Honda Accord (1994-1997) Maintenance and Repair

bensonpa

I'm having an issue with my 1995 Accord EX V6. While driving, the tachometer is drops down to zero and then the car chugs, runs roughly and then lurches forward every couple of seconds.

Then the tachometer jumps around between zero and where it is supposed to be.

If anyone has any experience or idat what this may be I would appreciate it.

mamamia2

Read my post #739. I went thru all this TWICE.... Yes, check the ABS reservoir, as mentioned in 739.

mamamia2

Your Speed Sensor is shot, and probably your Distributor Cap.

HOW MANY MILES DO YOU HAVE ON YOUR ACCORD??

If less than 150,000 you are ONE LUCKY GUY... The repair is gonna be FREE!!...... Sounds too good to be true? Do a search on "service Bulletin #98-081" or just "98-081" on this forum... Lots of material there.

neeper_97

Sounds like your front brakes are just out of adjustment. I had to replace the master cylinder on my 89 Civic SI and had the same problem. The front brakes were dragging and they had that hot brake smell. I took it to a local brake repair shop and after a few adjustments, all was fine. Cost me less than $50. Hope this helps

tankbeans

Hey all-

Is it possible to balance tires on one's own or does one have to go to a shop. The reason I ask is because periodically when driving above 60 mph I have to hit the brakes and my car a 95 Accord starts to shimmy a little bit. My brother says that the tires probably need balancing and maybe an alignment. Could they be out of balance even though the little weights are still attached to the tire, or are there hidden weights that may have been dislodged somehow?

Thanks anyone with a response.

thegraduate

If it starts to shimmy when you hit the brakes at that speed (and it doesn't shimmy unless applying the brakes) then you have warped brake rotors, not a balance problem. If it shimmies even when the brakes are NOT applied, then you have a balance problem.

Sounds like you need your rotors turned or resurfaced if it only shimmies when the brakes are applied at moderate to high speeds.

tankbeans

That doesn't make sense. I just had them replaced a little over a week ago. I bought all new brake rotors and pads for the front of the car. I don't think they could be warped already.

I do appreciate the response though. Is there anything else that it could be?

thegraduate

Well, if it only shimmies WHEN YOU APPLY THE BRAKES and does NOT shimmy when brakes aren't applied, I hate to say it, but all I can come up with are warped rotors. A car that needs balancing will shimmy at "that certain speed" whatever it may be (our Odyssey would shimmy at 75 MPH when unbalanced) with OR WITHOUT brakes applied.

Wherever you got your brake job done, take it back, and tell them you aren't satisfied. Having a problem this soon they are liable to remedy your problem.

mrbill1957

If you can, try swapping tires, front-rear.

I had a damaged belt on one front tire on my old 88 Accord. It drove fine with no vibration until I would brake hard, then I could feel the front end shake. The extra weight shifting to the front and flexing the tire when braking was enough to make the difference.

There is still a big chance as others have stated that your rotors are warped, but this is something else to try.

Mrbill

tankbeans

Thank you for your response. I will certainly do that. I didn't think the shimmy would have come from brakes, being I just replaced them, but hey you learn something new everyday.

angelbyrd

Hi been a while since I've posted but here I am and I have questions:

1)My car was recently stolen, recovered and placed in a body shop for repair. I got my car back but found out that they did an oil change while they had it (96 Accord 4 Dr LX- 114000 Miles), they used regular oil and whenever I get an oil change I always get synthetic since about 103000 miles, I read somewhere that this could be detrimental to my car does anyone know whether or not Im in trouble, do I have to know stick with the regular oil or go back to synthetic

2)The window had to be fixed so of course the door had to be taken off well apparently some clips that are on the inside of the door broke and now Im stuck with two holes in my door by the handle, does anyone have an idea of how hard that would be for me to replace or even fix since I have the pieces?

