Hey, my cars running rough for a couple months now, just doesn’t have that nice sound it used to have. Still runs okay. I replaced the spark plugs with some G-Power NGK’s and some NGK Wires that improved it a little. Oil change was just done, I havn’t had a valve job in about 50,000KM should I do this?? also at high rpms it sounds like my muffler is rattling, what would this be?
Thanks
JAY
perhaps a small little tune-up is in order. replacing distributor parts like the cap and rotor, fuel filter, valve adjustment, doing a coolant flush. you may want to get these things done if you haven’t or do not know when the last time you did was.
muffler rattling? a part of the heat shield may be loose, or check the rubber hangers underneath the car. get underneath and check it out visually.
should I be doing all this stuff at honda?
I would recommend
Checking:
Change:
And everything can be done by yourself which I highly recommend as well. Get yourself a Helms and Haynes manual to guide you.
Regards,
Oz
checking through my haynes manual looks like these things arent the simpliest to do. I have minimal experience will I still be ok??
relieving pressure from fuel system to replace fuel filter??
You can relieve fuel pressure by turning the service bolt on top of the fuel filter itself or as I reccomend (to stay dry and keep your precious fuel):
take off your gas cap and leave your car in the shade for an hour or two…
THEN loosen the banjo bolts on the fuel filter… Don’t be intimidated by this… It takes about 15min. once you get rolling… I found it much easier to pull the brackets for the filter right off the firewall (reassemble the brackets on the new filter off the car).
About the other things you asked about… Also easy with a good manual (or support group – heh heh) and some basic tools. There’s no substitiute for good tools. I would go and ask a local garage what they’d charge you for everything you want to get done (tell them you’ll cover parts and BRING the parts with you). If it isn’t an arm and a leg and you don’t want to get dirty, take it there. If you want to make sure it’s done right and learn as you go, get a Helm’s manual and buy some decent tools (ratchet set, offset drivers, vice grips, wire strippers, ez outs, etc). You’ll be glad you did. Oh yeah… a good torque wrench is the best investment you could ever make so keep that in mind when you see what a decent one costs. Yes, you can use that 19 foot long dial kind but I’ve had it with those…
HTH
Andrew.
Go here for the Helms manual:
http://blackteg0.tripod.com/g2integra/index.html
If you can’t replace your air filter and check your tire pressure, then you don’t deserve to own an Acura:)
As for the fuel filter, don’t worry about relieving the fuel pressure. You don’t have to do it. It’s a safety precaution that Haynes always print on their books to cover their A$$es. Just make sure you surround the fuel filter with a lot of rags to prevent fuel from spilling all over the place once you loosen those bolts. I also advise to use a Vice grip (use it very gently though) to loosen one of the bolts.
With ignition timing, you need a timing light. Basic one costs $45 plus taxes in your neighbourhood Crappy Tire. Consult both the Teg Tips section and your Haynes manual to check and adjust your timing. This might be a good time to advance the timing, but please be aware to use high octane gas (I highly recommend Sunoco Ultra 94 first, with Petro Canada 94 second).
With the distrib. cap & rotor, well I’ve never changed these, but looking at the Haynes manual and consulting the cap itself, it looks like a simple job. Just make sure you write down which spark plug wire connects to where, or else you’re asking for trouble.
PCV valve is quite simple. The problem you’ll face is that the valve is quite hard to get at. If you got small hands, then you’re clear. You’ll most likely won’t need any tools to replace this. Consult the Helms manual for location since the Haynes is quite confusing.
For coolant quality, grab yourself a $5 Motomaster coolant tester from Crappy Tire. Follow the instructions, and you’re set to go. If you plan on replacing your coolant, I suggest purchasing Havoline Long Life or Motomaster Long Life instead of the regular kind.
I also suggest doing an ECU reset. Consult the Teg tips for proper ECU reset procedures.
