. I guess I could look at the manual, but I'm curious to see what you guys/ladies use. I also use an octane boost / fuel injector cleaner every other oil change (about 5-6,000 miles).
    I also have a Toyota P/U (2wd 4cyl) and put 92 in every fill-up. I've noticed that when a relative borrows this truck and fills it with 87 gas, that it really screams in the high end of the gears...like it's trying to work too hard. This is why I never use 87 gas.
    Am I wasting my $$$$??
  • sionsion Member Posts: 14
    Thanks for all the replies from you guys/gals.
    It seems that i was right and that the shaking
    was from the rotors and the rattling was from the
    cv joints.

    I replaced the axles and now everything seems to
    be great. It got back to it's original perfect
    acura type shape ...

    Oh ... and thanks for the welcome to the US ;)

    BTW. i use 87 on the highway for long drives
    and 92 when filling up to drive in the city.
    It seems to me that i have the same mpg with
    a low-cost fuel on the high way ... and i also
    try to minimize engine knocks when driving
    harder in the city.

    just MHO ;)

    radu.
    sion@cs.purdue.edu
  • only1harryonly1harry Member Posts: 1,140
    I read an article by a Honda engineer/race car driver a while back (2-3yrs). In a few words he said not to use Premium gasoline and to run on 87 octane if that's what's recommended and you don't have a GSR/VTEC Integra. He explained it scientifically and I can recall exactly but it was basically that the car runs too rich on 92 or 93 octane and that can hurt certain parts and I believe oxygen sensor was one of them and some other stuff. If your engine knocks, then have the valve clearance adjusted. That's recommended every 30K mi. or so anyway and it's a regular maintenance item. So basically he said using anything other than 87 octane is a waste of money and can eventually damage engine parts and other bolt on parts as well as emissions components. The Acura manual says the same thing as well. I on the other hand can only use Premium because it's necessary for my GSR. Around here premium gas is always 93 octane. The manual says 91 minimum. My Civic manual does not recommend the use of anything higher than 87 octane too.
    '99 Integra GSR
    '06 Civic LX coupe
    '11 BMW 335i coupe xDrive
    '13 Honda Accord sedan (wife's car)
  • sugar8sugar8 Member Posts: 2
    Don't want to disappoint all you integra fans out there, but.....
    I actually kinda feel disappointed about the quality of my 99' Integra LS(auto). The car began to make cracking noise somewhere from the front with regular driving. And it become noiser if I hit a bump. The car has been in Dealer's repair dept. for two weeks, they said they fix one thing, but they still can hear the noise, and they are not sure where it comes from, they said sth at somewhere got broken. Dealers are being pretty nice try to fix it, but I just feel worried about the reability of the car, I only drive this car for a year, and "somewhere inside got broken all ready"?
    About the alarm part, I didn't get the dealer's original installation cause they charge too much, I went to "Auto one" to put the alarm and autostart on. Dealer told me the feature" kill-switch( I think it can turn off the car engine if someone want to break into the car while the car is running)" can dry the battery out.The problem is I couldn't remote start the car if the weather is too cold, I don't know why. After I asked auto one to take the "kill-switch" feature out, I had no problem starting the car, but why??? Any comments?
  • tpsinhatpsinha Member Posts: 8
    Its white, stick, with alloys and rear spoiler and in really good condition. And the other standards include all power, ABS, AC, AM/FM/cassette, cruise, etc.. Its got 37,600 miles on it (not bad for a '96!) and I really need to sell it soooooooon, latest by end of this month!!! I'm near DC and if you or if someone you know needs a well-maintained, reliable, fun-to-drive, 2-door stick, look no further! I'm asking for $13,500 (kelley blue book is $14,235!) but willing to negotiate. Please e-mail me at tansinha@yahoo.com

