Kevin McMurtrie wrote:
> In article <AvmdnVeNs8RGDPDYnZ2dnUVZ_q6dnZ2d@speakeasy.net> ,
> jim beam <spamvortex@bad.example.net> wrote:
>
>> Kevin McMurtrie wrote:
>>> In article <1164773024.114720.152160@80g2000cwy.googlegroups. com>,
>>> shaunbowe@gmail.com wrote:
>>>
>>>> shaunb...@gmail.com wrote:
>>>>> motsco_ wrote:
>>>>>> shaunbowe@gmail.com wrote:
>>>>>>> I have a 97 civic EX that still runs great (most of the time). About
>>>>>>> twice a year I attempt to start the car and it sounds like it is about
>>>>>>> to start but it never catches. If I hold the accelerator to the floor
>>>>>>> and try to start it, it starts after about 10 seconds of cranking.
>>>>>>> After it starts it sounds like it is running on 3 cylinders until I get
>>>>>>> the rpms up to about 5000. Once it hits that number you can actually
>>>>>>> hear something pop and the car runs fine.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I had this problem more often about a year ago then I started using a
>>>>>>> fuel injector cleaner and it stopped happening. Any ideas how I can fix
>>>>>>> this? Based on that I am guessing this is something in the fuel system,
>>>>>>> but I haven't been able to narrow it down. Has anybody else had a
>>>>>>> similar problem?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Thanks
>>>>>>>
>>>>>> =============================================
>>>>>>
>>>>>> You had a dribbling injector and you solved it by applying the Honda
>>>>>> solution for "Flooded Engine" (per your owner's manual). You should just
>>>>>> use injector cleaner a couple times a year and the problem will go away.
>>>>>> Nobody ever suggested that before? Gasohol works just about as good.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> 'Curly'
>>>>> Thanks for the info. I have never been able to find a solution to this,
>>>>> probably because I was not searching for the right thing.
>>>> After reading some of your other posts I am sure this is the problem.
>>>> When it finally did start I remember seeing a large cloud of smoke from
>>>> the exhaust as you have said in the past.
>>> What kind of cloud?
>>>
>>> Grey and gasoline odor - Gasoline
>> gasoline is usually black and sooty
>>
>>> White and persistent with no odor - Oil
>> oil's blue and stinks - like oil!
>>
>>> White and fades with garden hose odor - Coolant
>> more of a sweet odor - just like the coolant's glycol tastes.
>>
>>> Oil could mean that a valve stem oil seal has broken.
>> valve stem leakage, even when there are no seals at all, is usually
>> pretty minor. and it doesn't happen when the engine is standing, only
>> when operating.
>
> I've had valve stem oil seals fail. Some engines have small oil pools
> around the valve stems so they don't go dry. Those can dump quite a bit
> of oil into the cylinders overnight.

sure, that's true, but not civics.

>
>
>>> Coolant would be
>>> really bad.
>> indeed - head gasket.