My rear passenger door was a problem too--would not lock/unlock with other doors. Just paid to have new actuator put in. Would hate to think that ALL other actuators need to be replaced. This is causing my alarms to not operate correctly. All my doors whine/buzz.
Did you have to take your car to a mechanic? Which actuator did you unhook?
Okay, i got a Honda accord 1994 2 door - 4 cyl. It has almost 200k miles on it.My g/f got the car with 85k on it.She does not know of what has been done to that car,not does she have records. So yesterday i was doing an oild change, drained the oil and gone to check the spark plugs. 2 out of 4 had oil inside the cylinder where the spark cable sits in to connect with the tip of the spark plug.So it was drenched in oil. Few days ago the car would not start for some reason and could be because of this.Engine would turn but not catch. So.. i took out the spark plugs and was drenched in oil.the other 2 where clean bone dry.They look like they have been replaced .Car has not been smoking at all out through the exhaust or around the engine. Anyone know why or how oil could of got into the cylinderic part of where the spark plug cables sit in? Spark plugs where tighter then hand tight.Maybe a gasket is gone and needs to be replaced. I mean if it was something major like the head gasket i would of thought all 4 plugs would go bad. The 2 plugs that where soaked in oil where conected to the longest of the spark cables. Any help on what i can do about this would be great. Thanks
I posted here twice now, and I was wondering if anybody out there has had to replace the light in their Automatic transmission console shifter (that makes the PRND4D321 light up between the driver and passenger)? Is it difficult or worth doing, or just a simple fix?
Agreed with the response of seraniko: #466 oily sparky by seraniko Aug 24, 2006 (9:57 pm) There are three places where that oil could come from : Most commons: - Head Gasket. A small open in the gasket not necesarilly means it will affect all cylinders. H.Gasket has protection for each individual cylinder so having 2 oily spark plugs could make sense if you have a faulty H. gasket. If you open your engine, you will need to change your head gasket. So if you do it, plan checking your pistons and valves. It doesn't make sense to open your engine if you are not planning to check them (even if you find out that the problem was with your h. gasket). Repair complexity for a rookie= Medium
- Oil ring or valve seal (Mentioned by seraniko). Doing a compression reading will determine what cylinders you are having trouble with. When opening your engine, check those cylinders (piston and vavles associated with it) in details for any problem. Repair complexity for a rookie = high
Less common - Engine block. There could be a small crack (most of the times hard to detect) most probably because of overheating problems of your car. Can not be fixed. You need to replace it. Complexity of changing your engine block=high
If the oily spark plugs are becoming a problem a quick fix is to increase the distance of the spark plug with the cylinder...long time back I've seen some kind of small adapter which goes between the spark plug and the engine (I don't know how it's call). This is not recommended but will solve the problem of having oil in the spark plugs. Good luck
I have a accord 1997 4 cylinder with 230,000 km on it. Just recently I had a problem with the car hesitating. The car only start hesitating for the first 1 km or so when I first start the car after a long period of time. It will hesitate at 20 km/hour, 40 km and 60km an hour. It feels like something is clogged but after driving for a distance km or so everything seems to be fine. No loss of power or slipping after that initial hiccup at startup. I have replaced the fuel filter with a brand new one, Tune up was done 8 months ago and the car runs fine other than that. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.
The ECM code was 0171 which is a lean fuel error. But i am not sure it is a 02 sensor or something else. Like I said it is not a problem most of the time and the light does sometimes go off and on. Could it be a degrading fuel pump? But again the problem happens at startup only nowhere else.
The radio in my 1995 LX has recently, but intermittently, begun to scan endlessly while already tuned to a strong signal. It's as if it's losing all signal, then begins to scan for a signal, but never finds one. I first noticed this during rainfall, and again today during rainfall.
a dirty contact, or poor spring in the switch? do you use the switch often? mechanical vibration sufficient for it to be sensed as being activated by your hand.
dunno.
do you have steering wheel mounted radio controls? if so, perhaps a clock-spring issue. you indicate LX. probably not.
My '94 Accord won't start. Dome light comes on when the door is open, but when key is turned in the ignition, nothing happens. No noises, no clicks, not even a burp. Nothing. I am not a mechanic (obviously), but as I love working on my cars, I would appreciate any help
I have a 97 Accord EX, 4 door. I am having similar problem where the car starts to overheat on a 100+ degree day in traffic with AC ON. As soon as the AC is turned OFF or I start driving 30-35 mph, the temperature gauge starts coming down.
