OK, so I bought this car off a stoner kid at school for $5 the other day (he wanted $20, but I talked him down...)

It could be a decent car to hang onto/turn around or whatever, but it has a couple problems that seem to be pretty minor in nature. First, the cold idle seems to creep up pretty high (like 3000 rpms) and the warm idle is pretty low, not quite to where it stalls (it is equipped with an automatic). It also doesn't want to rev past 3000 when driving along, so it has a real hard time getting past 50mph or so. I guess that's fine until I get the seeds and buds vacuumed out, but I can see it becoming an issue. I suspect the air filter, since the engine bay and cabin are covered in a film of brown dust. The steering also feels really stiff sometimes and not so stiff just a moment later.

I assume no maintenance has been done and I mainly ask since it's -10F out and I'd like to minimize the time spent tinkering! Where do I look first? The help is appreciated.

 

3000rpm cold idle on a 3rd gen (carbed, right?) is normal. My 87 and 89 did this too.

Not being able to rev past 3000 is not right. Maybe check out your vaccuums, but I have not a clue what it could be.

Air filter always a good thing to change.

Power steering, check your fluid level. Looks low. Maybe a bad seal on the pump. You can replace the seals. Dealership should not be selling them for over 2$ each.

 

Yes, it's a 12v carbed. I figure I'll spray a little carb cleaner in while I'm chaning the air filter and we'll see if that clears anythign up. There do seem to be vacuum problems but nothing obvious.... just an intermittent bwaaaaaaaa sound that could as easily be an exhaust leak.

Curious, what are the specs on this engine? I used to have a 1.6l 12v Sentra with an automatic and throttle-body injection and it got along fine.

 

For the carb'd engines, it was 98 hp and 109 ft. lbs torque. But that can all be changed...with a Weber!

 

A weber would be nice... if it ran.

The PS reservoir was empty of course, so I filled that up (with the special Honda fluid). I checked the air filter, it looked pretty good so I sprayed a bit of carb cleaner into the carburetor and fired it up, or tried to. It just cranked and cranked... bleh. Started fine before this, but now I could only get an occasional chug. Maybe I'll just sell it for parts money.

 

Try again retsarting it tomorrow. If you're getting rid of it, I'll buy it off you 5$ and I'll even come and get it, LOL.

 

No way! I already have $4.74 into it!

Anyway, I've been advised that the distributor may have gone bad. What are the symptoms generally related to that? Bad timing of course, which could very well explain why it wouldn't rev past 3000...

edit: damn post limit


[Modified by johnny_turbo, 10:07 AM 2/17/2003]

 

OK, so after a couple days I'm feeling confident it's the distributor. Any tricks on changing these? What distributors are compatible from other years and models, if any?

 

It's just me but you should try and search first, then if you find nothing, start a new thread, because people won't necessarily bother looking back into this one if they had nothing to say firsthand.