NN4S

Okay, I just got a `93 del Sol last weekend and am trying to fix all of the bugs it's got. A set of factory manuals would be a big help, as the Chilton that came with it isn't as clear as what I'm used to. My questions are:

1) There is a harness with two connectors and a mini stereo plug (like ear buds or headphones have to plug into an MP3 player) hanging down from the dash near the fuse panel (the one that keeps spitting off it's cover ). Is this an OEM thing or an add on that goes to something no longer installed? The harness also has three blade type fuses installed on the wire bundles upstream of the connectors, making me think that it's an aftermarket piece, but it's done very neatly and looks as good as any factory wiring I've seen on other vehicles I've worked on. Could this be for an aftermarket amp or alarm system?

2) The car has coilovers and AGXs already on it, but it rides like a go-kart! I've adjusted the damping on the AGXs to soften it up, but now it bounces down the road like a bunny with any surface irregularities. I will likely be raising it back up a bit to try and decompress the suspension in hopes that will cut down on the bunny hopping a bit. It's currently got 15 x 6.5" rims and 195/60s on it, making the speedo about 3-4 mph slower than the GPS indicates. I calculated the correct tire size to return to the stock gear ratio to be a 195/50R15 or a 205/40R16 (in place of the 175/70R13 that I read it had originally). The question- which of these would be a better choice given the amount of room for the tires? I have a set of 16 x 7" rims for it as well as the 15"s, so the availability and fit are my main concerns. How about it? Opinions are welcome on this one, as there are enough variables to make many combinations work.

3) The speedo/tach & other gauges in the cluster seem to work fine, but the odometer isn't working at all. Is there a separate sensor for this, or is the odo simply driven by the speedo (which I would expect) and not working for God knows what reason? I read in the FAQ that the 94 and later clusters have a low fuel light in them; if I replace my cluster with a later model one in an attempt to get a working odometer, will the low fuel light work without my having to add a separate circuit and sensor for it? I've had cars that have it both ways (read from separate sensor as well as triggered by fuel level gauge sender), so I'm sort of hoping that Honda went the simple path on this one. Anyway, is the odo problem one I'll likely have to change out the cluster to fix, or is there something that I'm overlooking in this Chilton manual that drives it alone?

Thanks for any help you can provide; looks like it's going to be an interesting puzzle to sort out!

NN4S

No one has any thoughts on these items? I rounded up a couple of manuals, so now I've just got to wait for their arrival to hopefully sort out any wiring issues. How about comments on the wheels/tires/suspension setup?

NN4S

Here are a couple of pictures of my "mystery connectors/harness" in hopes of someone recognizing them...





Thanks for any insight you can provide!

Delraco

I can't really help you out for sure on the wiring..I'll leave that to someone who knows the electrics better! I will say that I've never seen anything like that in the dash of my civic. It looks kinda like a computer motherboard P1 connector to me ._.

As for the suspension, you'll have to match the shocks to the spring rate. It's possible you're riding on ebay coilovers, which provide a garbage ride and can ruin shocks. It's up to you what brand you choose to go with..ask around and make sure to be specific about what kind of ride quality you're looking to get with a spring/shock combo.

NN4S

Now that you mention it, they do look a lot like the PC power supply connections! Doesn't make much sense unless the PO had wired something in using salvaged connectors, but I'm still trying to get back in touch with him to clarify what they were for.

I did find out more about the suspension; it's got KYB AGXs all around with the dreaded ebay coilovers you mentioned. That would explain why he had the struts set as stiff as they go; sounds like it's severely oversprung rate-wise. I've got a set of F1 coilovers from a FWD DSM around here that I'll check the rates on; if they're any softer and will fit, I may give them a try. I'd like a ride that's closer to stock, with a good bit less drop than the car's already got (preferably around two fingers clearance between the tire & fender lip with me in the car weighing it down).

What I'm trying to do is get the wheel/tire diameter back to stock (for gearin purposes) while using the rims that came with the car (15's or 16's, depending on the set I use). The pic is of the car with the 16's on it (it's got 15's on it right now):

It will be daily driven in an attempt to stretch the gas budget, so no fancy performance mods are planned. I just want to make it reliable and fix the bugs that it has to make fo a more pleasant commute (20+ miles each way daily).

NN4S

Found out what the connectors were for- the car had an anti-theft system in it two owners ago. It was removed before the car was sold to the guy I bought it from. Anyway, at least I know now what they were for! :D

I started trying to adjust the suspension today, but ran into a problem with getting the wheels off. I got the first one off without any trouble & adjusted the spring perch up an inch; that put the fender height right where I wanted it. Unfortunately, I couldn't get any of the other wheels off to adjust the rest of the suspension! The lug nuts on the other three wheels are some strange looking things that are just under 17mm. None of the sockets I have fit them! I searched the car & found nothing that resembled them, so I'd have been S.O.L. had I needed to change a tire on the road! I'll have to try and find something to fit them tomorrow so that I can finish up the suspension and see what kind of ride I get from my adjustments.

MUGEN_EM1

I had a similar problem with my cars lug nuts when i bought it. the previous owner had installed aftermarket lug nuts and had lost the key. i got them off by hammering on a metric socket that barely fit over the lug nut and used a air impact wrench to get them off.

NN4S

Well, I got the wheels off; was able to pull one of the locking lugs without damaging it beyond use by driving a metric socket on over some thin sheetmetal. It filled the void in the socket and let me break the lug loose, after which I carried it to a wheel dealer and he matched it so I have a key now!

I've now increased the ride height; overshot on the left rear by a finger, but the rest are right on. I'll pull the wheel & readjust the errant corner this evening if all goes according to plan. This did require firming the KYBs up a notch, but the ride feels about where I wanted and while it's still low (compared to what I'm used to), it's nowhere near as hard to get in & out of as it was with the wheels stuffed up into the wheelwells like they were.

Since I was able to round up a key to the locking lugs, I kept one on each wheel & put regular nuts on the other three studs. I'm hoping that will make my life a bit easier while trying to get this sorted and still keeping the wheels from "wandering".

The cluster is now swapped for a newer unit that has the low fuel light, so I hope to wire that up in the near future. It was nice having a working odo again on the way to work this morning!

NN4S

The following is a picture of what I understand to be the engine & transmission codes. Is this the correct engine for the `93 del Sol "S" model?

I thought it was supposed to be a D15B7, but all I can read is the D15B on the engine. Also, are the codes on the transmission sticker what would identify it? I'm still trying to reconcile what's in the car with what it came with and am uncertain as to whether or not any of the drivetrain is what would be considered stock or not.