On 1 Dec 2003 14:59:01 -0800, me@physicist.net (BadLuckShleprock)
wrote:

>I bought a 1987 Honda Civic Wagovan (manual transmission, carburator)
>yesterday. My other car was stolen from my gated apartment complex
>last week, and since it was uninsured against theft, I was desperate
>for a vehicle to get around. (I'm in Los Angeles, and it's
>practically impossible to get around here without a car.) Now I'm
>afraid I may have made an $1100 mistake.

Well, for $1100 it runs. You can't expect much more then that.

>This morning, when I turned on the Wagovan, there was a squeal as it
>started up, and then it died within a few seconds. This happened
>repeatedly, and the only way to keep it from dying was by stepping on
>the accelerator.
>
>There wasn't much fuel in the tank, so I rode my bike down to a
>filling station, got a gallon of gas, and put it in.

Do you think it was really out of gas? Were you on fumes when you
parked it? Any chance someone stole gas out of it?

>This time the
>car started fine, except for the brief squeal. I started to back up,
>and as soon as I slowed down, it died and the oil and battery lights
>on the dash came on. I restarted it, backed up, started going
>forward, and it died again as soon as I had to come to a stop. I
>would have trouble getting it to respond when I tried to turn it on
>again unless I turned it all the way off and then on again. And again
>and again, it died every time I slowed down.
>
>So I parked and ran the car for a while until it warmed up some. Then
>I drove a short distance, started to slow down, and hit the
>accelerator a bit every time I noticed the rpm dropping. That kept
>the car from dying as I parked, and I turned it off.

It sounds like the only real problem was that the car wouldn't cold
idle. Did it run OK after you got rolling?

>I turned it on again, and it stayed on. I drove it a bit, and it
>didn't die, even when I slowed or stopped. I was then able to drive
>it without difficulty.
>
>However, the car idles high (around 2000rpm),

Even when hot? This sounds like a problem with the choke/fast idle
mechanism on the carb. When you test drove the car, was it already
warmed up? Did it idle normally?

> and I can feel a
>vibration (like a silent rattling) coming through the accelerator
>pedal when I am in second or third gear.

Probably a different problem.

>I haven't yet found a trustworthy mechanic in the area, and because of
>my ignorance about automobiles, I invariably come out of a repair shop
>feeling violated because I know that I've been taken advantage of.
>And right now, I just can't afford that - I (stupidly, I'm now afraid)
>spent almost all the money to my name on this car, and I don't know
>what to do.

Well first, take a deep breath. The car does at least run and
probably will continue to do so. You might have to get up early to
warm up the motor. It could be worse, you could be in Chicago. One
tip, before you start it tomorrow, push the accelerator to the floor
and let it up slowly before turning the key.

In LA you should be able to find a lot of amateurs who have basic
experience with carburetors. They can check if the linkages, choke
pull-off and related hardware is working properly. Basically, on a
cold start the choke (viewed with the air cleaner off so you can look
down the barrels of the carb) should be closed and the throttle should
be pulled a little to raise the idle to 2000 rpm. As the engine warms
up, the choke should open fully and the throttle gradually released to
idle at 800. By watching and playing with it, you may be able to
figure out what is wrong with it. If you have led an especially pure
life, you may just need to clean the gum off the linkage with some
carb cleaner. But whatever you do, don't let amateurs take the carb
apart. The carbs of this vintage were the last of the species and
they were very complicated and expensive.

Eventually you will need a good mechanic so you might as well start
looking as soon as you save up some money. Ask other vintage Honda
owners who they use. You want an independent Honda mechanic who has
been around at least as long as this car has. Ask him to diagnose the
problem - whether or not it is really a carb problem - and give you an
estimate. Talk to him before and after (better yet - while) he looks
at your car. A good mechanic should be willing to show you what is
wrong and/or explain why he thinks this is the problem. He should
treat you like a prospective customer not a sheep. Unless he can fix
it pretty cheap, you might want to try this at two or three shops. It
is fair that you pay for an hour labor for each diagnosis. It will be
money well spent if you find a good mechanic.

>I'm hoping someone here can give me some information to arm myself
>with before I try to get it fixed. Any advice would be greatly
>appreciated.
>
>Thank you for your time and consideration,
>Bad Luck Shleprock

Good luck, er, Bad Luck.