Honda Accord (1976-1989) Maintenance & Repair

wanger1 · December 2007

It could be a number of things. Bad injector, wire to an injector, flat spot on a camshaft lobe (If you didn't replace them when you rebuilt), bad distributor gear, or an exhaust leak can make it sound as if it were skipping. Is the exhaust closed up good on it? Other than this, I don't know what to tell you. Vacuum leak??

wanger1 · December 2007

There is a little plug that goes through the brake pedal that operates the brake light switch. Have you looked to see if the brake lights are staying on all the time? If they are, it is probaby that plug missing. I had it happen on an 88 I used to have and after replacing the brake light switch, I realized that the plug was missing. Check the brake lights with the switch on and see if they are on.

liv4fun · January 2008

I have an 89 Accord that was idling really rough. I took off the ERG valve last night and cleaned it out really good. It idles much better now, but still not the way it should. The weird thing is though, when I put it in reverse it idles perfect. You can hardly tell it is even running. Same with Park, and Neutral, but when I put it in Drive, it starts idling a little rough. Is there a sensor, or valve that only works when it is drive? A vacuum line to the tranny? Motor mounts? The front motor mount is almost new, the top engine strap bushings are good, and the bracket on the belt side that goes between the timing belt is good. Any suggestions?

mrbill1957 · January 2008

What about the back lower engine mount? I JUST changed the rear mount in my 88 Accord, and I have reduced the vibration about 50%. The old mount was intact, but the upside-down V shape of the rubber had collapsed.

Mrbill

liv4fun · January 2008

Thank you Mrbill. I will check that out.

user777 · January 2008

yeah, i think you might have been the poster that indicated some time back how to test for a broken or worn engine mount... or maybe it was elroy5, can't remember. it had something to do with putting it in drive with the brake on maybe, or maybe it was the FWD vs. REV test. anyway, what you say would make a lot of sense!

wanger1 · January 2008

I am not the one who posted the reply, but I agree on what he was telling you as to how to test it for a busted motor mount.
With the car running, put it in drive first and have someone stand off to one side with the hood up and watch. Hold your foot firmly on the brake and start pushing don't on the gas. If the engine raises up or rares up, you have a busted motor mount. If it doesn't rare, try the same procedure in reverse. Simple test and it will tell you if you have a bad mount. Good luck.

user777 · January 2008

your suggestion is a tad confusing. do you mean, have someone push the car when you have it in gear with the brake on?

if so, with the vehicle in drive (fwd), are they pushing from the front to try to move the vehicle backwards, or are they in the back, trying to push the vehicle forwards?

thegraduate · January 2008

No, let me try and rephrase it.

2 People are needed.

With hood up, engine running, person 1 should stand to the side (beside the front wheel, perhaps).

Person 2 should be in the car, with foot firmly on the brake pedal. Person 2 should then press the gas when the car is in drive, while keeping his/her foot on the brake.
Repeat that process with the car in reverse.
Person 1 will be looking to see if the engine raises up/moves around from its original position.

Does this help, and is this what you were meaning, wanger1?

user777 · January 2008

yeah, this is the procedure someone, perhaps yourself had posted before. good stuff.

thegraduate · January 2008

Wasn't me, but I remember reading it a couple of times around here.

tonyj2 · January 2008

I have an 87 honda accord lxi that has some sort of a starting issue. It will try to start but will act as it it not geting enough battery power to start. 90 percent of the time it will start okay but that 10 percent of the time it will go to a slow crank to almost no crank If i continue to turn the key it will start.

I have replaced the starter, both battery cables, rotor and cap.and battery.

I also was wondering what the chances are the starter is bad It is a pep boys starter.

I was wonder if it could be the ingtion switch ,or maybe a relay

I do not know where to go from here or what to test next.

