I have a '94 Accord LX w/ almost 150k on it. Everything on the car is OEM and in great shape, no mods at all. I purchased it two years ago with about 130k on it. It had a new transmission put in just before I bought it by an independent Honda repair shop (original owner ruined tranny trying to get unstuck in a blizzard). I haven't had any problems with the car at all. Just had all the fluids, etc. done before winter, as I frequently drive from Baltimore to the mountains 3hrs west in severe weather.

My question is, I'm coming up on 150k miles, and I'm wondering if there are any things in particular I should have the independent shop that I use look for and/or do in addition to a standard service. The car is in great shape, looks almost like new, and I want to keep it until at least 200k. Any problems with brakes, suspension, potential areas prone to rust that I should have checked?

A few things I've noticed:
1) Last year I had a hole in the exhaust system, and had that taken care of, so my exhaust system is good (I think), but since I do a lot of stop/start driving during rush hour, I notice all the time around 1900-2000 rpm this annoying vibrating noise, like there is a hole in the exhaust, but at lower and higher rpms, it's quiet. I've read about this somewhere, is this a common probmem, and is there anything I should do, or just live with it?

2) When the A/C is on (it blows ice cold), and the cooling fan clicks on, the engine suddenly idles lower, and gets very rough when stopped at red lights, etc. When trying to get out of a tight parking spot with the A/C on in hot weather, the car sounds like it's idling so low it's ready to stall, but never has.

3) Since I bought the car, when turning the radio on, for the first 20 minutes it fades in and out (sometimes I hear a 'pop' sound) and then it works fine. Any suggestions to fix that annoyance short of getting a new radio?

4) When parking on an incline, I notice that if I shift into neutral, apply the emergency brake, and take my foot off the brakes, the car will roll back a tiny bit, does this signal the need for brake work or just a tightening of the emergency brake. I've heard that doign that is a good test to see how good the brakes are. With no traffic, I've tried braking on the highway from 70 to say 40 briskly, and notice no excessive shaking, etc.

5) I only have a 20 min. commute to work, and travel the 'beltway' during rush hour going anywhere from 40-70 mph, and when going 65-70 my engine stays around 2800-3000 rpm, as if it's not shifting into OD. In colder weather, this is even more the case, and it really hurts gas mileage. On long highway drives if I'm going 65 and hit the gas a bit, it will go into OD. BTW, I always drive in D4. Othwise, the transmission is great, but that's one annoying thing I've noticed.

Overall, no complaints. I'm just looking for some general preventative maintenance advice from people more knowledable about cars (Honda's in particular) than me, so I can keep mine running, and in good shape. I love my car and want to do any preventative maintenance early to keep it going, as I don't care to ahev a car payment anytime soon

Thanks in advance for any advice that you can give me.

 

Has the water pump been done? Timing belt?

Water pumps like to go around 125-165k. Timing belts are preventive @ 90k (or 105k now)?

These cars are pretty much foolproof. Change the fluids & filters, find a good & honest mechanic and you're set. I do notice my alternator output on my 94 EX has faded a bit to 13.1 these days though. With 163k now, I'll probably have to source a replacement in the next few.

You could definately run some Pro-Guard injection cleaner. It's CHEAP at Costco/Sam's club @ $9.37 for 4. (usually they're 1 @ $5.89 ea)

You could also change your spark-plug wires (use OE Honda for best performance/longevity). It's been many years of heat-cold cycling - esp. in your more extreme climate (read: you're not in San Diego california). That might help your A/C compressor stumble at idle.

But I would really run a tankful or two of the injection cleaner first before anything; if your car has NEVER had it...you'll be amazed at the smoothness, increased fuel efficiency and power it can restore.

Things to do/monitor in the future:
- Oil burning? Can lead to clogged/failing cat convertors = emission problems
- Keep the oil clean, sparkplugs changed & air-filter changed = happy & clean convertor = emission happiness.
- Your biggest future concern is keeping your cat convertor clean & emissions down. It's a downhill spiral if you let things (like oil, plugs, airfilters) slip. Reparis can be expensive with OE parts (the best stuff really). Avoid registration problems.

You might want to get a K&N drop-in air-filter insert. It costs more up front but it's pays inself back in longevity ($40 once vs. $12 every 15k miles) and a slight performance increase.

 

2 questions here:
1st: can i apply injection cleaner myself? or i need to bring the car to the mechanic?
2nd: K&N drop-in air-filter insert simply replaces OEM air filter with no modifications needed? so it can be done myself easily? Is it this onehttp://www.partsandaccessories....html?

Thanks!

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by RotaryBzzzz &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
You could definately run some Pro-Guard injection cleaner. It's CHEAP at Costco/Sam's club @ $9.37 for 4. (usually they're 1 @ $5.89 ea)

But I would really run a tankful or two of the injection cleaner first before anything; if your car has NEVER had it...you'll be amazed at the smoothness, increased fuel efficiency and power it can restore.

You might want to get a K&N drop-in air-filter insert. It costs more up front but it's pays inself back in longevity ($40 once vs. $12 every 15k miles) and a slight performance increase.</TD></TR></TABLE>

 

Yeah, that's the filter. It will drop right in to the stock airbox. No modification needed.