Fuel injector cleaner ...got it. Throttle body ...if I can find it, i will clean it....lol.


Thanks that sounds like a good idea.

PS I live in New Mexico, "Billy The Kid' country ...and I have always had no luck with men, mechanics or otherwise .....so as for charming anyone here to do ANYTHING for free, I am liable to get assaulted instead ...this is a resort town and the mechanics here charge a small fortune and have no patience with anyone who does not have the money to pay....but thanks anyway for the suggestion.

 

^Ouch

If you were closer to some of us, we would just drive over and check it out. Sorry that the quality of people in that area is not very good.

It may not be as simple as clearing the computer. The check engine light is on for a reason. Reading the codes will tell us why it's on, which will give us more direction on where to to as far as repairs. Pull back the carpet on the passenger side floor, right side. You'll see the computer there. Turn the key to the point just before it would start and watch the light. It will blink, stop, then blink again. Count the number of blinks and take note of each sequence. There may be several codes stored. Reference this link to find out what they mean: https://www.hondacivicforum.com/foru...le-codes-3682/

The plugs might have actually been changed, but there might be a bad sensor that's throwing the computer off, causing it to run VERY rich and fouling the plugs.

If you're not sure about the flashing lights as codes, take the car to your local Autozone, Advance, etc. They can read the codes from the computer using a scanner. (They typically do it for free because based on what the results are, they can sell you some parts.)

While you're at Autozone or wherever, you might try picking up a $5 bottle of Lucas injector cleaner. Next time you're at the gas station, put that in first and then fill it up. Drive normally, see if MPG improves.

 

Autozone will not be able to read the codes with a scanner as you do not have an OBDII port. They have to be manually read as mentioned above.
The computer will not fix the issues. It only will let you know what they are. If there is a sticky injector, the injectors will need to be cleaned. You can try a bottle of fuel injection cleaner but more likely you will need to have them flushed at a shop. Probably around $80.

As I stated before, see what the codes are and you will have a starting point for what to fix.

 

Do you live in Ruidoso? Good advice given on reading codes etc. Yeah,7 mpg sounds like a '70 454 Chevelle on a Friday night cruise. If you can find one fairly savvy person to help you with these issues,it would be good. That way you can gradually learn to work on this stuff.

The throttle body is fed by the ducting/tubing coming from the outlet of the air cleaner box. Auto Zone may help a little with some of your problems.

Keep us posted and good luck.

 

I live in Taos. If anyone near here could help me out, you would be the King of my world. (Or Queen if the case may be.....lol)


Thanks!


Cal-Gurl

 

Ah Taos,art,art,art,and no car freaks(well not many). I have a friend who works in Taos (he's a dentist) and is a pretty good mechanic. He's done some work on friends' cars. Maybe you could become a patient and gradually get to know him/mention your ailing Honda.... His office is next to the hospital.

I know there's a Checker and a AZ store there. I hope you can get some help soon. Read the maintenance stickies here and google/you tube;there's a lot of stuff out there.

Read and record those codes, like suggested, as a start.

 

Hi....


Yes, The transfer case is another question. I wonder if I can get to it mby just crawling under car or would it have to be hoisted up on a lift? Then what.....? How do I "ungunk" it? Is there some type of fluid that does this that I could put inot it?

(Recall, I am not a mechanic and have never owned a Honda anything.)

Also, just curious; on the sun-flap over the driver's side there is this information regrading the all wheel drive; it says that it is supposed to 'automatically' engage ...which I assume means that it is also supposed to automatically DIS-engage ....so if the transfer case it gunked up or something else is wrong, I wonder if it is possible to manually disengage the awd and just have a regular whell drive (front or back; I am unsure)? It does say one can do this when the car is being towed ....to manually disengage the raised wheels, so i was just wondering if I could manually disengage one set of wheels from this awd and derive the car like a car without awd ....that might give me a better mpg, but would it be safe to drive and it is possible to do this and still have to car drive normally?


Thanks. Oh PS ; where exactly IS the transfer case? ....aside from bering under the car, of cuorse.