Mr_Shiftright · January 2008

Sure could be a binding starter. Also check for corroded battery cables and ALSO check your engine ignition timing.

tranto · January 2008

I've just bought a build date Sept 87 Accord EX(Australia) with 274000km on it. A gamble i know. It is a carburetted 2lt auto.This car has not been maintained very well and has several worrying issues.When started the auto choke idles high then drops below 1000rpm and shkes badly when in gear. When put into gear it clunks badly and does so through the range, I have taken to starting off in 2 and manually shifting to D3 and leaving it there except for highway running. This seems to work OK but am i damaging the trans by doing so. The fluid looks and smells ok to me. I have replaced the front engine mount but the problem remains. Also the power steer fluid goes right throughthe system and leaks v. badly from the rack area. Next issue is performance.The acceleration is sluggish and doesn't want to progress past about half throttle,and if you push the foot down it changes back, but almost at once shifts back up to the same situation. The fuel consumption is excessive to the point that i thought the gauge was faulty.Also the radio resets itself every time it is restarted. A real hassle is that the car was missing the master key and the local Honda dealer said they were out of issue. I really want this key.Is this car worth fixing, i have a feeling for this car and would love to continue on with it . Any assistance would be great

wanger1 · January 2008

Check all of your grounds as well. That radio resetting sounds like a faulty ground and that could be causing it not to run right. Without hearing it run in person, it is hard to define the fuel problem.

wanger1 · January 2008

If the engine is hot when it does this, it could be a faulty starter, but before going through that you might try checking the ignition timing and also make sure that the engine is grounded properly. Other than these things I can't think of anything else that would cause the engine to lag when starting.

tranto · January 2008

Thank you very much for your input. I'll check the grounding. Car is in the shop today for trans. service,asit has no service records, hopefully this will smooth the trans. to some extent. Shall keep site informed of progress. I'd love to see how far this puppy will go.I am however very nervous about the power steer fluid loss, that bridge is next. Fingers crossed.Can anyone help with the master key situation?

kiawah · January 2008

Take your VIN # (and owners card) to a Honda dealership. They should be able to look your vehicle up in the system, and cut you a new master key.

wanger1 · January 2008

If the power steering is leaking from the metal casing, you can get some stuff called J B Weld, clean the surface real good and sand it with sandpaper, wipe it off and make sure it is dry, then mix and apply the J B Weld. It will seal it up and that problem is behind you, unless it is leaking from a seal or a hose. Then you are going to either have to replace the pump ot the hose to correct it.

tranto · January 2008

An update from new owner. Well i've had the trans serviced, seems it was ok. It still jolts but I'm trying to get used to this Honda trait. The power steer has now got a stop leak compound that is working and hopefully I will get 6 months or so out of this. After this i am told the seal will be shot and a new steering rack will be needed.The drive shafts and boots have also been replaced, fresh oil and filter for the engine also. The mileage issue is a problem however.The mechanic tells me that the problem is retarded timing caused by a failed distributor diaphram, that can't be repaired since it is a plastic housing and can't be dismantled. This means that i'm going to have to wear bad economy and poor performance, particularly at cruise speed. The option is a new distributor at a cost of over $500AU Gulp! As i've just about spent all i can afford on this car this will have to go on the backburner. How much for this part in the U.S.? The radio is still it's contrary self and the A/C doesn't get cold. I'm told it is gassed and that the problem ,(i'm not sure what he said) is v. expensive. Oh and I put in a new air filter as the old one was shot. If anyone can offer comment or assistance please do as i would love to get this car running true but the cost is getting away from me. Thank you in advance. Almost forgot. I'm having no luck with a master key in Australia so here is the Vin no in the hope that someone o/s can assistVIN: JHMCA56300C210342.Thanks again.

wanger1 · January 2008

Concerning the distributor. If you will go to (thepartsbin.com) they carry the distributor for $161.00 to $213.00 as oposed to $500.00 or was that price including installation? You might also try ebay and (thatpartsgiant.com). If it is a part I don't have to have right away, I buy 90% of my parts on line. For the master key, I would suggest going to Honda. They should be able to get one from their warehouse or direct from Japan. If it is just the ignition itself, try (thepartsbin). I know they carry them and you might come out cheaper just replacing the whole switch. I hope this info helps.

user777 · January 2008

another option for some things: a pull-it yard.

apxracer · January 2008

Please tell me where I can find a wiring diagram for the stereo in my 89' Accord DX.
The previous owner cut out the aftermarket stereo and I don't khow which wires are for what.