When the car is overheating, I have noticed that only one of the fans behind the radiator is running even when the temperature gauge is over the half way mark. When is the second fan supposed to come on?
I appreciate any help I can get. I don't know where to start looking.
Help please, after days of work on 1987 accord 4cyl., replacing alternator and starter, seemed to run great! A wiring problem has occurred, headlights,turn signals and break lights all work, tail lights not working. When you drive it battery runs down, and when you jump it you can't get it out of park!? Is it a short in the taillight? Wiring looks beyond me. Any suggestions? Anyone know a mechanic in the Palmdale, Calif. area that could deal with this. Lyn
Jay; First, let me explain you the 2 main things that keeps your engine cooling off (I'm listing the components associated with each item in order of importance): - How fast the coolant enters your engine. Thermostat. Is the one that actually will try to maintain a constant temp. of the coolant in the system. If coolant temp. is low, then it won't allow the coolant to flow into the engine (it will be closed); but if the eng. temp. is too high, it will be completely open. Water pump. If pump fins are damage then coolant won't flow correctly. Radiator If water lines are clogged or obstructed then it will affect the speed flow of the coolant in the system. - How fast your radiator transfer the heat from the coolant to the air Radiator fan If it doesn't turn on at the right temp. because some malfunction, then your engine could overheat. There are 2 thermal switches that controls each of the 2 fans that exist in your engine compartment. One of the switches gets trigger around 195oF (controls the radiator fan) the other one triggers around 225oF (controls the condenser fan which is located on the pilot side). Radiator If there is dirt or bugs between the fins of the radiator; that will affect the efficiency of it to transfer the heat to the exterior.
Based on your description; everything tells me that your problem could be in any of the following (use that order): - Radiator fan. I'm assuming is the one that you are reporting as the one not working... is the one located on the same side of the passenger seat. The way to test it is by connecting it directly to the battery with jumper cables. - Fan radiator thermal switch. The way to test it is : engine cold, switch needs to be open; but when the engine is warm (>195oF) the switch should be closed. For the exact location of the switch, look it up in the internet. - Check fan relays. Testing them is not that difficult; but I guess you will need to get familiar on how to test relays. Location (search in the internet) - Fan control module. This module controls the fans. Testing this is more difficult; but if you were able to successfully test the previous components then I'll suggest to change it.
Explanation of why your AC when ON is affecting your engine temperature: I have the suspicion that the fan that isn't working in your car is the radiator fan. The condenser fan will turn on only when temperature reaches 225oF (which I think is around half way of the temp. scale). Turning on your AC increases the temperature of the air conditioning condenser (located very close to the radiator and in front of the radiator fan) which at the same time will transfer that heat into the system because the condenser fan is too small to handle all that (heat from engine + heat from condenser). Turning off your AC; will help your condenser fan to handle better the heat from the engine. Good Luck!
Dear jjv99, For the exact location of the switch, look it up in the internet relays. Location (search in the internet) Could you please give me an exact website showing these locations? I searched using the above keyword and did not find anything. Thanks Wj
Actually you are right; sorry I thought it was going to be easy to find those locations in the net (I was just trying to safe time... :shades: ). Here are some details on their location: Thermo switches: Just follow the 2 hoses that are connected to the radiator. The one that is connected to the front of the engine is the coolant fan switch. The other hose ends up at the thermostat. The thermostat housing is were the radiator fan thermo switch is located. In my car (accord 95), both connectors have a green plastic cover. Fan Relays: The one that controls the radiator fan is located in the fuse box in the engine compartment (examine the cover of the box to find out the exact position). The one that controls the condenser fan is located next to the same condenser fan (next to the radiator...side of the pilot). Actually there are 2 relays (you can not missed them); one is for the fan and the other one controls the compressor (I believe). Anyway, I'll suggest to check both. Good Luck
I have a 96 Honda Accord that I've had problems with the electric windows. The driver side window came off its guide rails which prevented it working at all! The window regulator had twisted....which apparently is quite common in Honda Accords, according to scrap dealers in the UK. I removed the regulator and replaced it having some problems with adjustments but managed to cure the problem. Sounds like your problem to me.