As for tools, buy Motomaster or Craftsman only. Snap-On is quite expensive. If it doesn’t say Motomaster/Craftsman on that socket/ratchet, consider yourself fu(ked. As for torque wrenches, you can buy the regular Motomaster scale torque wrench for $20 at Crappy Tire. The dial torque ratchet is the most convenient but costs $90. You’ll get by on certain jobs with just the scale-kind torque wrench.
Regards,
Oz
Originally posted by The_Oz
[B]
As for tools, buy Motomaster or Craftsman only. Snap-On is quite expensive. If it doesn’t say Motomaster/Craftsman on that socket/ratchet, consider yourself fu(ked. As for torque wrenches, you can buy the regular Motomaster scale torque wrench for $20 at Crappy Tire. The dial torque ratchet is the most convenient but costs $90. You’ll get by on certain jobs with just the scale-kind torque wrench.
Regards,
Oz [/B]
This is a little biased my friend. I agree, Sears and CT makes decent tools but you can’t compare the two. Craftsman are far better and will run you significantly more coin but this is based on buying into a lifetime warranty. Don’t dismiss the reliability and performance of Huksy. They make phenomenal tools – especially their carbon-forged line-up of ratchets, etc. Also… don’t slag MAC and Snap-On. Their support is second to none and their tools support their claims of having the best tools. Sure, you may pay a little more but you will own that tool for life. I have a 3/4" drive set that I will take to my grave that I will never regret. I understand that many people want to save money on tools but don’t assume that they had no intention in buying anything other than the best. To say that CT and Sears are the onnly players in reliable quality tools is just a bag of rhubarb.
Anyway… use what you’ve got… if that doesn’t work, buy a tool that’s supported by a lifetime warranty. If you break a wrench… so what… get another…
I agree with everything about the tuning section of your post though Oz – 110%. All except for the PCV valve swap… my hands are monsters and I can pull it out if I am hammered in the dark. The trick?? Follow the PCV hose from the valve cover down to the valve and wiggle it like the stubborn bastard needs to be wiggled… Also… I like using Honda’s coolant… no mixing… never had a problem… a few bucks more?? so what…
Andrew.
Originally posted by neex
This is a little biased my friend. I agree, Sears and CT makes decent tools but you can’t compare the two. Craftsman are far better and will run you significantly more coin but this is based on buying into a lifetime warranty. Don’t dismiss the reliability and performance of Huksy. They make phenomenal tools – especially their carbon-forged line-up of ratchets, etc. Also… don’t slag MAC and Snap-On. Their support is second to none and their tools support their claims of having the best tools. Sure, you may pay a little more but you will own that tool for life. I have a 3/4" drive set that I will take to my grave that I will never regret. I understand that many people want to save money on tools but don’t assume that they had no intention in buying anything other than the best. To say that CT and Sears are the onnly players in reliable quality tools is just a bag of rhubarb.
I agree that MAC and Snap-On are probably 1 and 2 when it comes to quality, dependability, etc. And I’m not slagging them by any means. However, you have to look at the fact that the primary poster (integra91jay) is just a beginner. Probably doesn’t have the necessary tools to do any mechanic work (except for maybe a screwdriver set). Hence my recommendation for Motomaster and/or Craftsman. The lifetime warranty is what I based on primarily, price is second, & quality third. I’m also going by experience. I have yet to bust a Motomaster/Crafstman socket, ratchet, etc. And I haven’t even used their Professional line yet. As for Husky, HA! I busted a Husky socket screwdriver trying to remove my hatch striker screws. Did it the day I bought the socket. Was I able to return it? HECK NO. No warranty whatsoever. What a waste of $7!!
Regards,
Oz
I’m suprised… The only problem I ever had with my Husky drive set is that I dropped my 10mm carbon-forged socket into a sewer (let me tell you that I was tempet to go in – lol). Anyway, damn striker plates on 240sx’s aren’t much better – that’s what I was realigning on my gf’s car. Anyway, I went and talked to someone in tools at the Depot and they gave me a new 10mm socket. Now that’s a warranty. As far as I knew, my sockets had a lifetime warranty. I don’t own any of their screwdrivers and likely never will based on your story. If you want a decent screwdriver, try Klien.
