Hello there, I'm having several issues with my '97 Accord LX I4. They seem to be fairly common problems when they are all on their own, but my main concern is that they all started at the same time (3 days ago when I was in hot city traffic), so I think they must be related somehow. Also, all the problems are inconsistent in that sometimes they show up, sometimes they don't.

Problems:

1. Surging Idle - very inconsistent problem. Sometimes when I'm stopped it'll surge between 7500 and ~3000 (almost stalls, but hasn't actually stalled yet). Sometimes it idles great at around 7500 and stays there. Sometimes it'll just give me one or two surges and then correct itself back to 7500. No problems with power surges once I'm moving.
2. A/C inconsistent - sometimes the A/C blows freezing cold, then it'll warm up and put out warm air, then go cold again all in the same trip. Occasionally when I hit bumps the A/C light above the button will flicker. The blower stays consistent though.
3. Right blinker Light will randomly flicker on and off - again, it's an inconsistent problem. It doesn't click when it flickers. Sometimes it seems like it's tied to the position of my steering wheel, sometimes it just seems tied to acceleration of the car (turns or straight line).
4. Leaking coolant - seems like it's coming from the left side of the head, blown head gasket maybe. It's been a slow leak for a long time, so I didn't worry about it too much, but it's gotten much faster since a few days ago.

Thing's I've tried to fix the problems:

1. a) checked for vacuum leaks, sounds like there may be one but I can't pinpoint it.
   b) I've previously had similar idle issues which were tied to the fast idle thermo valve and the idle air control valve. Once I cleaned them out and reset the ECU the problem went away. That was about 6 months ago so they still should be clean, and therefore a non-issue?
2. a) Not much yet, thought it could be electrical somehow due to the fact that the light was flickering occasionally on bumps. Something with the clutch not staying engaged due to a poor electrical connection perhaps? Couldn't find a loose wire anywhere, but again, I didn't try too hard on this problem yet.
3. a) Took apart the headlight/blinker switch assembly. Everything looked to be in good shape. Forgot to bring my multimeter with me so didn't have a chance to check for short circuits.
   b) Looked at relays and fuses. Seemed to be fine, but I don't know much about relays yet.
   c) Looked for loose wiring but didn't see any.
4. a) Nothing yet, other than try to pinpoint the exact location of the leak.

Car: 1997 Honda Accord LX I4 with 175,000 miles on it, I've kept it as well maintained as my budget has allowed (oil, filters, fluids). I'm a poor Mech Eng student, so tight budget and tight on the time needed to increase my budget.

Thanks for the help and reading this long post,
Ethan

 

Possibly IAC and FITV are in need of cleaning and readjustment.
Check the FAQ at the top of the page for the how to:
Verify that the condenser is clean and free of debris.
Verify the second radiator fan comes on to pull air through the rad to cool the AC refrigerant when the AC is turned on.
Verify the AC compressor clutch is engaging and rotating the pump.
Crap shot theory.
I'm going to suspect that the rad fan is not working all the time, maybe a bad connection or bad relay. Drive around enough to cool the refrigerant and the A/C works, then it warms up, drive around some more and the refrigerant cools down enough again to give another burst of coolness
Verify that there is a clean solid connection and no frayed wires, this will require removal of the inner fenders to get to the back of the corner lamps.
Are you sure its the headgasket and not leaking down from elsewhere or a coolant hose with a leak spraying the area? Have you seen the active leak or just the aftermath when its wet?

 

The rad leak and the idle could be related.

When you say "left" - that would be left/drivers side of the engine....correct?

 

Thanks for the detailed response.
I cleaned the FITV and IACV about 6 months ago, which fixed my idle problems then, but I can't imagine they're clogged up again already. Though, it's an easy starting place so I'll give it a shot and update.
As for the A/C and blinker light, I'll look at all that today as well and update.
As for the leak, I'm not positive it's the head gasket since I just saw the aftermath of the leak. It's definitely in that area though. I'll clean my engine up and try to find the exact location of the leak.

@Lost Again - I was thinking about it backwards since when I'm looking at the engine I'm facing the rear of the car. So, it's actually the right/passenger side of the engine. Does a coolant leak sometimes cause an erratic idle?

Thanks,
Ethan

 

If the FITV is busted and leaking it would create two problems. A leak and goofy idle.

 

There are a few small coolant lines/hoses that are located on the pass side end of the head. Be sure to check them for leaks - the one that usually goes is the one under the dist.

Yes, low coolant levels can and will cause idle issues. So just me, fix the coolant leak - properly bleed the coolant system. See if that cures the idle issue.

 

Alright, the electrical issue with the light is fixed. A bracket had broken on the passenger side and a wire had gotten frayed which was causing the problem. Glad that was such a simple fix!
As far as the other issues, it looks like the leak is probably coming from the heater hose under the distributor (part no. 79721-SV4-000) like you were thinking. The hose looks in pretty rough condition, so it should probably be replaced no matter what.
The condenser fan is not kicking on all the time which is causing my problem with the A/C. I think it may be from coolant getting on the condenser fan switch and causing a short circuit to the frame, bypassing the fan.

Seems like if I fix the leak, bleed the system like you said and then clean up the engine and connectors well, all my problems may be fixed.

Bought the hose online, so just have to wait for it to get here then I'll update the thread once it's in. Also, in case anyone in the future reads this thread and has a similar problem, this video shows a good way to get to the hose (or so it seems).

Thanks again,
Ethan

 

Alright, so I replaced the bypass hose several days ago and have been giving it a thorough test. The hose was definitely causing both my idle and coolant leak issues. I also went ahead and replaced the thermostat while I was at it, which was recommended to me by a mechanic friend. Good idea since the system is already empty and you can access the thermostat easily when replacing the bypass hose. I had to do the thermostat twice, the first time I didn't fully remove the pitting on the housing and I hand sanded the gasket material off, which caused unevenness and a bad seal. The second time I used a large flat file and removed all high spots and a lot of pitting. The seal seems to be good now, but don't try either without asking someone more experienced first, I'm just saying what worked for me.

The A/C is still problematic but that has been the lowest priority because I hardly use it. If I get that up and running I'll update in case anyone else has the same problems as me.

-Ethan