Thank You!

Apxracer

apxracer · January 2008

need to know what wires in the Honda go where...the wires are cut and hanging out of my console. In order to wire up a new stereo I need to know the color codes for the speakers, acc/on, etc....

Thank You!

Apxracer

apxracer · January 2008

www.installdr.com

an hour online and I found this free site.

-apxracer

wanger1 · January 2008

If you are installing a factory style sterio, the wire colors should match up. If it is a aftermarket sterio, you might try following the wires and see which ones go to the speakers and which ones go to the dash wiring. Then use your diagram for the aftermarket and match up the wires one at a time until you get them right. There should be no more than 8 speaker wires and 2 to 4 power wires, so as far as hooking up the radio, you will have a max of 16 combinations to deal with. You might blow a couple of fuses in the process, but it shouldn't be that hard. Good luck.

petrov_exi · February 2008

I have a 89 Accord EXI (2.0L fuel injected) that seems to be running on two cylinders. It was running strong until a drive the other day on the highway between shifts it lost power.
I pulled each spark plug boot off individually to confirm spark and noticed that when I pulled the left most boots (driver's side) there is no difference in the engine. It is however evident when the right side is pulled as the car almost stalls.

I also measured the fuel injector resistance and it was 1.7ohms which is within spec. Can it be the ECU and where is this located? Also the manual said to check the resistance of the injector resistor terminal which I also cannot seem to locate...it should be a connector harness of 5 pins that is located around the strut tower of the left fender apron???

The plug appears to be slightly fouled but not overly wet...so where do I go from here. I was thinking about testing the injectors by swapping them to the working cylinders but I have strong feeling that it could be the ECU or some other electrical sensor...

Thanks in advance,
Peter

chevyman63 · February 2008

Dose anyone have a diagram of the vacume lines to 1989 accord? It would be a big help as it seems I have no distributor advance? Any other thoughts then vacume?

tranto · February 2008

I have a similar problem,have you pressure tested the diaphram on your distributor If as i suspect this is the problem,and you have a metal housing it can be repaired, however if you have a plastic housing the diaphram can not be accessed and you're up for a new distributor. If you are also getting poor mileage this is the likely culprit.

chevyman63 · February 2008

Thanks tranto for the reply!!! That was a good thought but in my case it turned out that my main trouble was a cracked vacume hose from the valve cover to the pcv filter box at aircleaner. (I still can't find the pcv valve.. from what I've been seeing it is in line to a vacume canister somewhere under hood?) Soooooo after finding crack on bottom of hose I pulled the 2 vac lines to distributer and drew on them they seemed to hold pressure. Then with those lines plugged I put a timing light on the car and couldn't find the mark until I lossen distributer and went way back conterclockwise. Did cracked hose cause this to be that off........ I don't think so, I belive last owner tried setting timing without pluging distributer vac lines. The putt putt ( my name for her) is much better with power but I wonder about the rest of the miles of vacume lines. Looks like different color codes on some of the lines and a pile of little plastic tees and such. have you ever heard of a kit to go thru these mess?

wanger1 · February 2008

chevyman63,

The PCV on that model is in a weird place. While standing in front of the car lean over and look down in between the intake tubes. It is actually in the top of the intake, but because of the location, it is hard to see. It should be at the other end of the tube coming from the valve cover.

mrbill1957 · February 2008

The PCV on my 88 Accord (carb model) is located below the bracket coming from the air cleaner enclosure to the valve cover. Look for an upside down U shaped hose. The PCV is on one end of the U.

