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Honda Accord (1990-1993) Maintenance and Repair

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Comments

  • titus_pullotitus_pullo Member Posts: 24
    You only need to check 2 things:

    1. Check the coil
    2. Check the ignitor

    Report back with your findings. Its a easy fix if you know what you're doing.
  • oldschool90oldschool90 Member Posts: 36
    edited February 2010
    Having the same problem with my '90 Accord EX. Not sure what the problem is yet, but I will post when I find it. I found a website that may help you: EGR port cleaning It explains how to clean the EGR ports in the intake manifold itself, not just the EGR valve. I am planning on doing this as soon as I can get the tools (and it stops raining). I will post as soon as possible to let you know what I find.
  • oldschool90oldschool90 Member Posts: 36
    edited February 2010
    Hi all, need some help. I was testing my EGR valve today following the Haynes manual, and it said to connect jumper wires to a 4 pin connector on the vacuum control box. Jumper wires were supposed to be connected to the top 2 terminals on the female side, the right being ground. I hooked up the ground first, and when I did, it sparked, and the car died. Either I used the wrong plug, or something else was wrong, but I ended up frying something in the system. Now my car doesn't start (It does crank). I'm not sure what I did, but ANY input will be helpful, even if I have to take it to a shop. Thanks.
  • elroy5elroy5 Member Posts: 3,735
    Cross your fingers, and hope it's a fuse, and not the computer. I always thought EGR valves were tested with vacuum. Maybe there's more than one way to test it. Good luck, finding a burnt fuse. ;)
  • oldschool90oldschool90 Member Posts: 36
    I've glanced at all the fuses under the hood and in the drivers foot well, but didn't see anything. Is there one in particular I can check? Or maybe fusible links? (if there are any on this car) I was testing the electrical part. (wouldn't recommend it, for obvious reasons)
  • elroy5elroy5 Member Posts: 3,735
    Sorry OS, when I had my 92 Accord I had the service manual, but it went with the car when I sold it.
  • corkscrewcorkscrew Member Posts: 254
    You can download a 91 service manual here, hope this helps:
    http://www.hondahookup.com/manuals/
    Corkscrew
  • oldschool90oldschool90 Member Posts: 36
    Hey all,
    Fried my ecu. Ordering one on ebay, I have a question about the ID number. I've got a computer with 37820-pt3-l71. The one on ebay has 37820-pt3-l72. Does this one number make a difference? (By the way, I've got a 90 accord ex 4dr, if it helps)
    Thanks
  • titus_pullotitus_pullo Member Posts: 24
    The L72 is an updated part number per Honda. The L71 is no longer available unless you find one in a junkyard.
  • elroy5elroy5 Member Posts: 3,735
    edited March 2010
    The only differences I can think of, is the 90 Accord had the sport-shift, automatic seat belts, and the error codes were displayed by a light on the ECU itself. The 92-3 Accords did not have automatic seat belts, or sport-shift, and the error codes were flashed by the check engine light, after shorting the connector. I think the plugs on the ECUs are the same, but not sure.
  • oldschool90oldschool90 Member Posts: 36
    So whats updated about it? Or is it just the number? Will it still work with my car? Thanks for the help.
  • cybercoolcybercool Member Posts: 117
    Hey all,
    My TCM looks like it's frying up but it's still running. In the mornings when starting up I cant shift to drive. I have to turn off car, put key in shift unlock slot in order to put gear into neutral and then drivable in low gear. I too am thinking of ordering a TCM unit on Ebay with some warranty. Driving in this condition is frustrating.

