Hello all,

Sorry for asking a question on the first post, but I don't have a Honda, so I've never seen this site. I was directed here.

My Girlfriend has a '90 Prelude SI, and it has that oil-in-the-sparkplug-hole problem. I understand what the problem is, and I found step-by-step instructions on how to fix it in the "Accord FAQ" section of this site. I just need to make sure that I can use those same instructions to fix her Prelude. She needs this car for work, so I can't just be in the middle of the repair and get stuck.

Of course, any other info specific to this car would be appreciated.

Thank you,

Mike B.

ps. - it's also having all kinds of electrical problems - gauges going nuts, speedo keeps popping down to zero, and when it does, the tranny shifts from 4th to 3rd, and now the A/C light blinks a lot and the A/C shuts off. But that's all gonna have to wait for another day!

 

they have similar engines, but not the same.

you should be able to follow the accord write up, without having any major differences.

 

for the electrical i can guess it might be the alternator taking a crap on you... has this been happening for a long time? or has it just started occuring?

 

With regards to the electrical, it's been happening for a while, but more and more symptoms keep popping up. Since I don't drive the car often, my chronology might be a bit off, but as far as I remember, here's how it went:

first, the speedo started dropping to zero occasionally, then popping right back up. Then, the S3 light on the dash started blinking sometimes. Soon the transmission started shifting down to 3rd, then right back up to 4th, on the highway. It seems to downshift to 3rd at the same time as the speedo goes to zero, then shift back up to 4th when the speedo starts working again. Then the light on the A/C button stopped working sometimes, and the A/C itself would blow cold most of the time, but sometimes wouldn't; it was as if I'd turned the button off. Now the A/C almost never works.

On a recent short highway trip, the transmission was constantly shifting, the speedo didn't work most of the time, and the A/C didn't kick on at all, although the light on the button could be made to light up if I touched the button enough times. There are probably other symptoms that I don't know about.

I hate electrical stuff; I'm always in the dark regarding where to start. It does charge the battery just fine, though, which I don't think it would if the alternator was going bad. I could be wrong, of course. Luckily she never drives the car longer that half an hour at a time. I think it's finally time for a new one. It has served her well for 16 years!

 

the electrical problems deffaintly sounds like an alternator... i had to replace the alternator on my h22 many times... i guess its a common thing... and i had the same syptoms u were having

 

hmmm... that's interesting that you had the same symptoms and the alternator ended up fixing them. I suppose I could try it if alternators aren't too expensive. I guess I'm just having trouble wrapping my brain around how the alternator could be bad, yet still charging the battery. The battery has never died, and turns over the engine just fine.