I have a 1997 Accord and am having the same problem. The dealer told me that my car was not covered under the recall either. I am considering calling the NHTSB since it seems that Honda did not recall all of the cars affected.
I found having the AC on made things worse... to the point that the temp needle would rise to 75%-80% and then the AC would be turned off for about 5mins until the temp went back to 50% position.
I actually have my car in the shop today, with the thermostat being replaced. No advice found on internet so went with the next best thing... which was to identify the components and start replacing them, cheapest first. (There was a list by one person who replied... and this was kind of verified by my mechanic).
My radiator apparently requires replacing next year (due to slight corrosion after several Canadian winters and heavy salting)... so this is next in line as fluids, fans etc look fine.
Apparently temperature fluctuation can be indicative of early failure of the main gasket. Oil-leakage from this gasket doesn't occur for some time. This is an expensive repair... CA$1K apparently and third on my list presently after the radiator. I dont have anyone elses word except my mechanic, but he seems reliable in the past! ;o)
The weather has got cooler recently but the needle still moves up to 75% if I idle and sit through traffic but was advised that the last thing you want this particular type of honda to do is overheat even slightly. 80Kmph seems to be the sweet spot to cool rather than heat the engine. The main (second?) fan seems to only come on either when the AC is on, or when the car stops... from what I can tell.
Let me know if you have any other opinions/advise to share.
Interesting...definitly looks pretty similar to the problem of jparikh. Make sure your fans are turning on (if not then check relays); then check your thermo switches (for both fans) and make sure they are turning on at the right temp (this is important...remember, the thermo switch have different specifications....mechanics sometimes misplace them. About your engine getting too hot than its normal operation so that your coolant system can not handle it...could be true. The reason of this could be: - Piston is broken (or maybe the piston ring) and is generating a lot of heat because is touching the walls of the cylinder. Or there could be some other mechanical component that is also touching some other metal more than expected. Usually (at least from my experience) you will be able to heard some strange sounds coming from your engine (make sure is coming from inside the engine an not any other place)....I guess you will need to be very good detecting those sounds ...I'm pretty sure that an average mechanic should be able to detect this just by hearing it. - Oil pump not working very well. Also check the state of your oil....make sure it still has viscosity (use your finger to feel it....if it is too watery change it right away)...because your engine is overheating, your oil could get burned pretty fast....and if you don't change it; you could make things worst.
I doubt about your main gasket causing all this problem....I guess I couldn't think in any physical reason that could be creating this scenario but who knows, maybe I'm wrong....anyway; don't change it unless you have a bad compression reading or if you have oil in your spark plugs or even in your coolant system. Read #469 for additional details. Let us know what was the problem so everybody could learn. Good luck!!
I Have a 1997 4 cyl. Accord in which the transmission is failing. To Rebuild it will cost close to $1800. To replace it might be close to $3500. I was also told that I could order a japanese transmission for cheaper. Does anyone know how or where I might go about finding these so called japanese transmissions or engine combos so that my price will fall in between the figures I just listed? Im also open to any other suggestions. Thanks.
Lean engine status set because of intermittent/faulty EGR valve possibly? Carbon buildup in the intake ports could also be a cause of or contributing factor to non-working status of EGR / CEL code.
Checking for proper operation of the EGR assembly is relatively cheap and easy. Not sure about the 97s but I believe after 91 or so they had removable plugs on the intake ports so you can easily check for buildup of crud there.
I have a 97 Honda Accord and the cigarette lighter assembly is loose. I don't see any screws or anything to tighten it and I don't wanna go sticking a screwdriver around in there and get shocked. Any advice would be appreciated! Thanx!
pepsi2169, You stated that "2 out of 4 (spark plugs)had oil inside the cylinder where the spark cable sits in to connect with the tip of the spark plug". So if I get this correctly your saying that the oil is not in the cylinder, but on top of the spark plug soaking the cables in oil and causing a misfire. If this is correct then the problem is that two of your Spark Plug Tube Seals are allowing oil to leak from under the valve cover into the spark plug tubes or as you called it "the cylinderic part of where the spark plug cables sit in". This is an easy and inexpensive fix, only about $15 to $20. Go to any neighborhood auto parts store and pick up a valve cover gasket set that comes with spark plug tube seals. Remove the valve cover (5 bolts) and replace the valve cover gasket and tube seals. Should take 1 hour max to do this. The same exact thing happened to me and changing the gasket and seals fix the problem. Let me know if this fixes yours.