    Your thoughts and input on is appreciated
    Thanks for reading
    Jim
  • elroy5elroy5 Member Posts: 3,735
    The TCM does not control the shift-lock. Next time the shift will not move, check to see if your brake lights are working. If the brake lights don't work, you probably have a problem with the brake pedal position switch.
  • oldschool90oldschool90 Member Posts: 36
    The people who I ordered the computer from said it may need to be programmed. How will I know if it needs it?
  • oldschool90oldschool90 Member Posts: 36
    I want to reiterate what epris21 said 'When I drive my car everything is normal until I reach 50mph-60mph my check engine light comes and stays on. But if I pull over and turn the car off and start it back up the light is off. Now when I just driving around town the check engine light does not come on... Another problem is that sometimes my car will act as if its losing power and won’t allow me to push on the gas(The car doesn’t cut off) and pick up speed but then all of a sudden I get a burst of power and I’m on my way again. Once it does this about one or twice it doesn’t do it any more while I’m driving.' I am having the same problem. I've changed: EGR valve, fuel pressure regulator, o2 sensor, fuel filter, cleaned EGR ports in the intake manifold and the check engine light still comes on. the only thing left is the fuel pump. is there a way to test it? any thoughts will be welcomed
  • jazzchazjazzchaz Member Posts: 19
    your catalytic converter might be in the early stages of failure (clogging) which usually causes power loss, especially noticeable during a hill climb...try doing so and if it bogs down then thats a good place to start; from there you're right to troubleshoot the fuel system (start with changing the fuel filter).
  • oldschool90oldschool90 Member Posts: 36
    How do I test the fuel pump? The Haynes manual says to listen for it when the key is turned to the on position-there has to be more to test it. I've replaced everything in the fuel system except for the pump and hoses.
  • schnellaschnella Member Posts: 1
    I have a 1990 Honda Accord Ex with 262,000 miles. When the engine gets hot, the car tends to have acceleration failure. Pressing the gas pedal decelerate the car and it will not normalize itself until I stop and start driving again. In addition, after long periods of driving the car shuts-off when slowing down to make a right turn. Any idea what the problem (s) could be? My final issue is "S" light that sometimes appears and stays steady without flashing codes. When this happens, the car does not shift automatically unless I disconnect the negative battery connector for 10 seconds and reconnects it. I recently replaced the TCM and it works great for a while until this happens. By the way, this is my third replacement. Once the "S" light is off the car shifts like a baby. Any advise would be appreciated.
  • lizz1234lizz1234 Member Posts: 13
    I had the same problem with my car not starting. I'm not familiar with cars, and I'm not sure of the technical names for everything.. But, I checked the spark plugs and one had managed to come loose on the other end (not sure what that's called, sorry). I hope this helps!
  • lizz1234lizz1234 Member Posts: 13
    I have a 1990 Honda accord, and my check engine light keeps coming on. I'm not sure why, and nobody has been able to hook it up and tell me what's going on with it. Could low fluid levels cause it? Also, my car leaks gas, anti-freeze (not sure from where), and power steering fluid from the lines. Any ideas where I could be leaking anti-freeze from and where to replace the leaky lines from the power steering fluid? Thanks =) :mad:
  • oldschool90oldschool90 Member Posts: 36
    You're going to have to find the leaks first, before you replace anything. Try pressure washing it, the run the car for a few minutes. If you still can't find the leak, try driving around the block a few times. As for your check engine light, in the passenger foot well, in the far right corner, dig around and under the carpet. There should be a connection plug. Bridge the points with a bare metal paper clip (I have found you can also jam a pair of pliers in it) and turn the car to the on position (engine not running). The check engine light fill flash a sequence (long blinks indicate the first digit in a two digit number), indicating the problem. If there is more than one there will be a short pause, then the next code will blink. Be sure to double-check that you haven't missed a blink or code, then you can unbridge the connector. Report back with the codes and I or the rest of the forum will tell you what they mean.
  • captiankingshtcaptiankingsht Member Posts: 22
    I have a 1990 Accord. It has a remanufactured head on it, new pistons rings and rod bearings. Since I got the new head I have noticed a ticking noise (not to high or low pitched)...and it ticks at a rather fast pace. I adjusted the valve tappets to 0.010 on the intake side and 0.012 on the exhaust side and the noise is still there. The noise is bugging me, I am worried that something may be wrong and do not want to push my luck as I just did alot of work to the motor. I have yet to even run if for an extended amount of time because I am a bit paranoid about causing damage to the engine. I am running 10w 30 motor oil (the manual says to run 5w 30 but because of how warm it is here I run the higher starting weight). Also, the sound does not vary from when it is first started to when it is at operating temp. Hopefully someone can help me out. I have searched for someone with this same problem and have yet to find an answer other than adjust the valves to the tolerance that I have already adjusted them to. I have also heard that it could be injectors but they were fine before all the work was done and should not be an issue here. The motor has full compression across all the cylinders and runs/idles steady. If you need any more info just as and I will let you know anything else that may help. Thank You!
  • oldschool90oldschool90 Member Posts: 36
    Does the tapping speed increase when the engine speed increases? If so, you may have missed a valve tappet. I've adjusted mine three times already, and one or two still tap.
  • jazzchazjazzchaz Member Posts: 19
    this might be a stretch but it might be a cracked ceramic on one of the spark plugs although it sounds like you're pretty mechanical so this may be an insult rather than a diagnostic...if so, sorry...
  • captiankingshtcaptiankingsht Member Posts: 22
    I have thought that it could be due to the sparkplugs in some way, I know they need to be changed...There is another light ticking noise that sounds like it may be due to bad gas (because of the length of time the car has been sitting) but that problem will be taken care of...anyways the plugs havent been used much but the condition of the motor put alot on the plugs..Also, I will check the tappets again to see if i may have missed one...hopefully that is just the case...I will let you know of the results tomorrow....thank you for the input.
  • bajajoesbajajoes Member Posts: 48
    Hi Captian,

