Thanks for the info. Not sure this matters, but they are claiming that the
#3 and #4 cylinders have low compression. #1 and #2 are fine. Would a
blown head gasket cause a code 43? It would have to cause the car to run
very rich or very lean.

Thanks,
Bill


"Moitz" <meuzelaj@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:JFkQb.107566$5V2.495619@attbi_s53...
> Thus spake He Hate Retards on 1/23/2004 7:31 PM:
> > Don't be a cheapskate and a bad parent... buy her a new car.
>
> Pimpi, do you ever have anything productive to add?
>
> Sheesh.
>
> Anyhow. My $0.01. My '91 Accord (143,000) did something similar
> earlier this week when it was about -6F out...hard start, crappy idle,
> runs like crap no matter how warm the engine gets (I didn't get a check
> engine light, however). On a whim, I started to pull plug wires one by
> one to see if any one cylinder *didn't* affect the idle. Turns out the
> #2 cylinder wasn't firing (cheap wire == bad wire). A tuneup later, and
> it runs like a champ and starts easier. That may be something worth
> looking at.
>
> I'd still say have your other mechanic take a look at it, just because
> of the overheating incident. It sounds like even if he comes to the
> same conclusion, he's going to be cheaper than the dealer, and know what
> he's doing a bit more than Joe "I just got my ASE" Mechanic over at the
> dealer.
>
> I had also heard (don't remember where) that usually with a bad head
> gasket, two adjacent cylinders would have odd compression. I suppose
> this depends on where the bad spot is though.
>
> -moitz-
>