I know that this is late in response to an older post #316 on the issue of speedometer problems causing the engine light to come on, but user777 and mamamia2 are correct that the VSS vehicle speed sensor is the culprit and is covered by the 98-081 service emissions warranty. My engine light on my 97 Accord EX came on at 145,900 miles so I took it in. My service rep at Honda told me that it was the VSS and that the repair was around $238. Thanks to the VSS info on this site I printed the emissions warranty showing this was covered and took it back to him and got it replaced for free. This was even after I had the 98-081 service emissions warranty done 25K miles earlier. Remember, even service reps can't remember every part covered under every service warranty. Thanks user777 and mamamia2 for pointing me in the right direction. Saved $238!!
I had a auto repair place replace my cracking radiator in my 1994 Accord DX. Now the A/C is not working. It worked sometime before I brought it in. I've brought it back and waiting to hear from them. Could their previous work have broken the A/C? The day before I brought the car in, the temperature gauge reached red for about a minute when I was at a stoplight and then cooled off. Could that have caused anything else? Thanks for any thoughts? I hope I upset about nothing and its a amicable solution!!!!
It is very hard to assure if the repair shop has broken your AC. The only way you can be sure is if you had checked your AC just before leaving your car in the shop. >> Could their previous work have broken the A/C? Yes it could; but before you start with any theory you will need to find out what is exactly wrong with your AC (does it turn on at all? any strange sounds?, etc). The only way I could imagine they could damage your AC is that when taking out the radiator, they accidentally damaged any of the AC pressure lines (it is difficult but not impossible) or the condenser (which I doubted). Could the overheat of your engine damage your AC? I completly doubted. Your AC system is a completly independant system. Now, if your AC is not in a good condition (line and/or the condenser in really poor state)then some shaking or overheat around the radiator could have trigger the problem in your AC.
The ABS light on my 1994 Honda Accord keeps coming on. It's been this way for over 3 years. The dealer said they checked the ABS and couldn't find a problem. The car runs good - no problems. In addition, the battery light has starting coming on and off. The battery and alternator were checked to be ok (passed diagnostics). Any clues on what could be causing these two issues? mileage ~ 180,000
Well, the "battery" light refers to the car's charging system, not the battery (even though it has a battery on it, it isn't really concerned with the batt., only the electrical charging system (alternator, etc...).
The car is running ok, how about (cranking, full power to headlights, A/C blower, stereo, etc)?
Thank you for your thoughtfull reply. It turned out to be a disconnected wire or a separated wire with electrical tape on it. I don't know which wire. The shop said they saw it after fixing the radiator but incorrectly thought it was intentionally disconnected. The shop didn't even recognize that it was in the realm of possibility that the wire came lose when they were changing the radiator nor did they ask me. All's well but it was inconvienient to return to the shop and leave it there another day. In the scheme of things, it is a very small inconvenience. Thanks.
Here are some ideas... - Are there any codes being returned by the ECM If no codes are being returned then you need to make sure your fuel system is working fine and then your electrical system: Fuel System - I know you have checked the fuel pump but have u check if fuel is reaching the fuel rail. Also you need to check the pressure regulator, fuel injectors ... I'm not an expert in this field but the idea is to be 100% sure fuel is reaching your combustion chamber. Electrical System - Check for faulty spark plugs ... make sure the gaps are correct. Check sparks at the spark plug..just in case there are some auto shops that have a ignition tester ... I have never use it but I have read it exist. I have my own circuit to test if electricity is reaching the cables, this circuit will create a visible spark that will be grounded to the engine. If everything is working fine, then check the order of your spark plugs wires (sounds silly but make sure they are in the correct firing order). - If no sparks at all and the wires are ok; then focus in the distributor. check for a faulty ignition coil or the wires that are attached to it (because of the high current, the connectors could get burned over the time). Check the distributor cap for cracks or any other problem. Check also the ignition rotor. If everything seems to be right then you will need to check if piston number one is align with the TDC position (when you installed your timing belt maybe you missed this check).
Hope these help. Let us know if you have any updates. Good Luck!