    Thanks!
  • sunbird3200sunbird3200 Member Posts: 12
    Does the gs-r require premium gas or does it run on regular 87 octance? I'm sure the LS does right?
  • only1harryonly1harry Member Posts: 1,140
    Yes, the GSR runs on premium and the LS on regular.
    '99 Integra GSR
    '06 Civic LX coupe
    '11 BMW 335i coupe xDrive
    '13 Honda Accord sedan (wife's car)
  • only1harryonly1harry Member Posts: 1,140
    First of all the dealer shouldn't keep your car for 2 weeks! That's bull and they 're screwing around since you 're not complaining. They spend their time fixing all the other cars from paying customers and guarantee you they haven't looked at your car but maybe one time. You have to scream and yell at them and ask them to call the regional Service rep from Acura. Acura has service reps in every area. These are experienced knowledgeable people/mechanics that help the dealers troubleshoot problems and solve customer complaints. If you 've brought it back enough times you can scream lemon law at them. Then you 'll see how fast that factory rep. will move to get your problem fixed because they don't want the car back.
    '99 Integra GSR
    '06 Civic LX coupe
    '11 BMW 335i coupe xDrive
    '13 Honda Accord sedan (wife's car)
  • sat3sat3 Member Posts: 1
    Hi, I'm considering buying an Acura Integra and have to confess I know nothing about it; hence this initial post. From reading the various posts, I feel that I might be safe ground, but here are some details that worry me. The car is an Integra 1988 which has been maintained very carefully. However, there is a problem with it. It burns oil. The owner tells me that his mechanic estimates the cost of the repair will be around $1500. He is asking $1500 for the car, which at this time is approaching 100K miles. I'm not a mechanic and I have no idea why it is burning oil, but I assume that burning oil is a serious problem. So I'm hesitant about the car. I don't have many other details about the car. Can someone advice me on what questions I should be asking and whether I should bother in the first place asking any questions. Thanks!!
  • sunbird3200sunbird3200 Member Posts: 12
    All right after months of looking I am finally close to buying my car!!! I need some help on which one? One is a 96' White integra with 57000 miles on it and is 11000 by a dealer. The other one is a 96' Black Integra with 60000 miles on it and is 9500. The problem is I'm wondering is it better to go with the dealer cause it also has a 1 year warrenty on it. Or should I go for the better deal through the owner. Also for a 19/m is it cheaper to through a bank or the car dealership for a loan?
  • only1harryonly1harry Member Posts: 1,140
    Used car loans are fairly high and much higher than new car loans. Go to your local bank and get the interest rate for used cars. Then call the dealer car salesman and ask him what the rate will be and compare. I 'd try and talk the dealer down to $10K. If you can't do that buy the $9500 Integra. $1500 is a considerable amount of money and if anything goes wrong with the 60K Integra $1500 would be more than enough to cover it. The engine or tranny won't go (especially if it's a 5-sp.) so an alternator, starter, or other small stuff will cost you a fraction of $1500 IF anything goes which I doubt.
    You will also pay like $100 less in tax if you buy it from the private owner. Go for the better deal but have a mechanic or someone experienced look at the car. Dealers always ask for more than what the car is worth because they have to pay the salesman his commission. Besides, dealers get their cars from auctions and it's hard to get the history of the car that way. They also pay very little for these cars through auctions so they make huge profits. Talk them down if you can. If not, I would trust a private owner especially if he is the original owner and he has all the service & maintenance records. $9500 is a good for a '96. $11K is too much. A GSR should be around 11-12.5K. An RS/LS should be between $9-10K (in good to excellent condition).
    '99 Integra GSR
    '06 Civic LX coupe
    '11 BMW 335i coupe xDrive
    '13 Honda Accord sedan (wife's car)
  • sionsion Member Posts: 14
    Don't buy a car that burns oil even if acura !
    Anyway, let YOUR mechanic take a look at it
    if you are really hooked on it.

    The car has for SURE well over 100k miles if
    it is a 1988 acura. I estimate it probably
    has somewhere around 250000 miles on it if it started burning oil.

    Don't buy it !

    If you do anyway, make sure that:

    1. your mechanic checks the car, especially
    the compression rates !

    2. you check the car VIN through carfax.com
    BEFORE buying the car. I assure you that
    a 1988 integra that also burns oil has
    over 250,000 miles on it, no matter what
    the odometer says.

    3. look on the engine SN and match it towards
    the car SN.

