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Car Forum / Honda Cars / November 20051989 accord LXi cold starts
1989 Accord LXi, automatic transmission 197,000 miles. I've had this car about a month, fixing it up little by little. Got it for cheap, changed the struts, brakes, etc. Still blows cold A/C, what a deal! The problem is that the engine has a hard time starting when cold, then it runs really rough until it warms up. Also, when the weather is a bit chilly, the automatic transmission will not shift out of first until it is warmed up sufficiently. Once it is warmed up, everything works perfectly. I improved general perfomance by changing the oxygen sensors and the transmission fluid, but it still has this little issue with cold starts. It's not so bad in the fall, but I hate to think of how it will behave in really cold weather. No codes on the computer, by the way. > 1989 Accord LXi, automatic transmission 197,000 miles. > [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > No codes on the computer, by the way. See my post to 'borosteve' about cleaning distributor cap.  SignatureGraham W http://www.gcw.org.uk/ PGM-FI page updated, Graphics Tutorial WIMBORNE http://www.wessex-astro-society.freeserve.co.uk/ Wessex Dorset UK Astro Society's Web pages, Info, Meeting Dates, Sites & Maps Change 'news' to 'sewn' in my Reply address to avoid my spam filter. > > 1989 Accord LXi, automatic transmission 197,000 miles. > > [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > See my post to 'borosteve' about cleaning distributor cap. I read the other post... I have exactly the opposite problem. When the engine is warm everything is OK. Cold starts are what makes the engine rough. And the transmission acts funny until it warms up. It acts like it's in "limp mode", staying in first gear. The car also has new plugs, wires, cap and rotor. The cold start issue didn't change when I changed the distributor cap. Cold start problems are fuel problems. You need twice as much fuel under cold start conditions, and you're not getting it, for any number of reasons, such as a faulty temperature sensor. I suspected a temperature sensor problem, because of the behavior of the transmission as well as the engine. How many sensors are on this engine? The gauge on the dashboard behaves normally. Is there another sensor somewhere? > Cold start problems are fuel problems. You need twice as much fuel > under cold start conditions, and you're not getting it, for any number > of reasons, such as a faulty temperature sensor. > I suspected a temperature sensor problem, because of the behavior of the > transmission as well as the engine. How many sensors are on this > engine? The gauge on the dashboard behaves normally. Is there another > sensor somewhere? gauges and sensors are 2 different things. > > I suspected a temperature sensor problem, because of the behavior of the > > transmission as well as the engine. How many sensors are on this > > engine? The gauge on the dashboard behaves normally. Is there another > > sensor somewhere? > > gauges and sensors are 2 different things. Yeah, I know. The gauge is driven by a sensor. Is there another sensor that tells the engine whether it needs more gas for a cold start, or is that the same sensor that drives the temp gauge? >>>I suspected a temperature sensor problem, because of the behavior of the >>>transmission as well as the engine. How many sensors are on this [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > that tells the engine whether it needs more gas for a cold start, or is > that the same sensor that drives the temp gauge? there's two sensors. the one to the gauge has a single wire, the sensor for the ecu has two, iirc. the second is the really critical one. >>> 1989 Accord LXi, automatic transmission 197,000 miles. >>> [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > The car also has new plugs, wires, cap and rotor. The cold start > issue didn't change when I changed the distributor cap. OK - (you should have mentioned those new parts in your first post). I had a bout of cooler weather poor cold starting with the dirty cap where it would only start upon the release of the IGN key from Start to Run! Most times I caught it right and the engine started up. Have you looked at Teggers FAQ at the starting problems section? SignatureGraham W http://www.gcw.org.uk/ PGM-FI page updated, Graphics Tutorial WIMBORNE http://www.wessex-astro-society.freeserve.co.uk/ Wessex Dorset UK Astro Society's Web pages, Info, Meeting Dates, Sites & Maps Change 'news' to 'sewn' in my Reply address to avoid my spam filter. > 1989 Accord LXi, automatic transmission 197,000 miles. > I've had this car about a month, fixing it up little by little. Got it [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > behave in really cold weather. > No codes on the computer, by the way. Disconnect the cold start sensor, it should fire right up if that's the problem. The other sensor that might create a hard start is the cold air intake temp sensor. About the transmission, probably got gunked up in there. The best fix is usually a transmission rebuild. Remember, the best fix is a frequent Honda fluid replacement to get floating debris out, but it won't help now. > Disconnect the cold start sensor, it should fire right up if that's the problem. > The other sensor that might create a hard start is the cold air intake temp [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > usually a transmission rebuild. Remember, the best fix is a frequent Honda > fluid replacement to get floating debris out, but it won't help now. Where is the cold start sensor on this vehicle? I don't have a service manual yet... > > Disconnect the cold start sensor, it should fire right up if that's the problem. > Where is the cold start sensor on this vehicle? I don't have a service > manual yet... Between the oil cap and the thermostat are two sensors side by side (yellow and green.) The one near the oil cap is the cold start sensor (correctly named TW sensor.) It should read 2-4k-Ohm at room temperature. Service manual? See http://www.pauldesign.ru/honda/shopmanual.html. As for your transmission, you can try 3 changes of fluid--witth some driving between--and hope for the best. > Service manual? See http://www.pauldesign.ru/honda/shopmanual.html. > > As for your transmission, you can try 3 changes of fluid--witth some > driving between--and hope for the best. You guys are incredible. Thanks for all the info. The transmission mystery is tricky. It seems to be an electrical issue somehow, because it stays in first on a cold start. It will continue to do this after the engine warms up and runs well, but if I turn the engine off and then start it up again, it shifts normally. As I continue to drive the car for the next five hours every day, it continues to run perfectly after every start. Then I can come home and leave it for a few hours, and if it never cools down all the way to stone cold I can start it and drive it in the evening and it will not have the cold start engine problem, and the transmission will not do the first-gear-only thing again. It will only do it again the next morning when it's stone cold. If you guys still think it's because the transmission is full of crud I won't argue with you. It seems like some kind of electrical equipment not getting the right signals, though. I'll check out the cold start sensor as suggested by Burt and see what it does for the overall problem. I'll let you know how it turns out. Thanks again for the help. Thanks for the tip on the cold start sensor. I unplugged it this morning, and the engine started and ran, and the transmission shifted gears normally. |
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