I've got a '97 Accord LX with 181,000 miles. I don't think the heat issue has anything to do with the radiator or either of the cooling fans. I just replaced the secondary ran motor and all hoses, plugs, plug wires, starter, and had an oil change a month ago. It seems like the block itself is hot and after about 20 minutes the car smells like hot metal. I keep checking the oil b/c the mechaninc told me i needed an oil pan gasket and I didn't have the exta $400 (mostly in labor) but three days ago it was almost bone dry. The only thing I can come up with without bringing it in right now is maybe the water pump. In which case I don't know how to check and see if the water pump is working or not. :confuse:
Have 1997 honda accord Se 2.2. Tried to pass emissions and failed HC and CO fast idle. Had the catalytic converter changed with a cheap after market one. Took test again but this time CO% went down but still failed HC failed also. NOx still Ok at this point. I then ran it for two days then changed air filter with new one. Mechanic said to take it out for a drive in the next couple of days. Took the emissions test again and this time I failed all the readings by a large amount.
Go figure. Mechanic says he is sure it is the catalytic converter which was a very cheap one anyway. I dont know what to check next. I feel it could have some thing to do with the O2 sensor as well. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thank you.
The ABS pumps on Hondas and Acuras from those years are notorious for failing. The light on my '95 has been on for a long time. When they told me it was a $1600 repair, I figured the light wouldn't bother me that much. Brakes have always worked.... ABS even kicks on.
Remember that if you change your catalytic converter (CC) that doesn't mean it won't fail again. CC were design to last the lifetime of the car. What I'm trying to said is that the failure of a CC is due to something else, changing it won't solve your emission problems (it may solve it in the short term but it will fail sooner or later). So first; check your ECM codes. The codes will indicate what component or sensor could be failing. I'm saying "could be" because most of the people will just go ahead and change that component without checking the system were that component belongs to. I'll recommend you to just take note of the initial codes and then proceed with a check to your fuel and ignition system. For the ignition system a good tune up will make it (it should include ignition timing check). After that, go ahead and reset your ECM and then drive your car for at least 20 min. . Check the ECM codes again and analyze the differences with your old readings; if a code or codes are repeated then you will need to focus on those components systems. Keep in mind the following: - CC won't work (eliminate gases) if it is cold. I believe the working temp. is around 500F. Below that temp. it won't have any impact in the exhaust system...this explains why the CC is closer to the engine, but it can not be too close because too much temp. could burnt it. - NOx is created when the temp. in the combustion chamber exceeds 2500oF. Which means that if your engine coolant system is not working properly (engine too hot) then the creation of NOx will increase. - EGR will help the reduction of NOx by retrofitting the emission gases back to the engine. By doing this it will help the reduction of the heat generated after the combustion of the fuel gas. The EGR is control by the ECM. - The ECM won't check the state of the O2 sensor; until the engine has warmed up. With the readings from the O2 sensor mainly (is not the only variable), the ECM will decide the best mix of air/fuel your engine needs. A bad mixture of air/fuel will have impact in the emission of polutants to the air (specially the ones that the emission test checks).
Hope all these helps you. Let us know your findings and if you were able to solve your problem. Good luck.
Comments
Thanks,
Greg
My rear passenger door was a problem too--would not lock/unlock with other doors. Just paid to have new actuator put in. Would hate to think that ALL other actuators need to be replaced. This is causing my alarms to not operate correctly. All my doors whine/buzz.
Did you have to take your car to a mechanic? Which actuator did you unhook?
It has almost 200k miles on it.My g/f got the car with 85k on it.She does not know of what has been done to that car,not does she have records.
So yesterday i was doing an oild change, drained the oil and gone to check the spark plugs.
2 out of 4 had oil inside the cylinder where the spark cable sits in to connect with the tip of the spark plug.So it was drenched in oil.
Few days ago the car would not start for some reason and could be because of this.Engine would turn but not catch.
So.. i took out the spark plugs and was drenched in oil.the other 2 where clean bone dry.They look like they have been replaced .Car has not been smoking at all out through the exhaust or around the engine.
Anyone know why or how oil could of got into the cylinderic part of where the spark plug cables sit in? Spark plugs where tighter then hand tight.Maybe a gasket is gone and needs to be replaced.
I mean if it was something major like the head gasket i would of thought all 4 plugs would go bad.