    4. don't buy it ! ;)

    it's not good to be happy about a low price
    on a piece of junk ! even if it's named acura.

    my 2c.
    radu.
  • sugar8sugar8 Member Posts: 2
    Thanks for your suggestion, only1harry. I haven't have a chance to bring the 99's car back for 5 times yet, it ONLY happened 3 times so far. So I probably have to pass the lemmon law this time. The car has been at the dealer for three weeks. Dealer FINALLY told me that they FOUND the problem . They said they have an acura regional mechanics at their site fixing this car 4-5 hours every day.(I am trying to force myself to believe that, though it is kinda bit hard). They said close to engine, there is a bodyweld problem !! I am SO glad they find it this SMALL problem, cause it prevent this car falling in part on the highway, and it save another car accident news. : )
  • tnguyen74tnguyen74 Member Posts: 65
    I have a 95 Integra SE and having intermitant problems starting. Sometimes it takes 10 minutes to start and you have to engage the clutch many times. I'm positive it's not the battery and would either be starter or clutch sensor. Has anyone experienced this?? Is there an easy fix to this?? It's causing me to be late everywhere I go.
    Thanks
  • sakinoshsakinosh Member Posts: 34
    Take it to an Acura mechanic to get it looked at...but leave 15 minutes early ;)
  • sakinoshsakinosh Member Posts: 34
    Sorry for the smart bootie comment above (#510) but I couldn't resist. I do have a real concern though. When my car is in Drive and at a stop it vibrates pretty noticeably. The steering wheel visibly shakes and I can hear the car vibrating. I'm wondering if it's a bad/failing motor mount, which is what it seems it would be. Does anybody else have these vibrations or should I just take my own advice and have it checked out?
  • dbsltd2dbsltd2 Member Posts: 4
    Hello all,

    I just recently found this forum, and I thought I would share with you my experience with my girlfriend’s Integra.

    She has a 1990 Integra (stick shift) with 197K miles on it. The car is still in an amazing shape! She replaced the clutch and the muffler at about 130K miles (the new muffler now has a lifetime warranty), the alternator – just last year at about 185K miles, and recently she had to replace the exhaust B-pipe due to some rusting. Other than that the car has never had any major problem. There were of course the small maintenance items, like tires, break pads, batteries, etc.

    I am really impressed by the car. My girlfriend still gets 30-35mpg mixed city/highway driving. (Last year when we went on a long trip I got almost 40mpg with the cruise control set at 65mph throughout the whole trip.) The car is maintained by Acura only, and my girlfriend changes the oil every 3000 miles. The car burns absolutely no oil at all! My 98 BMW definitely burns more oil (about half a quart every 7-8K miles).

    There are two issues that I would like to address at the next major maintenance, which is coming up next month:

    1. The car vibrates a little, particularly the steering wheel, when in neutral and after it had warmed up. This has been the case for the last 3-4 years. It is consistent with an earlier post. I wonder what it is. Any idea/similar experience? Any help will be appreciated.

    2. The car has become rather bumpy when going through uneven surfaces. It is almost like a loud bang every time real wheel goes through a pothole. I wonder if it is the shock absorbers or the bushings or something else that we need to replace. Has anybody done anything to improve the ride of an older Integra. Again your comments will be appreciated.
  • dbsltd2dbsltd2 Member Posts: 4
    Sorry, "real wheel" above should read "the rear wheel". :)
  • sakinoshsakinosh Member Posts: 34
    Sounds like my '92 Integra. I have asked about the rough ride in the past at Acura dealerships and the only answer that I got was that double wishbone suspension (in the Integras) is a stiffer ride than independent wheel. But I bet you can corner in that Integra easily.
    After calling Acura, the technician told me that it might have something to do with the tires on the car...ok never heard that excuse before. Shocks, struts, and inner cv joints are also suspect.
    The vibration is probably due to a bad motor mount... however I know I've had them look at my car for this reason and everything checked out. They said that a free test drive with a technician would help so they can estimate if these problems are abnormal or not. I am going to take my Acura in soon to get an oil change and I'll definitely have all of these problems looked at...stay posted :) But it's good to know that I'm not the only one with these annoyances.

