Hi,

First off I'll just let you know I'm actually really bad when it comes to technical terms or knowing anything about cars ..So I apologise in advance for my lack of knowledge which is really not going to help when it comes to explaining my problem. I have read through a whole bunch of threads already (after doing a lot of searches on the site for similar problems) but haven't actually come across anything which matches the issue/s I'm having with my car.

I purchased a 1991 civic crx esi (well that's what it says on the back of my car..lol..My engine also says VTec if that helps?) about 6 months a go. I knew it wasn't a great buy when after 2 weeks of owning the car I had to shell out for a new radiator (which was a total mission in itself to get sorted out - but that's a whole other story).

Anyway, here's the problems I am having with my car now. I'll be driving along..doing about 40mph then all of a sudden the Speedo starts to go mad jumping up to about 60 to 80 (back and fourth), along with a buzzing sound which sounds like it is coming from the Speedo/dashboard. Also while this is happening the car starts to jolt while I am driving it (as if i were making it bunny hop - only thing is i'm driving about 40mph!). This all lasts from 5 to 30 seconds then the car is fine again. It used to only do it once every couple of days but then got got worse and was doing it at least 4 times a day....At this point I took my car to 2 different mechanics, one being an auto electrician. Neither could figure out what the problem was and of course during the time they had the car (which they took out driving to see if they could make it do what I was saying it did) it didn't play up once! The auto electrician mechanic did say he checked every bit of wiring and cleaned everything up but he couldn't find any issues at all that could be causing the problem.

Well its been 3 weeks since it got checked out and now it is worse than ever. For the 1st week after the check over it ran good as gold and I though hey it must have just been a dirty connection somewhere. But no...now its started to do new things! The first "new" thing I've noticed is when it whole Speedo issue happens I now see the (what I think is the) engine light come on (an orange light on the dashboard). Also now if it starts to do it when I'm slowing down (normally when I get to about 10mph) the car just turns its self off, I go to accelerate and nothing the car, just dies with out me even realising. When this happens I then go to turn it back on but it makes a real nasty noise..but will eventually start after a few tries.

The weirdest one happened the other day. It was first thing in the morning when I went to drive my car to work as usual. I put the key in, did the immobiliser, and went to turn on the car. I only got as far as turning the electrics on when the Speedo went mad (all the way up to the 140mph this time), the buzzing noise was there, the engine light was flickering on and off as well as the battery and oil light. I straight away turn it off and took the key out of the ignition but it carried on for about 10 seconds after I took the key out!! I then tried again and had the whole nasty noise when trying to start it. I left the car for about 5 mins and then tried again and it started fine.

The only other little I've noticed is while the car is idling it seems to do little jolts now and again. I have been told this could be the pistons misfiring or something? I am not sure if this plays apart in why all the other stuff happens?

There seems to be no particular time that the car does all this weird stuff (for example it does not make a difference if the car is cold or hot, or if its been raining) it just plays up when it feels like (hence I've now nicknamed it Christine).

If anyone has any idea at all what could be wrong if you could let me know that would be great. I am having no luck going to the mechanics as they all say without the car actually doing it for them they don't even know where to start! The fact that my car is apparently not very common in the UK makes it hard as well as not may people have worked on one. I am just starting to get more and more worried because I do a lot of motorway driving to and from work and I don't want to be in an accident due to the car deciding to play up while I am on the motorway (I've already started to drive in the slow lane all the time just on case)!

Someone please help, I love my Honda and really would like to fix it before it gets any worse!

Many thanks in advance...

 

First thing you must do in those cases:

-check the spark plugs (if you didn't change them when you bought it now is the time)
-check the fuel filter (also if you didn't change that one buy and install fresh one)
-check the air filter (the same as for the rest of things)

Those are the three components that you must change when you buy new car,
along with oil and oil filter...so you have all fresh and new start...

My friend had simular problem with 96' VTI VTEC when he started car the rpms were jumpin and car act funny until it was warm enough, I told him to check those things and what they discovered totally messed up air filter he change that one and now car is runing fine without problems !

Check and change those thing and if it's not that we'll try to help you with other soulutions

CYA

 

This problem sort of happened to me 2 weeks ago, i have a 90 si hatch with a vti motor. Well it just so happens that it was my alternator. Your not going to find an alternator to match, so i had to get a stock one for my car, and wallah, no more problems. When i took the alternator out and brought it to the parts store, they tested it, it tested fine, but i was like eh, so i put the 90 si alternator in, and everything was golden. You should definetly start by getting a new alternator, trust me.

 

ignitor
for speedo problems

 

Thanks for the quick responses. I'll try see if I can get everything you suggested sorted out at the weekend. Hopefully it will fix the problem..and not cost too much in the process!!

I'll keep you posted as to how things go.

Thanks again much appreciated.

 

u said also that the CEL (check engine light) came on. do us a favor and check ur codes. under the carpit on the passenger side foot well is the ECU or fuel injection computer. on that is a little red light. count the blinks it sould be somthing like l---lll---llll--- that is a code 1, 3, and 4 and then repeats count the flashes and get back to us.

 

i'd suggest checking for loose ground wires in the engine bay. then get a replacement alt and if that doesnt work look at the ign switch.

 

maybe check the distributor components.

 

ESI use an electrical VSS?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by PlastikOwl &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">maybe check the distributor components.</TD></TR></TABLE>

 

Hi JC18,

I tried to find the ECU or fuel injection computer thing you were on about but it seems my car doesnt have one!! I checked under both the passanger and drivers side. The only flashing light i have on my car is for my immobiliser!! Any ideas? I can take some photos if needed and put them online somewhere else for you to have a look at incase it is staring me right in the face and I just cant see it (I did warn you I was crap when it comes to cars)!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Britgirl &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Hi JC18,

I tried to find the ECU or fuel injection computer thing you were on about but it seems my car doesnt have one!! I checked under both the passanger and drivers side. The only flashing light i have on my car is for my immobiliser!! Any ideas? I can take some photos if needed and put them online somewhere else for you to have a look at incase it is staring me right in the face and I just cant see it (I did warn you I was crap when it comes to cars)!</TD></TR></TABLE>

its on the pasenger side...under the carpet, all you have to do is get behind the carpet, and there is plate, you need to take it off and there you go rite behind that plate you should find your ECU.

 

yea u dont need to remove the plate to see ur codes there's little window in it.


picture the driverside. the carpit under the brake and cluch peatls is what u need to pull up on the passenger side.

it's not the best pic but u get an idea. there is no glove box in the pic though.





Modified by JC18 at 4:33 PM 9/30/2004

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by MugenHonda &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">ignitor
for speedo problems
</TD></TR></TABLE>

I thought the ignitor would make the tachometer jump all over the place and make ur car buck like crazy......... thats what mine did anyways.

Id look into seeing if there is an electrical VSS like was mentioned above........

 

y49 curse?

 

i bet she owns a del sol...