Apocalypse,

Hope I spelled that right. Haven't run a compression test yet. I agree, it would be a cheap way to diagnose some problems, BUT, I don't think (and I hope) I don't have an internal engine prob. Don't burn oil, car runs fine except for the idle and still get great fuel economy.

I'm an older guy and have owned my own vehicles since 1972! The only car I ever owned that had "bad" compression was a '65 Plymoth Fury with a 383 V8. This includes many vehicles that have had well over 100K. This is my first Honda, however, and like I said I'm expecting a lot considering Honda's reputation. I sure hope my Honda experiece is not tarnished by having an engine with "bad" compression especially since I have just 63K miles so far. That being said, I agree, before spending a lot of money on other things, it is a good idea to rule out an internal engine problem. So far, I haven't spent anything on the idle prob, sort of ignoring it (or trying to)

 

Poor compression doesn't necessarily mean that you are burning oil, or that any oil is making it past your rings. Yes, that is a possibility; however, there are many other factors that could be the culprit. You could have build up on your valves, need a valve adjustment (unlikely), worn valves, a myriad of components could be causing the problem. It's always a good idea to perform a compression test, even if there is nothing wrong with your car. Doing this will allow you to record your own car's specifications, instead of relying on some book's generic listings. You can, more accurately, troubleshoot problems as they occur.

Being that you've owned numerous cars, as I have, you can better appreciate how knowing all of these little variances can make all the difference in the world.

 

Good point Apocalypse.

It is good to get a baseline reading also. That way yoiu can monitor your engine as it ages I haven't done so so far. Gee, I guess I need to get back into my car repair hobby. Lately, I've just been a "virtual" mechanic, never getting my hands very dirty. I spend too much time here at work, and the weather outside these past couple a weeks has been frightful!!

Talk to ya later.

 

hey apocalyps, I have a question about the compression thing you brought up...... I have heard that if you have a compression problem it will do the vibrating all the time, and even more so when the car is cold...... my car doesnt vibrate when its cold but when it warms up and the rpms start to drop, everyone seems to suggest cleaning the fuel injectors with some treatment.....let me know what you think....

 

You are correct that if you have very poor compression, the engine will vibrate some...quite a bit if the compression is terribly low. For those of you who would love to berate this next comment, I capitalize the important: PART of the reason is that a cold engine is not filled with as many expanded parts as a hot engine; thus, more escapes are possible for fluids and gases.

I would most definitely run some injector cleaner through your car. Red Line is the compound that I use. No more expensive than the others, and you're getting the same freakin' product. You should use the recommended amount of the bottle every fuel up. Proper maintenance is a key in cheaper repairs.

While you have your head under the bonnet, take off the throttle body (some of it may require the installation of new gaskets, so be aware), and clean out any residue. When the engine idle drops as I am understanding from your statement, the vibration gets worse. Yes? This would make sense, as idle is not the smoothest/fuel economic position your car has available. I am thinking that maybe you have a leak in a vacuum line somewhere. Check all of your hoses that connect to your throttle, engine, PCV, air intake systems, etc. A small leak can lead to improper idling and an incorrect air/petrol mixture.

Might not solve your problem, but hopefully you can reduce your options as to the what the problem might be.

 

I will definitely inspect all of the vaccuum lines/hoses tommorow, First, Im going to try some throttle body cleaner and see if that helps, I figure it wouldnt be bad to try the easiest and cheapest stuff available before I start removing and replacing parts...... it vibrates when it is warmed up , yes, thing is, other peoples do not vibrate like that at the same idle..... either vibrating or surging...... if i use any power like the windows/ a/c / etc then it starts to vibrate a lil more even though the idle stays the same......

 

update

 

update is that i sold the car to get a supra lol