OT "What's Wrong w/my Car" thread..

[PassTheDutchie]

I've got an early 1990s "on its last legs" Honda Prelude with about 80k miles: this morning I crank up the heat to no avail (it usually kicks right in); then, I notice when idling at a light, the engine revs and falls, revs and falls (about 1k rpm swing); about ten minutes later (long commute) the engine temp gauge is cranked all the way up. I'm going to check the coolant level at lunch… Any other insights from Maggotdom?

[Andy_B]

thermostat might be stuck open or closed.

[bio-smear]

Bum thermostat? There could also be a heater control valve that lets warm coolant into the heater core circuit, that might be malfunctioning. Bets bet is the thermostat though. Remove it and reassemble without it, see if it runs cooler. If it does, then go buy a new one.

[iceman]

Bum thermostat?

Rectal thermometer? What?

[Andy_B]

Rectal thermometer? What?

Yes, you will run cooler with it removed.

[bio-smear]

Rectal thermometer? What?

It was the source of my problems at least. My posture improved too.

[bagtagley]

80K on a Honda, and it's on its last legs?

[A-wreck]

80K on a Honda, and it's on its last legs?

Ha, yeah, does that mean my civic with 140k has already died?

[PassTheDutchie]

80K on a Honda, and it's on its last legs?

The body has A LOT of rust (we really like our salt in the midwest). I picked it as a second car for $1,400 a couple of years ago and it has been great. Problems are starting to pile up, though, and I am not sure how much $$ I want to sink into it at this point given the rust situaiton. I had some clutch work done over the summer and the mechanic suggested about $1.5k worth of additional work (he could have been trying to bend me over, however).

[Steven S. Dallas]

He just wanted you to bend over so he could get a look at your bum thermometer. Which has gone bad, by the way.

[seatosky]

My '82 honda died at 280K after what I can only term massive abuse. No bum thermometers involved tho.

[jimmy page]

I don't know how far I would drive it with the thermosat pegged. Can't be good for the engine.

[PassTheDutchie]

How is it everything on this board eventually comes back to the poopenhausen?

[bio-smear]

How is it everything on this board eventually comes back to the poopenhausen?

It just does.

[awineke]

And back to the subject at hand, if you're lucky you've blown a radiator or a heater hose. If your luck sucks, you blew the headgasket. Of course, the first can lead to the second, too.

A headgasket job shouldn't be too bad on an old Prelude, maybe $400 or so, but it may not be worth it to you. If you refill the radiator, let it idle a little, then floor it and see a huge pile of steam come out of the tailpipe, you'll know where you're at.

[PaSucks]

And back to the subject at hand, if you're lucky you've blown a radiator or a heater hose. If your luck sucks, you blew the headgasket. Of course, the first can lead to the second, too.

A headgasket job shouldn't be too bad on an old Prelude, maybe $400 or so, but it may not be worth it to you. If you refill the radiator, let it idle a little, then floor it and see a huge pile of steam come out of the tailpipe, you'll know where you're at.

There would probably be a lot of smoke with a blown headgasket. His problem seems more like a thermostat issue.

[runethechamp]

That bad idle makes me suspect the headgasket. Check if there's any smoke.

[Tippster]

How is it everything on this board eventually comes back to the poopenhausen?

Like the swallows to Capistrano - some things are just meant to be.

[Aldo]

I'm going to check the coolant level at lunch… Any other insights from Maggotdom?

You probabaly should've checked the coolant level a few weeks ago?



For all of you other self serve hippies out there who are wondering what to do as your tank is filling up at the old self serve pump...... CHECK the FLUIDS!!!!

See, most Hondas aren't even broken in at 80k.

[Blurred]

If it was your thermostat, your heater would blow hot if it was stuck shut, and blow cool if it was stuck open. However, if it was stuck open, your engine would have cooler liquid running through it, and your engine heat wouldn't be pegged.
You have no coolant in your system buddy. Put some in pronto. Also, fix wherever it's leaking out.

Your idle problem is probably not related, except that it might be damage from you running your engine so hot.

80k on a Prelude is nothing.

[ekeli]

Sounds almost like a vacumme leak.

I would sign up for a account on www.honda-tech.com and post in the prelude forum. They are pretty flame retarded over there so give all the same you know about the car jong! One of the largest forums out there there but it has alot of good info.

[PNWbrit]

Sounds almost like a vacumme leak.

A "vacumme" cooled Honda?

[Blurred]

A "vacumme" cooled Honda?

He's referring to the idling problem.

Vacuum line could be the culprit.

[PNWbrit]

He's referring to the idling problem.

Vacuum line could be the culprit.

Possibly - but driving around while staring at a pegged temp gauge is the far bigger problem.

[PassTheDutchie]

If it was your thermostat, your heater would blow hot if it was stuck shut, and blow cool if it was stuck open. However, if it was stuck open, your engine would have cooler liquid running through it, and your engine heat wouldn't be pegged. You have no coolant in your system buddy. Put some in pronto. Also, fix wherever it's leaking out. Your idle problem is probably not related, except that it might be damage from you running your engine so hot.
80k on a Prelude is nothing.

Seems to make sense---I might not have noticed that it was running hot until after I f*cked up something else, resulting in the idling issue (FWIW I think I last checked the fluid in Oct). Anyway, filled up the fluid before I drove it again--still ran hot. Drove home from work in 10 minute drive/cool cycles (luckily it's cold as a witch's tit here right now). Took me 1.5 hours. The lude is now resting peacefully in my driveway, awaiting a trip to the shop and/or euthinasianist.

Thanks, all, for the advice.