Thanks for the tips Oz. We must hook up at some point and you can have a chuckle at me messy engine bay and never-finished-project of an interior.
Take care!
Andrew.
Ok, I’m about to go grab the parts at canadian tire (PCV valve, fuel filter and O2 sensor) will this make a noticable difference, because the engine is running rough these days. Anything else I can do?
Thanks
JAY
anyone?
its not gonna be noticable. unfortunately, many of the things we do arent really all that noticable, but after all the hard work we put in, i think its perfectly fine to think “i think its running a little better” hehe. as for the o2 sensor. it could actually make a big difference if your old one was jacked up and u were getting a poor air/fuel mixture. the pcv valve might give u better gas mileage, and the fuel filter is the same, not much power there. anyways, good luck with the work.
I mean wil the car run less rough.
Cause it really doesn’t sound as healthy as it used to.
I don’t care about performance right now
Thanks
JAY
Integra91jay:
Start with the plugs, cap and rotor. These will likely yeild the largest improvement in terms of your idle quality. The next most important thing to check before your fuel/air delivery systems would be your timing.
As a quick check, with the car running, pull one plug wire and put it back in. If you happen to pull a wire and it makes no difference, either replace that wire, investigate the plug/or do a compression check. If your idle is REALLY bad, you may be running on 3 cylinders. You might also try running the car in pitch darkness with the headlights off, etc… see if you see ANY blue arcs across the plug wires, distributor, etc. If you do, replace the component that arcs.
HTH
Andrew.
Where do you live again?? I can’t remember…
Hey, I just replaced the plugs and wires a couple weeks ago
with NGK platinum GPower and NGK Plugs.
The idle isn’t really too bad. It’s just the sound when the cars actually driving. It’s louder and rouger then it used to be. Doesn’t have that smooth sound.
I live in Brantford, about 1 hour west of Toronto
Later man
Integra90jay:
Sometimes I find that the platinum plugs underperform when compared to the standard copper ones. There's a trade-off. The platinum ones will outlast the copper but the copper will perform better IMO. Also, make certain that the gap is dialed in -- never trust them to be ready to go out-of-the-box.
My best guess is that the noises you are hearing might be misadjusted valves. If you want to learn about your vehicle, follow the directions in the Helms or Haynes and adjust the lash yourself. If not, the avg. going price is about $80 or less to have it done. Your car needs to be there for several hours though as it needs to be stone-cold when the lash adj. is done (make sure the shop knows this).
If you ever want to compare notes or do some tuning, etc. Let me know and maybe we could arrange to meet up. I'm downtown in Toronto. I have a jack and axle stands if you need to get her up off the ground and work underneath. Have you checked your alternator's output?? It may be on it's way out or it may have a regulator/rectifier problem with a blown diode. I have a digital oscope if need be -- great for diagnosing the frequency of electronic problems, sensor output vs. temp, ac ripple, etc... You may also consider cleaning out the throttle body, butterfly valve assy, and intake ports, etc (take the screen off the IACV and clean the lines) -- if you need help, ask.
Best of luck!
Andrew.
oh yeah… if you swap wires, be carefull not to get into this ‘high performance’ wires mind-set. Unless you have a seriously upgraded ignition, you will not reap the benefits and will usually have drivability or idle problems. Swap your wires with OEM spec’d NGK or Nippon. and all should be well.
A.
The idle isn’t really too bad. It’s just the sound when the cars actually driving. It’s louder and rouger then it used to be. Doesn’t have that smooth sound.
…and you mentioned the muffler is rattling:
maybe theres a hole in the exhaust somewhere. take a look (if you are still having a problem).
I actually think theres a hole in the bottom, but its not all the way through yet. Probably is causing this noise tho.
What kinda muffler should I go for. I dont want a big pipe or anything too loud
thanks
JAY
ask around on here or search to see if anyones tried one of those patch kits…that would be the cheapest if its a small hole on the bottom
or
get a stainless steel stock one at discount auto parts…i think they are pretty cheap
or
if you’re going for performance, ask around and search on here based on what mods you have
hope that helps