    I have a smiliar issue with the ticking. It is like a tappet noise but the lifters are all set to specs and correct oil is used 5w-20 and I have tried 5w-30 witout any appreciable notice.
    It has been his way for 30,000+ miles without any problems so I assume whatever it is must not be too serious or it would have manifested itself by now.
    The car runs normal when cold for about 2 minutes and then the tappet noise starts. After another 5 minutes of running it slowly diminishes and then stops entirely.
    Both a HONDA dealer and an INDEPENDENT dealer that I trust cannot locate any problem and as long as it is not a mainainence issue I am not concerned.
    If anyone in EDMUNDS land has an answer I and others would love to hear about it.
    Thanks, BJ, :)
  • captiankingshtcaptiankingsht Member Posts: 22
    edited March 2010
    I re-checked to see if the noise was before or after the car got to running temperature and it seems as though it gets slightly louder as the temperature goes up. Also, if the rpms are increased the speed of the tick is increased too...I have seen several videos online of what valve lash in need of adjustment sounds like but my sound is a little bit deeper than the sounds those videos are making, and the speed if the tick is also alot faster. It isn't a rod knock...its def. not that deep of a knocking sound. I have yet to let the car run for a long period of time because I do not want to damage anything if there is something wrong. I am going to readjust the valve lash for a 3rd time, this time based off of the cam and not the actual timing marks...so that way I get a more accurate number. I am hoping that this will take away most of the noise I hear. I know from the way it used to run...it was never that loud...it had a very slight tick, but this is far more noticeable than before. Also, when you take your oil cap off, is there suppose to be some type of air flow out or into the valve cover? It seems like a dumb question for me to ask, but I have no idea if thats normal or not..lol..And thanks to everyone who has given a suggestion(s) so far.
  • twcinnhtwcinnh Member Posts: 14
    I have a 93 Accord SE. I bought it at 42,000 miles and it now has 195,000. I asked my mechanic to check the valves when I bought it because I heard what I thought was a tapit or ticking sound. He said it was nothing to worry about but since I was having the timing belt changed I asked him to check things.

    He found nothing and I still have the sound. I forgot about it until I read this thread.

    Tom
  • captiankingshtcaptiankingsht Member Posts: 22
    Yeah I have been searching around looking at different videos of different symptoms that cars have where there is a knocking/ticking/pinging noise, and so far the closest I have come to a sound like the one I have is in a video that shows what its like to have a spun bearing... :( The bearings are new, but the crank may be bad..the car has not run enough for a mixture of coolant and oil to affect the bearings (also there is not a head gasket leak anyways). I am going to let the car run and pull each plug wire out to see if the noise is reduced any when a wire is pulled...If it does happen then I will probably be rebuilding my other block I have :(. Hopefully it is not a spun bearing. I have never done a full rebuild of the bottom end...only partial..so If this is true I may consider letting a shop do it for me if the price is right...if not, I'll just have to learn some more stuff. lol
  • captiankingshtcaptiankingsht Member Posts: 22
    In reply to the question about air flowing out of my oil cap when it is removed, I found out that it is normal. It is just positive crankcase ventilation. The PCV valve is there to take care of that, but with the cap off I actually got to feel what it was actually getting rid of. So no problem there...lol
  • bajajoesbajajoes Member Posts: 48
    If possible could you please advise wnere/how those videos you talked about could

    be viewed? I would be very interested even if I had to pay to view. BJ :)
  • mrbill1957mrbill1957 Member Posts: 823
    You might do a search on "piston slap".

