Archive for the 'Honda' Category

2001 Acura Integra torsion bar bushing noise

John’s question:

” I have 2001 Acura Integra. ONLY when I have a passenger. I hear a tapping type noise coming from the back right of the car when starting to roll or going slowly through parking lots. It seems to happen more often when turning or starting up from a stop. At higher speeds the noise does not seem to be present. I’ve jacked the car up and shook the tire (hands at 3-9 and then 12 and 6) there was no play. There is no noise coming from the suspension when I push down on that corner of the car.”

Answer:

I wouldn’t personally worry about it until it wore further, BUT it’s probably a suspension part that is just slightly worn, like a torsion bar bushing. Since it only makes the noise with weight on the car, it’s got to be a suspension part that only makes noise when the suspension is loaded. So check all the rubber bushings back there to see if any are cracked or broken and replace them. I’ve fixed quite a few of them that way, but usually they were so worn that they made noise all the time and the culprit was pretty easy to find (often a torsion bar bushing being worn out.)

1997 Honda Civic Front End Vibration

Dante’s question:

My question is ,about my 1997 Honda Civic ,it is work good but 3 week ago I hear one sound very weird and little vibration on front wheels , this happen when I drive around 30 to 40 miles or less something, this is not the tie rod ends and when the mechanic drive me car for test not happens nothing ,so i don’t’ know really ,what can I do ? thank you”

Answer:

Vibrating front ends and noise can be caused by many things. First, jack up the car and spin the tires to see if they are out of round of if a rim is bent and fix that if you see a problem. If not, then go to a good front end shop and have the front tires checked for balance and the front end checked for alignment. ALSO, check the front wheel bearings, as they make a nasty humming sound as they begin to wear. You can’t often feel any play in wheel bearings when they first wear, but a good mechanic on a road test can use his ears and tell you if a bearing is starting to wear out BEFORE the wheel actually has play in it when you jack it up and check it manually.

Honda Accord Brake Sinks

John’s question:

“I have a new Honda Accord. Rarely, but sometimes when I apply the brakes a little (maybe 1/4 of the way) the brake sinks a bit (maybe it wants to go 1/2 way). Is this normal in how the brakes work?”

Answer:

ABS braking systems can be notoriously weird when it comes to their pedal height. There are numerous valves and switches that are activated when braking, which can make the pedal change where it grabs a little here and a little there. I wouldn’t worry about it unless the pedal goes way down towards the floor and needs to be pumped back up again. That would show a serious problem that would need repairing.

1997 Honda Civic How To Change Transmission Fluid

danhonda97’s question:

” Hey is me again thanks for answering my questions. do you have any videos were you change the transmition fluid for a honda civic 97 because i cant find a way. how can i change it how to take the bolt out and how to drain out the fluid. thank you again danhonda97 ”

Answer:

No videos yet, but it’s very simple on a honda. They have no filters, they have no pan, they just have a drain plug on the passenger side. Jack up the car and pull off the passenger wheel. You’ll see one bolt that has an INTERNAL square hole in it, it’s the only one that has a hole inside the middle. Put a ratchet on that and remove it. The fluid will come out. Then put it back on and refill through the fill hole.

2000 Honda Civic no brake lights. Fuse blown

Randy’s question:

My 2000 Honda Civic has no brake lights. It keeps blowing the brake light fuse. I’ve changed the brake light switch and check all the bulbs and their sockets, and none are damaged or covered in water like some of my older cars used to do. What should I check next?

Answer:

well, you’ve covered the obvious bases to look for a problem. So I would hazard a guess that a wire somewhere is pinched and touching the frame of the car. The last civic I fixed like that had a pinched brake wire in the wiring harness behind the panel on the left side of the rear seat. So start by checking there, as the wiring harness is rather tight there on Civics and can wear through over time.

1999 Honda Acura AC Blowing Hot Air

Juan’s question:

My 99 Honda Acura’s AC isn’t blowing very cool. Especially in the afternoon when it gets hot outside. What should I try first to fix it?

Answer:

Odds are you’re just low on refrigerant. All Honda products leak a small amount of refrigerant as they age (toyotas may go eight years before needing refrigerant added, but many Honda products will need it added every couple of years or so.) Have the AC system evacuated out, then have the factory load of refrigerant added back in. You can’t just top them up like people used to, because the 134A gas that cars use today is very particular about exact refrigerant levels to work correctly. I’ll bet you’re just low on refrigerant and that will fix it.

98 Honda Accord Replacing Axles: New vs Rebuilt

Mario’s question:

I’m getting this clacking sound when I turn a sharp corner in my 98 Accord. So I looked under the front end, and both CV joint boots are ripped. I’ve priced various replacement axles, and am amazed by the difference in price. Everything from a dealer five hundred dollar new one to fifty nine dollar axles. What do you suggest I use, new or rebuilt?

Answer:

Well, new is almost always better than rebuilt, but of course the price is normally much higher. BUT, with axles these days, there are some excellent brand new axles that come from the far East that fit many makes. If you priced enough places in your sample, I would guess that one of the fifty nine dollar prices you received was one of these brand new Asian made axles. I have used hundreds of them with no problems yet. Just be sure to ask what you are being sold–new or rebuild, and if new, just ask where they were made. This is a case of things actually costing less as time marches on.

1996 Honda Acura 3.5 RL Hard Transmission Shift From 1st to 2nd gears

John’s question:

I have a 96 Acura 3.5 RL with only 74K miles on it. While back I noticed a hard shift between the 1st and the 2nd gear.At the dealer ship they told me to do a transmission flush which i did and it ran fine for a few months. But now iam noticing the same problem poppin up. What should i do? Please help!!I love Your site.

Answer:

Personally, I would live with it. That first to second hard shift is pretty typical as those Acuras age. Since the transmission is pretty much a motorcycle style (Honda) unit, it must be removed from the vehicle to do any serious repair work. Acura does have kits that repair that poor shift, but due to its age a total rebuild would probably be a wise move. Most guys charge between 2800 and 3500 dollars to do that. If you baby the first to second shifts by not accelerating too harshly, it can last for quite some time. I have customers that have been driving them that way for years if they continue to baby the tranny on that shift.

Honda Accord Ignition Switch Repair

Wilson’s question:

My old 88 Accord won’t start up and run. When I crank the engine, it starts right up, but as soon as I let go of the key, it dies. Every so often it will start and run fine, but normally it just dies.

Answer:

That’s normally a classic example of a worn out ignition switch. You get power to everything when you crank the engine over in the starting position. But the switch is internally shorting out, and has now power to the ignition system or fuel system when it goes back to the running position as you let go of the key. You just need a new electrical portion of the ignition switch. All good auto parts stores can get you one for a car that old.

Honda CB750 No Start After Sitting 2 Years

Bing’s question:

My old 750 Honda has been sitting for a couple years in the back of the garage. I put in a new battery, and it cranks but won’t start.

Answer:

That’s pretty typical. The gasoline in the tank and the carbs gets all gunked up and clogs everything up. You will have to remove all four carburetors and take them apart. Then soak them for a day or so in one of those cleaning buckets with solvent that you can get at any good auto parts store. The gunk is so strong you can’t attempt to fix them any other way. Then remove all the jets inside and blow them clean with compressed air. If you don’t feel up to doing this, pull the carbs and take them to a good used motorcycle shop. They can do it for you, and most charge 150 bucks or so IF you bring the carbs in.



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