Any help out there would be greatly appreciated.

elroy5

The oil will not be a problem. Use whatever you like. Don't know about the door.

tankbeans

You were correct. I brought it in to the shop on Friday to have the rotors resurfaced. It was weird they said that it may have gotten bent when it was new. Thank you for the tip. I feel safer without having the car shimmy when applying brakes.

Once again thank you for informing me that the rotors were bent a little out of whack.

thegraduate

Happy to help. I only knew because I had been there when I had my wreck in my 1996 LX. I locked up the brakes; stood on them so hard I warped them in that one instance.

Happy to help where I can (i'm not that mechanical, so I may not be so helpful in the future, but I'll try!)

lnbiles

Dash lights (tachometer etc) and rear lights do not come on when I turn on my headlights at night. My brake lights work as well as the headlights and high beams. I have tried to follow a wiring schematic to fix the issue but after replacing the head light relay (under the dash) for $100 and not correcting the problem I don't know what to check next. I have checked all the fuses (both under dash and under hood) and they are ok. I have removed the running light relay from the fuse box under the hood and checked the contact which appear alright. I thought it may be the switch but I don't want to go there if I have missed something easy. Any suggestions?

elroy5

Sounds like the switch to me (not making contact in park light position).

toolow4me

My 97 LX, is in need of some help. it pulses when it idles, the motor sounds as if its running dry or there is a small exhaust leak somewhere under the hood, and theres a real quiet knocking sound i'm not sure if its the same as the sound that a few websites i have checked refer to as "detonation" or "spark knock" in the combustion chamber.
I've read up on it and it sounds like my EGR valve might be part of the problem. anyone mind giving a second opinion? If its from a lot of carbon build up in the chamber then i'd prefer not to waste time with the EGR, and i'd just go get a new motor before this one just locks up.

repairmanjakk

i recently purchased a 97 lx. it seems to be in wonderful condition, has 130000 miles and runs great. just one problem. it started when i hit a bump and now rattles all the time. the previous owner has replaced the exhaust line with new parts. it seems as if the rattle is coming from the exhaust line but i can't be sure. it mostly occurs when i'm decelerating in D4 between 60mph and 50mph. when i go into D3 it happens less frequently. turning the A/C on has no effect. the only time i can make it stop is if i accelerate quickly. any help would be so greatly appreciated i cannot explain.

elroy5

It would be easier if you could duplicate the rattle with the engine running in park. If not you would have to use a rubber mallet or something to bang around on the exhaust. You obviously need to raise the car to do this. Ramps would be the best thing for this (jack stands would still leave the car too low, to do this comfortably). Check for loose heat shields, or exhaust pipes hitting against other parts. Some rattles are dependent on frequency of engine vibration, and are hard to duplicate. Good luck, in your quest.

accord95ex

I had this problem when accelerating from 2 to 3 or 3 to 4 and the cause was loose heat shield.

kamillion

I checked the fan and the relay but the relay isnt getting 12v to turn on the fan. replaced the thermal switch. condenser fan comes on but not the first fan. switch by the thermostat works properly. which is the cooling fan switch. only other part i know is the cooling fan control. anyone have any ideas to what my prob is? and have info on where the cooling fan control is? thanks

thegraduate

I have a 1996 Accord whose fan motor failed in 2005 (with 135,000 miles or so). It was the motor itself, however.

May I suggest posting this in the 1990-1993 Accord Maintenance and Repair forum? This being the 1994-1997 forum, you may find more help there than here, although if someone here can help I'm sure they will.

elroy5

Here is a link for you. Scroll down to your particular problem, and go from there.

PS: Don't know for sure, but the second fan may not come on if the A/C is not turned on. Hope this link helps you out. Good luck

http://techauto.bravehost.com/overheating.html#nofan

autoboy16

Do you have the v6 model? I too hear a quiet knocking sound and when ever i hear it, i get a squealing sound. Its high pitched and loud. It can only be heard when the car is revved over 2.5krpm and is in motion.

