Why does my car turn off in the mornings?
Okay so I just bought an 88 Honda Accord 5 speed. I love it! The guy before me maintained it really well and it drives great. The engine looks good and everything on it is awesome. One problem though that he said he never figured out and neither can I. He was an older guy so and didn't have much time for the car anymore so I'm sure he didn't look that far into it. In the morning, and after the car has been cooled down for a few hours, when I start it, it won't stay on. I have to start in first gear and drive it instantly for it to stay on until it warms up and then it gives me no problem. What could this be. I though maybe a spark plug but the guys said he had it tuned recently and I also get regular oil changes. It's not a big deal for now but I worry about the winter when it's time to warm it up how will I keep it on.
Best thing is to take it to a mechanic - they can diagnose the issue pretty quick usually - it might not be an expensive fix - they will tell you how much it costs to fix before they do anything
They way back when days of vacuum hoses and vacuum operated everything. This is a simple idle control problem. Of course, it isn't simple. It involves the choke (probably the problem) and various other controls. Youtube has some videos on how to adjust or what to look for
Hi so why did he sell it simple it was costing too much to keep it running due to it's age and the wear on it's engine and gearbox. As most cars these days are designed to have a life of just 8 years or 100k miles. Then any mileage over this or time past the 8 years is just your luck. So buying an old wreck which is nearly 30 years old is asking for big trouble as it is past it's best some 21 years ago.
Which engine? Carbureted? Or fuel injected?
Those old 80's/90's Honda's had a lot of issues with complicated choke or idle air control issues and way too many vacuum lines on carb'd models which could also get brittle, crack/split and leak. I'd suggest finding a good local Honda tech that knows how the systems work and can adjust or inspect it for issues. It sounds like the choke or idle air control valve/cold start valve (depending on which fuel system you have) is not operating properly which can cause stalling or idle issues when engine is cold. If you have a carb setup, it also matters how you start the engine to allow the linkage to set up properly for the choke/fast idle cam to work. For carbureted cars, depress the gas pedal half way to the floor before starting which relaxes or unbinds the throttle /choke linkage and allows it to set properly for cold starts. Check for any cracked, broken or split vacuum hoses causing vacuum leaks or other vacuum leaks at carb or intake manifold. Clean the carb linkages of any crud buildup if so equipped.
It's a 30 year old car, it could have any number of problems.
Take it to a certified Honda service technician, duh!
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