1989 Honda Accord Build Thread thread

That code is for the lift sensor. It's usually just a bad EGR valve. In general, junkyard EGR valves that hold vacuum will work flawlessly for years if cleaned. I've never chased the problem, as this is my first fuel injected Accord I've owned. I've had 3 that were carbed, and I just disabled emissions equipment until I fixed the issue and they ran great.

I got my wheels painted today. I think they look pretty nice, but they do need some wet sanding to make really nice. Considering the hard curb rash I dealt with on one, I'm pretty happy overall.

In reply to Derick Freese:

Looks like we have different ecu's and different coding systems. C'est la vie.

Like the wheels. Now, let's see some pics of them on the car!

Should be the same, or at least compatible, computer. A series engines all shared a common control system. This post seems to agree. I've always hated that these computers had so few codes that they generally had codes for each system, not for each sensor. Sometimes it's nice to work on something new, because electrical systems practically diagnose themselves these days.

I know the 2 major forums for 2nd gen Preludes are PreludePower.com and ClassicPrelude.com. CP . com is a sister site of 3geez.com, where I'm a mod. There are certainly quite a few members better versed in Preludes than me, so I'd suggest checking them out.

Bump, cause I love 3rd gens.

Well, it's running, the new wheels are on, and I have the title in my name. I'm just chasing electrical issues now. So many little issues have popped up since I last had it running.

More pics!

I'll get more pics once I have it put back together. Right now, about half of the interior is apart. Chasing electrical problems is never fun.

I do, however, have the wheels on, and it's street legal now. The biggest problem is that it seems that any time I solve one issue, ten replace it.

i think you got some uploading to do considering i drive the thing to work everyday

So, I've done quite a bit of work to this thing lately. I've done an upper intake manifold cleaning, new spark plugs again with a colder heat range, cleaned a lot of valves ans sensors, replaced the thermostat, probably 50 things I can't remember now. The interior is finally all together, and it has a working stereo again. I need to depower one of my spare power steering racks and put it in. I hate pulling parts, though, as my parts cars are all parked in the dirt.

Would look good with a slight drop too. Nothing "ricey" or stanced, just a solid spring and shock combo.

Get rid of that coffee can muffler. Other than that, this car is gorgeous!

It's going to get a small drop, but not until I have the suspension rebuilt and my depowered steering rack installed. I have another exhaust to bolt on, but I want to trash the muffler and tip that's on it, because it's a ricer muffler with a 4" tip. I've got a Magnaflow I'm likely going to weld on. If not that, I'll find something.

The paint on the car is really bad, and I've got to repair that front bumper or find a replacement. Once I have all of the running issues and suspension issues fixed, I'm going to paint it in a panda scheme. I then need to move to the interior and do some work in there and do things like rebuild the door panels. I've got to find that center tail light section, too. They are just like the finish panel on a Miata, except no one makes a new replacement for them at all.

I also want to give a thumbs up to the wheel paint. I have about 4 or 5 coats on the wheels, and it's holding up well. I have a couple of chips from handling them before mounting, but they haven't chipped anywhere else since. It was just the gunmetal Duplicolor rattle can, and it took me about 2 cans. I have enough left for touch-ups.

That's my favorite Accord body style too.

My ex had a carbed DX 4 door with stupid big mileage that went to her dad when he wanted a cheap car, when he died it went to her brother who sold it to someone else, last I heard it was still being DD'ed.

These cars do seem to run forever. I've seen 300,000 mile old engines with compression and leakdown test results well within factory spec. The fuel and timing controls are archaic by modern standards, but they were pretty advanced for 80's Japanese fuel controls.

Cleaning the EGR valve today in hopes of curing a ping under certain conditions. Once again, these cars do have fairly archaic fuel and spark controls. There's a reason I'm going to MS this car as soon as I get it running right stock.

So, with this problem I've been having, I just can't seem to solve it. Please tell me I'm skipping over something stupid.

http://www.3geez.com/forum/technical/81909-pinging-under-partial-throttle.html

Things I haven't tested are the oxygen sensors and the throttle position sensor. Changing the TPS means surgery to the TB, since it's some oddball half-integrated unit.

Basically, the symptoms are a heavy ping under light to moderate throttle, reduced to no detectable ping at full throttle.

rallymodeller wrote: Nice! I love the flip-headlight Accords. I was sorely tempted by one almost identical to this that is still sitting in a repair shop lot just outside London (ON). Really wish they had released the Aerodeck over here, though: I remember seeing ads for this model in Autocar magazine in the late 80s. Sexy wagon (estate?) that.

WOW. A Honda that I've never seen. I'll be damned. I like that--a LOT.

I still wish Honda did more compact wagons. The Fit is great, but dammit if a Civic wagon between 96 and 2005 wouldn't have been great as a used car value. I'd be in one now.

As for OP--congrats on the work. The car has come a long way. Just be careful those wheels don't get snatched.

Yeah, the car is usually parked somewhere on a surveillance camera system, whether it be at work or at home. At work, I specifically chose my parking spot based on cameras. It won't stop someone, but it shows you who it is.

I still need to figure out this ping. I'm about ready to rip the head off and see if there's something really amiss.

BTW, I have the go ahead from SWMBO to import an Aerodeck as soon as I can afford one. I just have to take her to Disneyland Paris while we're over there looking for one.

I like it but it is in very bad condition.

geckowraps wrote: I like it but it is in very bad condition.

?

I ran against deuce keane in SCCA improved touring B, and he ran this gen accord i think... man that car was very fast, and had lots of hp. he was nearly running ITA times in that thing

It actually does need a lot of cosmetic work. The pinstripes were put on by handless monkeys so they aren't straight, I'm missing emblems, the paint job looks like the same handless monkey did it at Maaco, that hole in the front bumper, and about 1000 more little things. It looks ok in pics, though.

In reply to mattbatson:

HP might not be all of it. With a good suspension setup, these cars have a lot of grip, too. Double wishbone suspension (loosely), and plenty of little things that help out a lot.

There's a gentleman in the UK that runs the same engine with modified DCOEs and a lot of head work, and he's in the 220BHP range. That's about where I expect my turbo build to end up. He lists parts, and there's nothing really fancy, just a lot of blueprinting and head work. His enlarged valves are what he says are key on these engines.