ok everyone was rude last time, Please help, Whats wrong with my car?

Question

I have a 89 Honda Accord DX, 5 speed, with a 2.0 carburated, A20A1 engine. Ok, my car is running pretty crappy right now. It was running good intill a few days ago and I was coming home and I put it in second and it didn't want to pick up to fast but it seem to act ok, then about a hour later I had to go somewhere else and then it started in all the gears just loosing power and having all kinds of problems getting it going, the engine starts up ok, but once you rev it up it starts missing and all kinds of BS. My macanic said its starving for fuel so I checked everything I haven't replaced and replaced them, I checked all the vacuum lines and found 2 that was bad and replaced them, I'm put new wires, new plugs, new distributor cap, new distributor button, fuel pump harness, fuel filters, air filters, then my machanic said it was the distributor breaking down on me, would a distributor cause a car to run fine in idle but run crappy in gear or reving up, anymore questions IM me or email

once the problem started the only thing I replaced was the fuel pump and the harness and those 2 vacuum lines. which was only but $100 but I took off my distributor cap and seen that there is some oil getting inside the distributor could the oil be breaking down the distributor,

My macanic only tells me whats wrong then I go and fix it but he can fix it if its something big that could really mess up the car if not done right.

Answer 1

sounds like the leak into your distributor could be causing a gunging up meaning that the spark isnt reaching the Ht leads.

If you dont want to spend any money just remember to clean the metal bits under the dist cap, and the button thingey also. that should keep the sparks flying. If all is clean and looks intact then there could be some deeper problem like worn engine parts, like piston rings, or hydraulic lifters, or valve stem seals. But go the easiest path first for sure.

Also go to your local library and borrow the repair manual if you havent already.

Try and find the cause of the leak, could be a little gasket in the distributor casing (maybe where the turning bit is), you might need to even overhaul the little distributor bits. maybe getting a second hand one you could bolt on would be the easiest option. I would personally try a second hand one cos of the hassle taking a dist housing to bits. But if you are keen then rip it open carefully and check all the rubber bits are ok, then you might solve your problem easily.

Havig no spark from the dist would definitely cause your car to run rough as it makes one cylinder not fire properly.


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Answer 2

I had an employee at work with a similiar problem and he wound up replacing the whole distributor....his car had 130,000 miles on it. Oil in the distributor will cause problems like what you're experiencing---it will cause spark inside the cap to arc to other areas than where it's suppose to arc to which is the terminals for the plug wires.Could also be the ignition coil is getting weak. You can try cleaning inside the distributor real good with a rag and some spray brake cleaner or carb cleaner--parts store would have these. There should be a main shaft seal inside the distributor to prevent engine oil from coming up the shaft and getting into the electrical area of the distributor but it requires you to disassemble the distributor to replace it. You'll need a good service manual to follow the procedure for disassembly---Chilton or Haynes manuals are available at parts stores or try Eautorepair.net for online access for a fee. The ignition coil may also be bad and giving you weak spark under load when driving---may want to replace that too.

Answer 3

If you're getting oil in your distributor, that could be the culprit. And yes, it could be a situation where your car would run almost perfectly at idle but would not run well when trying to accelerate if your distributor has oil in it. Unfortunately, that's not the only possible problem. It sounds like you have addressed most of the potential causes, so I'm wondering if you may have another problem like a blown head gasket. You may want to check your oil -- if there's radiator fluid in your oil that's a sure sign of a blown gasket or a cracked head. My advice is to start with the distributor and see if replacing that or getting the oil out solves your problem. If that doesn't work, check your oil and check all your gaskets for possible leaks. If that doesn't work, in this case you'd be best off taking it to the dealer and paying them the $85.00 or whatever it costs to tell you what's wrong.

Answer 4

well if oil is getting inside yor distributor , youl need to know exactly why. This is the reason its misfiring and im surprised its running at all.

There are many factors that can cause this, so i cant mention all of them.

Clean all the oil and the distributor cap nicely and check for cracks and the pins.

Run the car 4 a while and switch it off and trace where the oil is coming from.

Answer 5

First of all, I'd like to congratulate you for your excellent grades. I know that it probably doesn't mean much, since you don't even know me, but I hope it means something, at the very least. I honestly can't say why your father hates you. I know this will be something that you've probably heard over and over, and probably got sick of, but maybe if you talk to him or other relatives, you'll find out something. I won't bother saying that your dad might not hate you, because I know that my dad hates me, too. So you're not alone. (And a bit lucky. Only three more years. I have four.) From the sounds of it, you don't need to change. Putting up with your father this long shows how much of a good guy you are. And you know what? Someday, you'll be living a great life, because you work hard, are a nice guy, and are willing to put up with a lot of pain and stay... well, sane. I'm just hoping that your brother isn't such a bad guy, or if he is, that he'll change. But I think you'll find support from friends. Sleep over at a friend's house as much as you can, so you won't feel so unwanted. Enjoy your life as much as possible, and keep doing such a great job. And since you've been praying all this time, I think God will reward you with something sometime. But keep it up, because it'll all pay off someday.

Answer 6

If your distributor has never been replaced as a complete unit, I would replace it with a quality remanufactured distributor and keep some of the old parts for future repairs. Also replace your ignition coil, but not before replacing the distributor.

http://www.autozone.com/N,16200030//shopping/partTypeResultSet.htm

Answer 7

89 w/ carb. I guess you have the old school dist unit with 2 vacuum lines running to it. 1. Make sure dist vac unit holds vac on both lines. 2 With dist cap off make sure plate attached to dist vac unit moves when vac is applied. (means when you suck on the hose you should see movement inside dist) Both hoses. 3 Try twisting your dist rotor. It should twist forward in direction of rotation and spring back. If it's stuck/no movement you've found you problem. I've had to r&r hundreds of honda dist units to clean and lube the centrifical advance to fix the problem you discribe. Your timeing is not advanceing to match your engine speed resulting in low/no power. Now you know why they went to electronic advance in all the hondas. PS you may need to find a new mechanic

Answer 8

Yep, i had problems with my distributor. Sometimes it would start up..sometimes it wouldnt. Then when it did, it would run fine..then it would make the car run crappy later.

Check your distributor cap first for any cracks.

Answer 9

honda has the coil inside the distributor that is leaking /your distribtor is no it way out,all hondas r u the from 80 to 99

Answer 10

Is your car used? Is it old? sometimes when that happens it breaks down, have you tried putting a new battery in? Maybe the battery is dieing and is effecting your other call. I should call more of a professniol macanic to get your car checked. Maybe he'll introduce you to some that might help. Hoped I helped!