The 2 plugs that where soaked in oil where conected to the longest of the spark cables.
Any help on what i can do about this would be great.
Thanks
A response is MUCH appreciated!
I've noticed the Radiator Fan is more likely to come on... even short journeys have hte same events.
A/C is usually not on, which makes things worse.
Mike.
#466 oily sparky by seraniko Aug 24, 2006 (9:57 pm)
There are three places where that oil could come from :
Most commons:
- Head Gasket. A small open in the gasket not necesarilly means it will affect all cylinders. H.Gasket has protection for each individual cylinder so having 2 oily spark plugs could make sense if you have a faulty H. gasket. If you open your engine, you will need to change your head gasket. So if you do it, plan checking your pistons and valves. It doesn't make sense to open your engine if you are not planning to check them (even if you find out that the problem was with your h. gasket). Repair complexity for a rookie= Medium
- Oil ring or valve seal (Mentioned by seraniko). Doing a compression reading will determine what cylinders you are having trouble with. When opening your engine, check those cylinders (piston and vavles associated with it) in details for any problem. Repair complexity for a rookie = high
Less common
- Engine block. There could be a small crack (most of the times hard to detect) most probably because of overheating problems of your car. Can not be fixed. You need to replace it. Complexity of changing your engine block=high
If the oily spark plugs are becoming a problem a quick fix is to increase the distance of the spark plug with the cylinder...long time back I've seen some kind of small adapter which goes between the spark plug and the engine (I don't know how it's call). This is not recommended but will solve the problem of having oil in the spark plugs.
Good luck
Thank you
Good Luck
The ECM code was 0171 which is a lean fuel error. But i am not sure it is a 02 sensor or something else. Like I said it is not a problem most of the time and the light does sometimes go off and on. Could it be a degrading fuel pump? But again the problem happens at startup only nowhere else.
Any ideas?
Thanks!
Greg
dunno.
do you have steering wheel mounted radio controls? if so, perhaps a clock-spring issue. you indicate LX. probably not.
When the car is overheating, I have noticed that only one of the fans behind the radiator is running even when the temperature gauge is over the half way mark. When is the second fan supposed to come on?
I appreciate any help I can get. I don't know where to start looking.
Thanks
Jay
Lyn
First, let me explain you the 2 main things that keeps your engine cooling off (I'm listing the components associated with each item in order of importance):
- How fast the coolant enters your engine.
Thermostat. Is the one that actually will try to maintain a constant temp. of the coolant in the system. If coolant temp. is low, then it won't allow the coolant to flow into the engine (it will be closed); but if the eng. temp. is too high, it will be completely open.
Water pump. If pump fins are damage then coolant won't flow correctly.
Radiator If water lines are clogged or obstructed then it will affect the speed flow of the coolant in the system.
- How fast your radiator transfer the heat from the coolant to the air
Radiator fan If it doesn't turn on at the right temp. because some malfunction, then your engine could overheat. There are 2 thermal switches that controls each of the 2 fans that exist in your engine compartment. One of the switches gets trigger around 195oF (controls the radiator fan) the other one triggers around 225oF (controls the condenser fan which is located on the pilot side).
Radiator If there is dirt or bugs between the fins of the radiator; that will affect the efficiency of it to transfer the heat to the exterior.
Based on your description; everything tells me that your problem could be in any of the following (use that order):
- Radiator fan. I'm assuming is the one that you are reporting as the one not working... is the one located on the same side of the passenger seat. The way to test it is by connecting it directly to the battery with jumper cables.
- Fan radiator thermal switch. The way to test it is : engine cold, switch needs to be open; but when the engine is warm (>195oF) the switch should be closed. For the exact location of the switch, look it up in the internet.
- Check fan relays. Testing them is not that difficult; but I guess you will need to get familiar on how to test relays. Location (search in the internet)
- Fan control module. This module controls the fans. Testing this is more difficult; but if you were able to successfully test the previous components then I'll suggest to change it.
Explanation of why your AC when ON is affecting your engine temperature: I have the suspicion that the fan that isn't working in your car is the radiator fan. The condenser fan will turn on only when temperature reaches 225oF (which I think is around half way of the temp. scale). Turning on your AC increases the temperature of the air conditioning condenser (located very close to the radiator and in front of the radiator fan) which at the same time will transfer that heat into the system because the condenser fan is too small to handle all that (heat from engine + heat from condenser). Turning off your AC; will help your condenser fan to handle better the heat from the engine.
