I just got an '89 accord and it does not like to idle. I think there may be a vacuum leak and that is the cause of these problems. I took the hose off of the valve cover and covered the hole in the valve cover and noticed that it sucks air rather than blows air. I covered the hole and it whistled. The valve cover does leak oil (fairly certain it is just the gasket).

Is the air suck normal for this car?

Could the source of the oil leak also be the cause of the vacuum leak?

Any advice for this car?


Modified by demadaha at 12:42 PM 7/8/2007

 

I will be honest I am new to Honda's but not new to cars. The PCV hose connector on the valve cover will have a pulsing type suction when disconnected. The suction from the intake manifold is stronger though and pulls air into the intake air charge under idle and low throttle angles.

 

So it sounds like the oil leak could also be the vacuum leak. And it is sounding like that is a real possibility because the prior owner failed emissions while at an idle.

 

I also noticed that in the air cleaner there is a round hole that has a vacuum in it and makes a popping sound (that I believe to be exhaust getting into the pipe that this hole leads to) while the car is running. Every so often the popping sound will stop and the car will run perfectly, but while it is popping the car runs rough and dislikes the very idea of idling.

Edit: I also replaced a black casing and a valve attached to it because that was the source of the loud whistle noise mentioned before


Modified by demadaha at 1:06 PM 7/8/2007