    P.S. 201,200 miles on my baby now!! :)
  • only1harryonly1harry Member Posts: 1,140
    Most of these problems are common wear & tear and would be considered normal, especially on cars with over 130k mi. The car's suspension settles over the years and with mileage. That means the shocks, springs, bushings (wearing out), control arms, tie rods, everything bends and settles and doesn't have the rigidity or elasticity they had when the car was newer. Now if you hear a loud bang in the rear, it's probably the shocks or the springs hitting the bump stop, or the bump stop is wearing out or has a tear in it. If it were a bushing, you 'd probably hear a lot more often and it would be more constant on uneven road surfaces. Sometimes the sway bar and control arm bolts need to be tightened and bushings replaced but they don't usually "bang" but rattle a little.
    Just to give you an example, my '99 GSR was starting to feel loose and the ride had started to get stiffer and I could feel all the road irregularities a lot more. I upgraded the shocks at 17k mi. with Koni adjustables and the car felt and rode like new again. Shocks play the biggest role in ride quality and unfortunately factory regular duty shocks don't last long. Not to say that they break and need to be replaced, but their wear & tear rate is fast and ride deterioration can be as soon as a few months or a year. CV joints could also be the culprit. But like I said it's usually a combination of many suspension components especially with high mileage. I don't know if I 'd go through the expense of replacing the shocks in an Integra with 197k mi. on it. Labor is kinda high because they have to take the springs out as well to replace the shocks. Figure at least $175 in labor at a regular repair shop, and $300 and up at the Acura dealer plus whatever the shocks cost ($200-300?). This is for all 4. The labor is actually about 3 hrs. with 2 mechanics (you need 2, one can't do the job alone because one has to screw the bolts in while the other holds everything in place) but I 'm sure the Acura dealer will charge you for 6..
    Anyway as far as the vibrations go, they 're normal too. The motor mounts are probably old, although not cracked to warrant replacement which is why they don't find anything wrong when the inspect them. They 're just old and worn down enough to cause some additional vibration on the engine. Replacing them will probably eliminate 50-60% of the vibration but there are other things loose such as the rack & pinion steering, tie rods, alignment, suspension needs to be tightened down so your steering wheel doesn't vibrate as much, and the tranny or tranny mount is probably worn out somewhat. Again it's a combination of things but the engine mounts should help for sure. Then you also have to make sure the engine is properly tuned up to minimize vibration at idle. A lot of new cars have moveable engine mounts that are also hydrolic! This allows the engine to move back and forth an inch or so and smoothly that is transparent to the driver or occupants. My wife's '98 Mitsubishi Galant has this system and it works well.
    '99 Integra GSR
    '06 Civic LX coupe
    '11 BMW 335i coupe xDrive
    '13 Honda Accord sedan (wife's car)
  • dbsltd2dbsltd2 Member Posts: 4
    sakinosh, only1harry, thank you for your input.

    I realize there are a number of suspension components that have all aged and it will be impractical to replace them all. Also, the somewhat rough ride is not that bad, so I consider it a minor annoyance. I had Acura check all the components and they said everything was all right. I didn’t pursue the matter further and I didn’t get them to test-drive it. I still wonder, though, if I should replace the shocks. They are the original ones, and have almost 200K miles on them. Acura told me they can replace them, but they also told me they did not recommend it – they said they generally advise people not to touch them unless they are leaking. Now, I don’t mind spending a few hundred dollars to replace them, but it seems, I have no guarantee that the ride will improve. (I get a sort of a bang from the rear wheels when I go through potholes.) What do you think? It seems like 200K is an awful lot of miles for any shock absorber. Also, if I decide to go ahead and replace them, what brand would you recommend?

    Engine vibrations – the vibration that I described in my earlier post occurs only when the car is in neutral. If I raise the revs to above 1000 rpm there are no vibration whatsoever. I guess it is an engine mount. Shall I go to Acura and ask them to replace the mounts? Are they expensive? Or can they raise the idle RPM?