I took my car to a mechanic and like all new car dealers, the problem couldn't be recreated (i was present in car) but it did it the whole way home afterwards...

I had the spark knock but i got new spark plugs and its been fixed. But lately, it seems to idle hard occasionally.

-Cj

autoboy16

Is it possible to get a newer or stronger ac compressor? My ac on 2 feels like my moms miata on 1. Also it never blows cold. Its only cold when its not hot outside. My MPG is starting to suffer from my constant ac on 2 use around the city. Lately i've been getting 17MPG city. It was a cold front recently and i got 20MPG then.

The 1997 models have a stronger compressor. Is there much of a difference and is it possible to get it in a 95v6?

-Cj

mrbill1957

Have you had the A/C system checked? Not cooling enough doesn't always mean you need a new compressor. You may just need a refrigerant charge.

If you turn your A/C off and just ran the fan, does the air coming out of the vents seem alot warmer then the outside air? If so, the car may be actually heating the air the same time when your running the A/C. The valve on the heater hose to the heater core may not be closing completely.

If you do need a compressor, sure you can get a newer/rebuilt compressor. Stick with the same size compressor. The A/C should have worked correctly when the car was new.

Mrbill

thegraduate

Just a note,

The A/C compressor runs equally as much on "4" as it does on "1," so you'll be most efficient to run with the blower turned to a higher speed. The fan speed doesn't affect how much the compressor runs.

robo_geek

my 97 had a dashlight controller/dimmer module with a little twisty knob to one side of the steering column....perhaps this module is faulty. Don't throw a wrench at me, but is yours dimmed all the way?

robo_geek

the quiet knocking is likely just normal valve noise.

I would look really closely for a disconnected or split vacuum hose, or even if part of the air intake is disconnected. EGR is not active at idle, and unless the valve itself has a hole in it, I would tend to doubt it.

If you can't find a vacuum or exhaust leak, then I would perform a compression test and adjust the valves.

One trick to look to leaks is to spray a small quantity of carb cleaner near a suspected vacauum leak, and the engine will suck it in and rev a bit faster if you've found it.

robo_geek

sometimes the plastic heater control knob cracks internally...so when you think it's on cold, it's on hot ($4 part). Check the heater control valve under the hood and make sure that when the control cable is set to full cold, that the valve is pulled shut. I've had several of these heater knobs go bad.

robo_geek

heat shields rust-out and rattle. Also, sometimes the guts of the catalytic convertor breaks loose inside and cause a weird resonance at certain rpm.

elroy5

I had replaced two temperature control knobs on my old Accord before I learned the trick to it. When you try to turn the knob too fast, the cable binds up, and the knob cracks. If you turn the knob to about halfway (or until you feel resistance), let it sit for a second so the slack will release, then you can turn the knob the rest of the way without cracking it.

thegraduate

My 1996 Accord is on knob number 4 after 172,000 miles. When I first got the car, i went through two in about three months, then learned to slow down on the turning and it hasn't happened since.

Also, the first knob they gave me came off a 1997 Accord V6 that was sitting on the lot (for free). We had just had the transmission serviced, so you might say the knob was a freebie. It broke soon after, and then I got a new one for something like $3.65 or thereabouts.

elroy5

Simply turning the knob slower beats trying to lube the cable (considering where it is), which probably wouldn't help much anyway. I always figured they had changed the knob (or at least the way it was made or operated) after the 4th gen. I guess not. I paid for two knobs, then I had to solve the problem, one way or the other. I thought about drilling the hole larger, so I could put a metal band around the knob. It still would have binded the cable though, and something would have to give somewhere.

tankbeans

I was just reading through and saw that. Thanks for the tip. I always tended to keep it low thinking that it would kill the power as in dog on the freeway, but now that I know that I can be comfortable.

robo_geek

it helps a tiny bit if you put a piece of 1/2" heatshrink tubing around the knob, so if/when it cracks, the plastic has nowhere to go. I put a metal band (hose clamp with ears filed off) onto one knob, and there was only a very slight clearance issue. Putting a standard nylon wire tie or mini gear-drive hose clamp on there will not work.

elroy5

The metal band idea was the next step I was going to try, but if you turn the knob only until you feel resistance, then let the cable relax (for a second or two), then turn it the rest of the way, that solves the problem.