 

Yes, the codes!


I FINALLY got the two metal covers off the computer and looked at vwhat looks like a transister board ...is this what you are all calling a 'computer'?

I turned the key and it blikns once at the red light at the top center, and then I turned over the engine and looked carefully to see if any of the other lights on this board lite up and I did this several times, but the only light to light up is the center red one and it just keeps blinking....I tried to count the blinks, but they are just a repititious three count blink that repeats itself over and over again with the engine running.

What does this mean?

WHERE ARE THESE CODES???? I could not see any numbers, just a few different colored lights scattered across this board and none of them lite up except the red one.

What does it mean that this red light just blinks three times repeatedly?


Oh and could someone please tell me which manual I should try and have downbloaded (by a freind with a computer at home) ....I Looked at them but could not determine which one I needed....maybe someone could paste the correct link in here....agaiun, I have a 1991 Honda Civic Wagon AWD with the 1.6 engine.

Thanks!

 

Autozone in useless here ...I have already tried just getting them to find the spark plugs I needed and they just let me stand there while they answer the phones and take customers standing behind me saying; "just a minute ma'am."


Uh, Can you or anyone tell me about he fuel mixture screww and also the idle adjustment? I read online about the yellow paint mark the factory puts on one of them that you are not supposed to mess with, but my idle is erratic and I feel that part of the fuel problem is that the fuel/air ratio may be messed up and that is why the new plugs were so carboned up and my fuel mpg so bad.

I read in an old manual for women on car fixin' (written in 1976!) that one can set the idle up to 800 rpms and then adjust the fuel/air mixture screw until the rpms come down and then readjust the idle to where it drops down and that would fix any issues with the fuel air and the idle problem.


I know this may not apply to this 1991 Japanese engine, but I thought I would ask because it seems to make sense to me.


Thanks. Also, what is the deal with the choke/throttle ...it too is auotmatic yes ...? Or is there some adjustment I could do to this to fix the hyper idle I get someitmes when first starting car?


Can anyone tell me about the head gasket? I have what looks like a good deal of oil on the engine that looks like it came out the 'seam' at the center line. When that last guy worked on it and then took it out ont he street trying to get the rpms up to 6 or 7, he told me the car couldn't get that high and it should have ....but did not explain what he though that meant....can anyone advise me here.....??? Would a compression tell me this and it the tool I would need expensive?

Would a blown head gasket cause such a drastic mpg loss?


Thanks.

 

Blink 3 times, pause, blink 3 times, pause, etc. is a code 3. This is the MAP (manifold absolute pressure) sensor. (That can be found by looking in the sticky post "ECU Trouble Codes" at the top of this forum. Look in the "OBD0" section, which concerns models 1988 to 1991).

The MAP sensor detects the air pressure in the intake manifold. Combined with the rpm, the computer will know how much air is entering the engine. This is critical so it can drive the fuel injectors in order to meet that air with the proper amount of fuel.

My Civic is also a 1991, so I took a few pictures of it to show the sensor. It is mounted on the firewall near the center of the car. The first picture shows the screwdriver pointing to the sensor itself, it's black plastic and mounted on the underside of the bracket. Check that the 3-wire plug is plugged in as shown. The sensor is about a $200 part but they rarely go bad, so don't rush out and buy one just yet. It's more likely there is a problem with the hose that connects it to the engine. This hose (if original) has "21" stamped on the side and goes over to the left (driver's side) and down to the base of the throttle body as shown in the second picture. Note that it is spliced to a hose with a yellow stripe on my car; I don't know if that is factory or not. You should have a schematic of the hose connections attached to the underside of the hood as shown in the third picture. Inspect the hose and make sure it is connected properly and in good condition (not cracked or leaky).

Your car may be slightly (or significantly) different. I think the 4WD model used basically the same 1.5 liter DX engine package but the California model (if that's what you have) has some additional parts for pollution control.

Do not turn any screws. The stuff in that old book is for carbuerator engines. The EFI system practically adjusts itself, unless there is a fault somewhere.