Honda Car Forum

Help! I am considering buying a 1990 Prelude Si with 161,000 miles for
$1,300. The car is in good shape, runs/shifts/handles/tracks great. However,
upon full throotle acceleration above 4,000 rpm, the tailpipe emits a cloud of
oil smoke. There is no smoke at all when starting, idling, cruising, under
part throttle shifts or full throttle shifts below 4,000 rpm.

Queston: Is the engine shot or could this be considered normal for an engine
with this mileage and could I expect to get another 40,000 miles or so without
a rebuild?

Thanks for any advice in advance !!

John C wrote:
> Help! I am considering buying a 1990 Prelude Si with 161,000 miles for
> $1,300. The car is in good shape, runs/shifts/handles/tracks great. However,
> upon full throotle acceleration above 4,000 rpm, the tailpipe emits a cloud of
> oil smoke. There is no smoke at all when starting, idling, cruising, under
> part throttle shifts or full throttle shifts below 4,000 rpm.
>
> Queston: Is the engine shot or could this be considered normal for an engine
> with this mileage and could I expect to get another 40,000 miles or so without
> a rebuild?
>
> Thanks for any advice in advance !!


===================

Check the PCV valve for yourself. If you have to, try blowing thru a new
one (both ways) before you go over to see how it's supposed to behave.
Could also be the rings, but I'm no expert.

'Curly'

===================

it COULD be the rings.... the oil is sealing the piston/bore clearance upto
4k rpm, but above that, it's blowing the oil past and burning it (yes i have
heard of this problem before - compression tests and everything else seems
ok though). but it could also be a few other, not so major things too.

not too good on the older honda's, but does yours have VTEC?

tim
"'Curly Q. Links'" <motsco__@interbaun.com> wrote in message
news:40272243.4010602@interbaun.com...
>
>
> John C wrote:
> > Help! I am considering buying a 1990 Prelude Si with 161,000 miles for
> > $1,300. The car is in good shape, runs/shifts/handles/tracks great.
However,
> > upon full throotle acceleration above 4,000 rpm, the tailpipe emits a
cloud of
> > oil smoke. There is no smoke at all when starting, idling, cruising,
under
> > part throttle shifts or full throttle shifts below 4,000 rpm.
> >
> > Queston: Is the engine shot or could this be considered normal for an
engine
> > with this mileage and could I expect to get another 40,000 miles or so
without
> > a rebuild?
> >
> > Thanks for any advice in advance !!
>
>
> ===================
>
> Check the PCV valve for yourself. If you have to, try blowing thru a new
> one (both ways) before you go over to see how it's supposed to behave.
> Could also be the rings, but I'm no expert.
>
> 'Curly'
>
> ===================
>

"John C" <johncz@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:mfKdnYr5WZrCZrvdRVn-gQ@comcast.com...
> Help! I am considering buying a 1990 Prelude Si with 161,000 miles for
> $1,300. The car is in good shape, runs/shifts/handles/tracks great.
However,
> upon full throotle acceleration above 4,000 rpm, the tailpipe emits a
cloud of
> oil smoke. There is no smoke at all when starting, idling, cruising,
under
> part throttle shifts or full throttle shifts below 4,000 rpm.
>
> Queston: Is the engine shot or could this be considered normal for an
engine
> with this mileage and could I expect to get another 40,000 miles or so
without
> a rebuild?
>
> Thanks for any advice in advance !!

An engine can burn oil and still run for years. You would only have to
monitor your oil level more often and the catalyzer would get damaged more
quickly.
I've seen old Integras and Civic blow a little black smoke on have
acceleration before. It is not critical unless it becomes big clouds of
white smoke.
In any case, you should check the compression before buying.

"John C" <johncz@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:mfKdnYr5WZrCZrvdRVn-gQ@comcast.com...
> Help! I am considering buying a 1990 Prelude Si with 161,000 miles for
> $1,300. The car is in good shape, runs/shifts/handles/tracks great.
However,
> upon full throotle acceleration above 4,000 rpm, the tailpipe emits a
cloud of
> oil smoke. There is no smoke at all when starting, idling, cruising,
under
> part throttle shifts or full throttle shifts below 4,000 rpm.
>
> Queston: Is the engine shot or could this be considered normal for an
engine
> with this mileage and could I expect to get another 40,000 miles or so
without
> a rebuild?
>
> Thanks for any advice in advance !!

If its a '90 Si (not '90 2.0 Si), it has the larger 2.05 liter engine with
the FRM (fiber reinforced metal) cylinder walls. These early versions tend
to use alot of oil starting at 100-130K miles. Although mine never smoked
(132Kmiles when sold) oil consumption would vary alot. Check the
compression on all cylinders since these engines did not wear well. It's my
understanding that these early FRMs can't be properly honed/re-ringed.
Check out some of the Prelude sites on the web for more info
(www.preludepower.com , www.hpoa.org/ , www.hondaprelude.to , etc).

J.

John C wrote:
> Help! I am considering buying a 1990 Prelude Si with 161,000 miles for
> $1,300. The car is in good shape, runs/shifts/handles/tracks great. However,
> upon full throotle acceleration above 4,000 rpm, the tailpipe emits a cloud of
> oil smoke. There is no smoke at all when starting, idling, cruising, under
> part throttle shifts or full throttle shifts below 4,000 rpm.
>
> Queston: Is the engine shot or could this be considered normal for an engine
> with this mileage and could I expect to get another 40,000 miles or so without
> a rebuild?
>
> Thanks for any advice in advance !!


==========

You didn't mention it, but if the smoke is blue, it's oil... if it's
white, it can be brake fluid getting in through the vacuum booster. It
smells very different, and burns your eyes. It only takes a few drops to
fog a whole neighborhood (having done it)
'Curly'