Mrbill

chevyman63 · February 2008

Yo Honda Bro, Whats the secret to 40mpg out of an Accord? I have a carburated 89 that has been thru tuneup,timing belt,radiator flush, new cv joint,seafoam thru whole system and syntetic 10-30 oil. I have yet to break the 28mpg any advice would be appreciated. 28mpg ain't bad but 40mpg sounds much better. Thanks in advance!

wanger1 · February 2008

I no longer have the car, but when I did mine was a 5 speed. I did nothing special to mine to get the 40mpg out of it other than keeping the rpm under 3000 rpm between shifts and keeping the car under 70mph on the hwy. If yours is only getting 28mpg I am guessing that it's an automatic. I had an automatic before the 5 speed and I was averaging 35 to 37 mpg out of it. I think it may be the way you drive it. Not trying to tell you how to drive, but as I was growing up my dad always preached that jackrabbit starts and high rpm's between shifts lowers the gas mileage. I hope that the oil you put in the car is only part synthetic. If the engine is not new, you could knock the main bearings out of the engine using totally synthetic oil. I would dump the oil and change back to regular motor oil. I have for years and will continue to use 10w40 valvoline in everything I own. I had a 67 AMC Rambler when I was a teen and I drove it very hard as most teens do. I was using 30hd Pennzoil. I could not keep oil in that engine to save my life. The car only had 65,000 miles on it. I was talking to a mechanic about it at the shop I was working in and he said the next time I changed the oil to switch off and put Valvoline in. I did and the car stopped using any oil. I was sold on Valvoline products and will never use anything else. Sears Spectrum motor oil is made by Valvoline, if you want to save a buck or two on your oil changes. I hope this little bit of info helps.

chevyman63 · February 2008

I had same trouble and a new window motor did not help! You can split the control box open and inside is a small circut board that has a couple of relays on it. If you study the solder joints under a magnefing glass you might find a joint that looks a little discolored (not shine but kinda flat color). Use a soldering iron to heat pin to that joint and apply some new solder. I pulled new motor out and installed old one back in and walaaa no more troubles

chevyman63 · February 2008

Thanks for the comeback wanger1, Yes this is an automatic with only about 55k on it. I try not to drive it very hard but don't like getting run over in the city. it sounds like the 2.0L is not known for being fast however I think I still have a smaller vacume leak somewhere in those miles of lines. My 89 owner manual says 10-30w straight or syntectic oil. I am using a product Royal purple and I can tell a big difference in the engine coasting or decellerating. Was told by the Napa (now car quest) engine gruru thats its tops in its line. As you tell from my email name I am still into old american iron. Have been driving a 1963 Impala since 1980 that now runs like a raped ape but the gas prices were killing me. Sorry to here you gave up your Honda cuz from what I've been hearing they are a great car for what they were designed for. Like you my friend I run the valvoline racing 10-40w in the chevy but it seems the newer motors are designed with the syntectic oil in mind. You seem pretty smart on these rice burners where I am just trying to figure out sideways 4 clys. open to any and all good advice from those who have already been down this road. Thanks and stay in touch!

me8e · March 2008

I believe that refers to the ...MAIN/Fuel relay....it's actually 2 relays in one module. When you turn the key "on" the Main relay applies 12 volts to the computer ....then the computer applies the voltage to energize the FL (fuell pump) relay.

rick105 · March 2008

my 86 accord started idling rough,running out of gas on a hill,have to pump pedal to keep it going.also if you hold it to the floor on highway goes to 4-5 grand & starts cutting out like a rev limiter. i seen on here it could be coil not sending enough juice to the fuel pump.any other ideas? also does anyone know what the vacuum diaphram on drivers side of carb. controls? thanks :sick:

thomason · March 2008

we are having about the same problem with 88 honda accord, runs very rough, cant set idle carberator or timing to make it run smooth with out shutting off at stop signs. Have to put in nuetral to keep it from dying. If everything is set to run half way smooth the next time it is started or the next day it will be right back to not running good at all.

Mr_Shiftright · March 2008

First two things to do for both these cars is to check for vacuum leaks everywhere, and to do a simple tune up.

japanese carburetors are very difficult to rebuild and you don't want to go in there unless you really have to.

circuitsmith · April 2008

Hi everyone,

I own an '88 LXI hatchback with 217K miles. Needless to say its had many parts replaced over the last 20 years, but it has the original O2 sensors. I'm always reading how O2 sensors should be periodically changed, especially from places that sell them! So, I get no check engine light, I get good gas mileage, as high as 37MPG, and the car runs great and passes emissions. I'm guessing those little buggers would be a PITA to come out after all this time.