    I had an old Chevy that had piston slap, sounded like a loud hollow ticking sound. Kink of reminds me of the sound of hitting a ping pong ball.

    Mrbill
  • captiankingshtcaptiankingsht Member Posts: 22
    I searched youtube for various videos with honda motors that said they may have had incorrect valve lash or spun bearings. I tested my car to see if the bearings were spun, but when I removed the plug wires there was no change in the sound at all as the videos showed. I also re-checked my valve lash and everything was correct. Upon further inspection of the head I received I considered the thought that maybe the cam was re-ground (if thats the proper term) and I pulled out my old cam and checked them to see the differences and I noticed that the old cam casting number was R5 and the new cams casting number is R7. That got me thinking even further so I referenced the casting number of the new head vs. the old one. The original head casting number is PT3 HF-3 and the new head casting number is PT3 UE-7. I know for a fact that both of these heads cannot be the same head. The PT3 head casting number was used for the accord motors from 1990-1997 (At least that is what all the info points to when trying to order a remanufactured head) If that is the case, there is a possibility that I have the wrong head with the wrong camshaft on my car. The F22a6 cam was more aggressive and the head had stiffer springs to compensate. That is one instance that I know of where there are major differences in the heads made. I would like to know what year model or motor the casting number PT3 UE-7 belongs to. I would also like to know that info for the camshaft casting R7. If anyone knows this info or has a direction to point me I would love to find this out. I know now after a friend went through hell with a head re manufacturing company that they do not care what the last numbers on the castings are as long as the main numbers are the same. It is true that the parts will fit...but they will not preform the same. A perfect example of that is the PR3-2 and PR3-3 heads. They are both essentially the same head, but the PR3-2 head was modified from the factory for greater flow and preformance...yet the guys who work on the head and remanufacture them say otherwise. Honda even has articles about it, and the information on this is everywhere. I am going to call the place I got the head from tomorrow and see if they can answer my question about what motor the head belongs to. I doubt they will be able to tell me at all...so in the meantime I am hoping someone here may be able to help me out. if you have any info it would be much appreciated.
  • captiankingshtcaptiankingsht Member Posts: 22
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8bDr_hOn9Q This was the video that showed someone test for a spun bearing.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Don't do what the guy does in the video and grab the wires with your hand. Use an insulated pliers. And no long hair or neckties either :P
  • captiankingshtcaptiankingsht Member Posts: 22
    Yeah, items that hang down and get caught in moving parts are always a hazard to your health..lol...and yes, getting shocked is never fun. There is another way of doing it that I read somewhere else where you use a test light of some sort to divert the spark from the plug to a ground so that way you never have to remove the plug wire at all.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Really with a connecting rod noise you shouldn't even have to disconnect a cylinder. Just rev it up and then let the engine "breath" just a bit by relaxing the throttle a smidge, and you'll hear a god-awful racket. These noises are NOT subtle. They are also "deeper" than a light valve tick.
  • captiankingshtcaptiankingsht Member Posts: 22
    edited March 2010
    Alright, Well I have done that aready and I didn't notice that noise. I do know what noise you are talking about. I don't believe it was piston slap. I could not hear any nosie at the initial start up of the vechicle so I do not think it is that. I am stumped at what it can be. I have already tightened, and retightened, and checked the valve lash and it is all to spec. Is there anything else that could give me that noise. Like I mentioned before it is a mid-pitch sound...not to deep, not to high of a pitch sound. Its speed is pretty fast when at 1k rpms. The sound is more noticeable after the car has been running for a min or so. And the speed does seem to increase with rpm increases. I even called the shop I recieved the head from to double check that the head I have is for the F22a1 motor in my car and they confirmed that it is (even though they could not go by the full casting number, just PT3 7 rather than PT3 UE-7). I am officially lost. lol
  • oldschool90oldschool90 Member Posts: 36
    Hi all,
    My 90 accord ex is overheating. What can be causing this and what can I check? I have noticed the lower radiator hose is unusually cool to the touch, is this normal or does this mean something? Thanks.
  • elroy5elroy5 Member Posts: 3,735
    If it is overheating, and the radiator hose is not hot, your thermostat may be stuck closed. Or there is a blockage in the cooling system. I think you can test the stat by putting it in boiling water, to see if it opens.
  • cybercoolcybercool Member Posts: 117
    Hi
    When the TCM light (D4 light) flickers from time to time and drives at low gear, most likely it's a bad TCM unit correct? One mechanic tells me it's the solenoids that may need replacing. Is this true?