    Thanks.
  • sakinoshsakinosh Member Posts: 34
    First of all, I would take your Integra to Acura to have them look at it in the first place. A faulty/failing motor mount could be the culprit. My Integra is an automatic and Acura said that a loose/broken motor mount is notorious in these cars. There are (4) motor mounts that are on the car and they range from 45-$160 to replace them, and you're probably looking at about 2 1/2 - 3 hrs worth of labor ~$200. Chances are it's the front motor mount that's either loose or broken.
    Acura did not recommend adjusting the idle due to the fact that the idle is set by the computer, and if your car is not idling correctly, it's probably some other component that's causing that.
    I do think you should have the shocks replaced. When I called Acura, they asked me how many miles my car has on it (201,200) and the guy was surprised that they had not been changed. (My front shocks have been replaced, but not sure about the rear ones). They recommend OEM shocks (from the manufacturer) because they give you the best ride comfort and performance for the Integra... but any good gas filled shock would do (Monroe,Kby). Others he said would be more performance related and hence give you a stiffer ride, which I don't think you're looking for.
    I'd definitely have the motor mounts looked at and replaced if need be. As for the shocks, have them look at those while they're under the car and give you their suggestion, maybe they don't need replacement...but I bet once you're in there they'll definitely want you to get new ones since they're pretty old.
  • tclawtclaw Member Posts: 23
    My Mercedes C-320 arrives in a couple of weeks, so I have to say a sad goodbye to my red '92 Integra LS hatchback, 80,000 easy miles, CD, spoiler, moonroof, automatic, brand new tires, custom alloys, always garaged at home and work. I can't find comparables with that little mileage. I'm thinking about asking $7,000 and settleing for $6,500. Does that sound fair (in Northern Virginia)?
  • only1harryonly1harry Member Posts: 1,140
    Although it sounds like the car is in great condition (and maintained) it's still 8-9yrs old. I think that $6K is probably what you 'll be offered by most people. $6500-7K is very optimistic but you never know.
    '99 Integra GSR
    '06 Civic LX coupe
    '11 BMW 335i coupe xDrive
    '13 Honda Accord sedan (wife's car)
  • sakinoshsakinosh Member Posts: 34
    Your car is definitely worth that! But unfortunately, only1harry's right and you probably are asking a bit high. You should try finding a happy-medium between what Edmunds says it's worth (~$5700) and what Blue Book is on it (retail is ~$8700), but their retail takes into account dealer maintenance, advertising, sales commissions, etc...
    If anything, I'd at least ask under the $7k mark because $6900 looks a lot more appealing than $7000. Doesn't really sound like you're hurting for ca$h anyway...
    "My Mercedes C-320 arrives in a couple of weeks..." Nice upgrade.
    I'm curious though, you definitely paid $30k+ for that car...why didn't you just go for the 3.2CL Type S w/Navigation and get 45 more ponies for less money? Or was it just because it's a Mercedes? No offense intended, just curious...they don't seem like good values, but very luxurious, I can't deny that.
  • hurtn4certnhurtn4certn Member Posts: 9
    Could use some help with an electrical problem on my Integra. While driving, the motor simply stopped, no miss firing, no sputtering, simply died. When you look into the oil cap, the cam is still moving and the rotor still spins, so I'm thinking the timing belt is still intact. The fuel pump still comes on with the ignition. I've noticed that there is no spark (when pulling off a spark plug wire from the distributor cap). I've cleaned the rotor and distr. points (which did have quite a bit of corrosion) but still no spark. I have a chiltons manual, and after running through a couple of steps, it says that the ignitor may need replacing. There is current going to the distributor when the ignition is on. I am stationed in Germany, so parts take about two weeks to get here. So replacing one part at a time is not an option. I'm thinking about ordering the ignitor, cap, and rotor. Is it possible the coil is also bad? Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
  • only1harryonly1harry Member Posts: 1,140
    You done some good troubleshooting, probably more than I would 've done. When you turn the key the motor (starter) doesn't turn I take it? I think it may still be the timing belt because the computer does something to turn off electricity at certain spots.. could be wrong though. Coil is another possibility but usually the alternator is fully charged and it doesn't just turn off the car like that while it's driven. The ignitor looks like the best guess so far.. Hope you don't have a short. Those can be hard to spot. Maybe it might be worth taking it to a Honda dealership? I 'm sure you have one somewhere near you, no? How many miles are on this car?
    '99 Integra GSR
    '06 Civic LX coupe
    '11 BMW 335i coupe xDrive
    '13 Honda Accord sedan (wife's car)
  • tclawtclaw Member Posts: 23
    I drove the new 3.2 CL and liked it, but I wanted a shorter car because of a small garage, and I couldn't help thinking "Honda" when I looked at the front of the 3.2. I was also more interested in a 4-door. But I'll have to admit that a big part of the choice was that it's a Mercedes, and I've never owned a luxury car. Many of my neighbors own one or in many cases two MBs, and they all say that nothing compares. Then again, they might not want to admit that they made a $50,000 or even $80,000 mistake.
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