Good Luck!
For the exact location of the switch, look it up in the internet
relays. Location (search in the internet)
Could you please give me an exact website showing these locations? I searched using the above keyword and did not find anything.
Thanks
Wj
Thermo switches: Just follow the 2 hoses that are connected to the radiator. The one that is connected to the front of the engine is the coolant fan switch. The other hose ends up at the thermostat. The thermostat housing is were the radiator fan thermo switch is located. In my car (accord 95), both connectors have a green plastic cover.
Fan Relays: The one that controls the radiator fan is located in the fuse box in the engine compartment (examine the cover of the box to find out the exact position).
The one that controls the condenser fan is located next to the same condenser fan (next to the radiator...side of the pilot). Actually there are 2 relays (you can not missed them); one is for the fan and the other one controls the compressor (I believe). Anyway, I'll suggest to check both.
Good Luck
Sounds like your problem to me.
I actually have my car in the shop today, with the thermostat being replaced. No advice found on internet so went with the next best thing... which was to identify the components and start replacing them, cheapest first. (There was a list by one person who replied... and this was kind of verified by my mechanic).
My radiator apparently requires replacing next year (due to slight corrosion after several Canadian winters and heavy salting)... so this is next in line as fluids, fans etc look fine.
Apparently temperature fluctuation can be indicative of early failure of the main gasket. Oil-leakage from this gasket doesn't occur for some time. This is an expensive repair... CA$1K apparently and third on my list presently after the radiator. I dont have anyone elses word except my mechanic, but he seems reliable in the past! ;o)
The weather has got cooler recently but the needle still moves up to 75% if I idle and sit through traffic but was advised that the last thing you want this particular type of honda to do is overheat even slightly. 80Kmph seems to be the sweet spot to cool rather than heat the engine. The main (second?) fan seems to only come on either when the AC is on, or when the car stops... from what I can tell.
Let me know if you have any other opinions/advise to share.
Mike.
About your engine getting too hot than its normal operation so that your coolant system can not handle it...could be true. The reason of this could be:
- Piston is broken (or maybe the piston ring) and is generating a lot of heat because is touching the walls of the cylinder. Or there could be some other mechanical component that is also touching some other metal more than expected. Usually (at least from my experience) you will be able to heard some strange sounds coming from your engine (make sure is coming from inside the engine an not any other place)....I guess you will need to be very good detecting those sounds ...I'm pretty sure that an average mechanic should be able to detect this just by hearing it.
- Oil pump not working very well. Also check the state of your oil....make sure it still has viscosity (use your finger to feel it....if it is too watery change it right away)...because your engine is overheating, your oil could get burned pretty fast....and if you don't change it; you could make things worst.
I doubt about your main gasket causing all this problem....I guess I couldn't think in any physical reason that could be creating this scenario but who knows, maybe I'm wrong....anyway; don't change it unless you have a bad compression reading or if you have oil in your spark plugs or even in your coolant system. Read #469 for additional details.
Let us know what was the problem so everybody could learn.
Good luck!!
Checking for proper operation of the EGR assembly is relatively cheap and easy. Not sure about the 97s but I believe after 91 or so they had removable plugs on the intake ports so you can easily check for buildup of crud there.
Anyone else?
You stated that "2 out of 4 (spark plugs)had oil inside the cylinder where the spark cable sits in to connect with the tip of the spark plug". So if I get this correctly your saying that the oil is not in the cylinder, but on top of the spark plug soaking the cables in oil and causing a misfire. If this is correct then the problem is that two of your Spark Plug Tube Seals are allowing oil to leak from under the valve cover into the spark plug tubes or as you called it "the cylinderic part of where the spark plug cables sit in". This is an easy and inexpensive fix, only about $15 to $20. Go to any neighborhood auto parts store and pick up a valve cover gasket set that comes with spark plug tube seals. Remove the valve cover (5 bolts) and replace the valve cover gasket and tube seals. Should take 1 hour max to do this. The same exact thing happened to me and changing the gasket and seals fix the problem. Let me know if this fixes yours.