The inside door handle would also split in half, if the handle was pulled back too far when opening the door. I solved that problem by screwing metal bands to the underside of the handle. It wasn't easy (not much to screw into), but it worked.

tankbeans

Hello all-

Just wondering at what tread depth should a person replace tires? I've never had a car long enough to worry about it. Right now mine are sitting at 6/32. Just wondering if I'll get another winter out of them or if I should replace before snow starts to fly.

Thanks for any responses.

radekn

I've been having this kind of problem for a while , when it's hot outside it won't start at all for a few hours and now it just wouldn't start at all , it's been a few days now and it turns but nothing happens . What could it be ???

kiawah

It needs air, gas, compression, and a spark....all occuring with the correct quantities and timing. Your problem could be any of anything affecting one of these. You'll need to get it to a mechanic.

radekn

The problem is that sometimes it starts right up each and every day and then won't start for a few days , i was told it could be a distributor , any ideas ?

kiawah

Could be a distributor problem, could be 100 other problems as well. You can not tell anything with they symptoms given, and you would only be potentially replacing perfectly good parts. You need to get it to a competent shop, who can have the vehicle long enough to have it fail and not start while in their possession.

neeper_97

The easiest way to tell when it's time to look for new tires is to take a penny and place it in the tread with the top of Lincolns head facing the tire. If the tread doesn't touch his head it's time to look for new tires. Depending on the type of driving conditions and weather you drive in, (snow, heavy rain) it would make sense to change them earlier. Hope this helps

thegraduate

How long do you guys go before changing the air filter for the engine? Last I thought I read was 60,000 miles. I live in Birmingham, AL. It isn't particularly dusty/smoggy here. Just fishing for some answers.

I know, I've preached it before, I should read the manual, but I can't currently find it (I recently moved, so the box my car stuff was in is hiding from me right now!)!

Thanks,

Thegrad

accordmq

According to the model year 1996 manual, replace air cleaner element every 24 months (30K miles) for normal conditions. For severe conditions, clean it every 12 months and replace it every 24 months.

user777

this is an easy swap. takes all of 5 min or less, perhaps on that model, the top of the engine air filter compartment is held on with metal clips. the filter costs all of maybe $12 from a local NAPA or AutoZone or PepBoys or equivalent.

you can open it up and look at the condition of the filter. the 30K recommendation - if your driving on dirt roads or in an area where they are doing a lot of construction, i imagine you can get a filter really dirty in a few hundred miles. :sick:

thegraduate

Thanks to both of you. I can get the filter box open, but I can never seem to get it closed properly!

user777

alignment. the filer also may (not sure) be keyed in such a way as to have to go in to the base in one orientation.

normally, more of the filter media hangs below the horizontal plane than above, as the filter box has more depth than height.

wiggle it in and you should be OK. make sure you don't disconnect any hoses or wires in the process.

thegraduate

Thanks.

I checked my 1996 today and didn't have a problem like I did before. It was fairly clean (a little gray, with a little grass in it, but nothing substantial - I got the grass out). My grandmother's 2002 Accord with 87,000 miles was incredibly dirty, and I intend to replace it tomorrow since she's driving it to Arkansas Tuesday.

user777

engines are essentially air pumps. you'll probably give her several miles per gallon back in fuel efficiency with the change.

once i found a ball of styrofoam in my wife's odyssey engine air filter compartment! hard to imagine how that made it all the way into that area below the filter media. luckily it wasn't above the filter media, but it couldn't have helped fuel efficiency!