I've got a '97 5spd Prelude (non-SH) with 138,000 miles on it (purchased about 6 months ago with 125,000 miles).

Recently, a number of problems have emerged.

1.) My passenger side door's lock randomly decides not to lock. If I attempt to lock the doors with either my key or the little switch, my drivers side door locks just fine, yet about half the time my passengers side door will not lock. The lock will go about halfway, stop, and the door will still be open. I'll have to open and close the door again, sometimes several times, before it will finally lock.

What is causing this and is there a cheap way to fix it?

2.) When I go in reverse, sometimes I'll hear this horrible metallic grinding noise. It sounds as if it's having to force two metallic objects rub against each other or something.

3.) Just today I bottomed out on the entrance to a store (There should be some sort of law mandating a mandatory maximum slope angle for entrances to stores to prevent cars like ours from bottoming out). Since then, when I'm accelerating in every gear from about 1000-3500rpm, there's this.... grinding sound. Not the same sound as the one above, however. It's very similar to what it sounds like when you drive on gravel. Kind of a crunching, light grinding noise. I'm worried that I may have damaged my transmission or something by bottoming out. Does anyone have any idea what's wrong?

4.) Power loss! My car doesn't feel as powerful as it used to! My VTec isn't kicking in as hard as it used to (I just changed my oil, too!). My top speed is about 135mph (going 8000rpm in 5th), while most others on this board seem to claim at LEAST 145 if not more.

Why is my vtec weaker? Why does my car feel weaker overall?

 

wow you got some problems ..... sounds like your tranny is F@#%ed

have you or the guy before ever change the tranny fluid ?

 

the reverse grind sounds like a synchro, but does reverse even have a synchro?

the gravelly noise sounds very bad, however. How hard did you bottom out? usually the front towhook takes the brunt of the punishment when you bottom out, but if the impact was hard enough, it could be your tranny or flywheel. Get the car up and look at the underside of the car. Look for leaks or any other signs of trauma.

powerloss: how long has it been since your last tune up? You probably would do well to get a valve adjustment and have everything readjusted. Did the previous owner have the 120,000 mile service performed? it's a fairly big one, so if he/she didn't, get that done.

 

the grind in reverse is probably the rear brakes. If your oil is low the vtec will not kick in, make sure you put 5 liters of oil in

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by warrick &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">the grind in reverse is probably the rear brakes. If your oil is low the vtec will not kick in, make sure you put 5 liters of oil in</TD></TR></TABLE>

yeah thats a bit much...i hear quarts work......NOT liters

 

sounds like you nedd a new tranny..i bet your 5th gear ginds to huh? my 5th started to grind then my reverse..then i could not even get the car in reverse...i had to get a whole new tranny and clutch. but mabey urs in fine..i would have it checked asap.

 

I actually posted this on another forum (preludeonline) and copied and pasted it here, so a few things are different now.

The gravelly grinding noise has... I don't know if it's stopped, but I don't notice it anymore. I'm still going to take a look at it, but I don't really know what to look for.

Also, I think the reason for my power loss was due to a dirty air filter. I cleaned my air filter using a K&N Recharge kit, and reset my ECU (to which there is some debate of the effectiveness), and my car runs noticably more powerful. On top of that, it feels a lot smoother. Some low-RPM shudders I used to get that I thought were normal I do not get anymore.

I checked my oil level and it was indeed low (right on the lower dot). I added another quart and now my vtec kicks in nice and hard.

I guess now my biggest problems are the door and reverse noise. I'm taking my car in for the ignition recall, so while it's there I'll have them take a look at it.

My friend is also doing a valve adjustment to his 'lude pretty soon, so I'll see if he'd be willing to help me out on mine.

 

I've never had the 5th gear grinding problem.

Every once in a while, it'll grind when I go into third gear. That's probably my own fault, though, as it usually happens when I try to shift really fast. I probably let off the clutch too early or something.

 

K, I read your post and skimmed the rest. Kinda sounds like no one really knows what is going on. Let me shed some light.

1) Your door lock is probably that the latch needs to be lubed. You might get away with doing it from the outside but you prob need to do it from the inside. you will have to take the inside door panel off.... not too hard and reach in and grease the latch with white lithium grease or multipurpose (which will be harder since you can get lithium grease in a spray).

2) Your tranny is a typical problem. It is related to the 5th gear syncros &/or a bent shift fork. If you put your car in a forward gear beore you put it in reverse you should be fine. You also probably experience 5th gear grind..... double clutch to avoid this. Also, you can put in GM Syncromesh fluid into the tranny.... this helps alot of people but I would do a search and research this.

3) Sounds like you could have bent your oil pan. Make sure you have enough oil in your car. If there is a leak and you are low, this would explain th vtec. The grinding could be from a dent. CHECK THAT ONE OUT RIGHT AWAY. Either that or it is a shot wheel bearing. If it changes with speed, prob the bearing. If it changes with RPM, get it checked.

4) see no. 3

 

change your tranny fluid and see if any small metal parts come out .... cuz it sounds like your grinding alot of gears

 

Kellyk75, pls. explain to me how a bent or dented oil pan would cause a grinding noise? Sorry to say, but the grinding noise is probably coming from the tranny, especially if it is happening between specific RPM ranges.
Now, even the timing belt tensioner could be making a noise at a specific RPM, but that is usually a rattling/flapping type noise.

 

I've never had the 5th gear grinding problem.

Every once in a while, it'll grind when I go into third gear. That's probably my own fault, though, as it usually happens when I try to shift really fast. I probably let off the clutch too early or something.

 

damn man i hoped u get that fixed!