My question is are their others who have never changed their O2 sensors? Should I relax about not fixing what's not broken?

Mr_Shiftright · April 2008

Unless you've noticed a conspicuous drop in fuel mileage, no, I wouldn't touch 'em.

rodominski · June 2008

i have a 89 accord. carb. ive been having the same problem with the idle for almost 2 years now. its a 5 speed so im able to drive as you said. abit differently. i was wondering if anyone has come up with any solutions for this problem. i have a mechanic that i trust and we are trying to research and tackle this problem. we are thinking its somewhere in the carb. maybe a air intake valve somewhere in there? Id love any kind of feed back. im ready to fix this problem for good. :confuse:

bgortz · June 2008

stopped while running in driveway. was hot at time. now no spark. tried coil, cap, points check. nothing works. getting current to coil and no spark. is there some kind of reset for the engine?

rodominski · June 2008

if its not your clutch slipping. it come most def. be your idle screw. when i first got my 89. it popped out one day im guessing and it only acted up every once and awhile. check it. simple little thing

adams135 · July 2008

I have a 1989 Honda Accord Ex with an intermittent cooling problem.

Gage .. generally stays the halfway mark but out of the blue starts climbing to HOT .. may be hot foe 15 seconds then back down below the halfway mark on the temp gage .. then go back up .. after a while goes up and stays up at HOT.

Fan runs when AC is on (but car still runs hot even when fans are on) does not run otherwise.

When HOT and I cut the car off and open hood even though the fans arent running I can hear a humming coming from back of engine close to firewall.

Just paid $187 to get fixed .. they replaced sensor and thermostat .. worked great for one day then started doing the HOT bit again.

??????? HELP !!!!!!!!

Any and all help will be greatly appreciated.

thegraduate · July 2008

I was thinking thermostat, myself, but they replaced it.

Just a tip - when the car IS running hot, try rolling the windows down and running the heater. It'll pull heat out of the heater core of the engine and help it cool off. I've had to do this when my radiator fan quit working in my '96 Accord. It kept me from the shoulder since it stayed in the safe zone long enough for me to get to the dealer.

chucko3 · July 2008

Radiator cap?
http://carmaintenance.wordpress.com/2008/07/04/why-does-a-car-engine-overheat/

kiawah · July 2008

Gauge jumping around like that, is usually indicative of air in the cooling system/engine block. The air can get in there in one of two ways. If you open up the system to change the coolant and thermostat, or if you have a head gasket blown.

With a blown headgasket, the exhaust gas is able to be pushed pass the gasket and into the coolant fluid. This air and pressure causes the waterpump to not be able to circulate the fluid very well, and the exhaust gases are very not so you also overheat. Hope you don't have this problem.

If you just have air in the system from draining and filling, most of the time it will clear itself with some heating and cooling cycles. Engine heats up, pressure builds up, it blows the air (at the highest point) past the rad cap and into the overflow tank. When it cools, it draws coolant back in to refill.

Sometimes you may also have to purge the engine block air, some vehicles have bleeder screws near the thermostat.

tranto · August 2008

Had the same thing Rick. I'm pretty sure you'll find that the vacuum diaphram you mentioned, has failed, and in my car an87 2l carb EX, this is the choke regulator. In my case, what was happening was that the car gradually flooded itself, and eventually cut out, usually at almost the same distance from home.Try wiring open the butterfly valve in the carby a little,the car will run so much better and be more fuel efficient. Down side, the car will be a [non-permissible content removed] to start in the morning, and you should run it for at least 3 minutes before setting off.I can't find a replacement part in my part of the world, so any help greatly appreciated. Also the diaphram(plastic) has gone on the distributor and i cant find a replacement for that either. Help!- please.

Honda Accord (1976-1989) Maintenance & Repair

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