205,000 miles/ 2.2 L engine
Car got hot - warped the head, cracked the radiator
Head reworked, new radiator installed
result: no fuel no fire
Changed/replaced:
Timing belt, plugs, thermostat, new main relay, all fuses checked, all grounds checked,swapped computers with a KNOWN good computer
There is no play in the pistons, plenty of compression
Fuel pump runs when if you supply a hot wire
Attempted to start the car after each of the changes above
Engine turns over - but..no fuel..and no fire
There IS a chance.....that the unhappy soon-to-be ex husband/mechanic has done something..
Any and ALL thoughts on this would be appreciated. This has been a real nightmare.
Thanks in advance!
>> Could their previous work have broken the A/C?
Yes it could; but before you start with any theory you will need to find out what is exactly wrong with your AC (does it turn on at all? any strange sounds?, etc). The only way I could imagine they could damage your AC is that when taking out the radiator, they accidentally damaged any of the AC pressure lines (it is difficult but not impossible) or the condenser (which I doubted).
Could the overheat of your engine damage your AC? I completly doubted. Your AC system is a completly independant system. Now, if your AC is not in a good condition (line and/or the condenser in really poor state)then some shaking or overheat around the radiator could have trigger the problem in your AC.
mileage ~ 180,000
The car is running ok, how about (cranking, full power to headlights, A/C blower, stereo, etc)?
Darn.....
da bunny
- Are there any codes being returned by the ECM
If no codes are being returned then you need to make sure your fuel system is working fine and then your electrical system:
Fuel System
- I know you have checked the fuel pump but have u check if fuel is reaching the fuel rail. Also you need to check the pressure regulator, fuel injectors ... I'm not an expert in this field but the idea is to be 100% sure fuel is reaching your combustion chamber.
Electrical System
- Check for faulty spark plugs ... make sure the gaps are correct. Check sparks at the spark plug..just in case there are some auto shops that have a ignition tester ... I have never use it but I have read it exist. I have my own circuit to test if electricity is reaching the cables, this circuit will create a visible spark that will be grounded to the engine. If everything is working fine, then check the order of your spark plugs wires (sounds silly but make sure they are in the correct firing order).
- If no sparks at all and the wires are ok; then focus in the distributor. check for a faulty ignition coil or the wires that are attached to it (because of the high current, the connectors could get burned over the time). Check the distributor cap for cracks or any other problem. Check also the ignition rotor.
If everything seems to be right then you will need to check if piston number one is align with the TDC position (when you installed your timing belt maybe you missed this check).
Hope these help. Let us know if you have any updates.
Good Luck!
Go figure. Mechanic says he is sure it is the catalytic converter which was a very cheap one anyway. I dont know what to check next. I feel it could have some thing to do with the O2 sensor as well. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thank you.
No free lunch? Well it's still cheaper than the $238 you saved me. Thanks again
So first; check your ECM codes.
The codes will indicate what component or sensor could be failing. I'm saying "could be" because most of the people will just go ahead and change that component without checking the system were that component belongs to. I'll recommend you to just take note of the initial codes and then proceed with a check to your fuel and ignition system. For the ignition system a good tune up will make it (it should include ignition timing check). After that, go ahead and reset your ECM and then drive your car for at least 20 min. . Check the ECM codes again and analyze the differences with your old readings; if a code or codes are repeated then you will need to focus on those components systems.
Keep in mind the following:
- CC won't work (eliminate gases) if it is cold. I believe the working temp. is around 500F. Below that temp. it won't have any impact in the exhaust system...this explains why the CC is closer to the engine, but it can not be too close because too much temp. could burnt it.
- NOx is created when the temp. in the combustion chamber exceeds 2500oF. Which means that if your engine coolant system is not working properly (engine too hot) then the creation of NOx will increase.
- EGR will help the reduction of NOx by retrofitting the emission gases back to the engine. By doing this it will help the reduction of the heat generated after the combustion of the fuel gas. The EGR is control by the ECM.
- The ECM won't check the state of the O2 sensor; until the engine has warmed up. With the readings from the O2 sensor mainly (is not the only variable), the ECM will decide the best mix of air/fuel your engine needs. A bad mixture of air/fuel will have impact in the emission of polutants to the air (specially the ones that the emission test checks).
Hope all these helps you. Let us know your findings and if you were able to solve your problem. Good luck.