    My TCM light has been on the blink for a while now and I'd like to get it fixed.
    Thanks
    Cybercool
  • captiankingshtcaptiankingsht Member Posts: 22
    I wrote a small book explaining the possible solution. Then when I was looking for the TCM fault codes I found a good source of reading material for you to check out. This better explains what I was going to say.

    http://techauto.awardspace.com/transmission.html
  • lizz1234lizz1234 Member Posts: 13
    So recently, I noticed my car is having a hard time shifting on it's own. I have to take my foot off the gas and floor it for it to shift. I think I need a new transmission, but someone said it could just need new transmission fluid. How do I know?
  • elroy5elroy5 Member Posts: 3,735
    First, I would drain 3 quarts of fluid out, and see what it looks like. If the fluid is dark, and there is a glob of metal attached to the drain plug magnet, it should be changed (I would use Honda ATF-Z1 fluid). Since you can only drain about half of the fluid, there will still be some old fluid in the transmission. If the shifting improves, you may want to drain and fill 3 quarts a couple more times. If the fluid was really bad, you could try taking the shift solenoids off, and cleaning the solenoids and screens (I would use carb cleaner). If the D4 light is blinking, there is probably a fault code stored in the computer, which will give you an idea where to start, to solve the problem. The link posted above has a great deal of information about 4th gen Accords (90-93), and has diagnostic information, so you can test the parts before replacing them.
  • elroy5elroy5 Member Posts: 3,735
    cybercool,
    When the TCM is bad, the D4 light will usually stay on constantly (not just blink). You may just need to do a fluid drain and fill, and maybe clean the solenoids and screens. This link has a wealth of information you can use to find the problem. Good luck
    http://techauto.awardspace.com/transmission.html
  • lizz1234lizz1234 Member Posts: 13
    So lately my car has been shutting off when I come to complete stops. I've noticed it more if it's colder outside and I don't let it warm up for about five minutes. It was tolerable before, because it would turn off once, and I'd just start it back up and be fine...but lately it's been getting worse. The most it's turned off on me is four times, and I'm not sure what the problem is.
  • captiankingshtcaptiankingsht Member Posts: 22
    I'm just throwing things out here but when was the last time the fuel filter was replaced? How does the car run when it is warm? Does it idle rough when you initially start the vehicle before you start to drive it? Have you noticed any other things going on at any time when the vehicle is on? Is the check engine light coming on at all?
  • lizz1234lizz1234 Member Posts: 13
    I'm not sure when the fuel filter was last replaced. Nor do I know where it is or how to know if it needs replacing :( When my car is warmed up, it runs just fine. I want to say about 50% of the time when I start my car it idles rough, and even after I start driving it, once I stop at like a stop sign or red light it'll still idle until I've been driving for a few minutes. The only other thing I've noticed when my car is on is sometimes when I press on the gas after leaving a stop sign it seems like my car isn't recognizing that I'm trying to accelerate. It sometimes will take a few seconds to actually go anywhere, and my check engine light comes on once in awhile, I still haven't been able to find out what's going on with that either.
  • captiankingshtcaptiankingsht Member Posts: 22
    I would take the oil cap off and check to see if the color of the oil indicates a water oil mixture, just to be sure there isn't a serious problem. I really don't think that you would have that problem but its a quick easy check. Also, you need to check the ecu for the error codes whenever the check engine light comes on, it could tell you exactly why your car is doing that. Other than those two things, from the info you have given I cannot really give you any other help. If you had some more details about things out of the ordinary that might be happening that would help.
  • lizz1234lizz1234 Member Posts: 13
    I just did that, and I'm pretty sure I got 41 and 1. It blinked 4 long blinks, then one short blink. Then there was a pause and there was 1 short blink. I hope I did that right.
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