"Steve L" <srl1215@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:ggrh84$mot$1@news.motzarella.org...
>
> "Tony Hwang" <dragon40@shaw.ca> wrote in message
> news:w36Yk.3839$5L3.2487@newsfe09.iad...
>> Steve L wrote:
>
> snipped
>
>>>
>>>
>> Hi,
>> Bought new? Replaced PCV? Checked compression on each cylinder?
>> Blow down test is even better. Tried heavier oil?
>
> Bought used about 5 years ago, it had 50K and was a one owner when we
> bought it.
>
> Haven't checked compression yet, but will this week.
>
> PVC hasn't been replaced but will do that quickly.
>
> Haven't tried heavier oil.
>
> I have a good mechanic looking at it this week, it needs a full going
> through. It hasn't been tuned up in at least 80K miles. I also noticed the
> rear end sounded noisy and I wonder if a bearing isn't going in one of the
> rear wheels, he had one fail a year or so back.
>
> So I'll get the car checked out stem to stern and then let you guys know
> about the oil mystery. I'm thinking it very well maybe the PVC as to my
> knowledge that has never been replaced.
>
> It has also lost a lot of paint on the hood and roof and trunk, so it
> looks lousy too. I'm thinking to pimp it out and get it painted and put
> some money in it, if I can fix this oil issue, because the interior is
> excellent (grey leather) and the body is in good shape except for the
> paint and it still rides well or seems to.
>
> In Massachusetts where I live if you buy a new/used car you not only have
> to pay sales tax, you have to pay excise tax each year and it is expensive
> if you buy a newer car. It just makes sense to put some money into a good
> car if you can get it to run reliably.
>
>
A thought came to mind this morning. In the olden days quite a bit was made
about the potential for compression rings to get glued into the piston
grooves by deposits. Whether it actually happened or not I don't know, but
on the chance that is related to the oil consumption you can try running a
can of Seafoam engine cleaner (http://www.seafoamsales.com/motorTuneUp.htm
available at NAPA) through the engine. My son has used it in his '94 Acura
and is very happy with the improvement in drivability (half the can siphoned
into the intake and half in the tank). Be warned - the engine produces
clouds of white smoke for several minutes.

Mike

 

"Michael Pardee" <null@null.org> wrote in message
news:fv6dnVmsq43N0KzUnZ2dnUVZ_gOdnZ2d@sedona.net.. .
>
> "Steve L" <srl1215@comcast.net> wrote in message
> news:ggrh84$mot$1@news.motzarella.org...
>>
>> "Tony Hwang" <dragon40@shaw.ca> wrote in message
>> news:w36Yk.3839$5L3.2487@newsfe09.iad...
>>> Steve L wrote:
>>
>> snipped
>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>> Hi,
>>> Bought new? Replaced PCV? Checked compression on each cylinder?
>>> Blow down test is even better. Tried heavier oil?
>>
>> Bought used about 5 years ago, it had 50K and was a one owner when
>> we bought it.
>>
>> Haven't checked compression yet, but will this week.
>>
>> PVC hasn't been replaced but will do that quickly.
>>
>> Haven't tried heavier oil.
>>
>> I have a good mechanic looking at it this week, it needs a full
>> going through. It hasn't been tuned up in at least 80K miles. I
>> also noticed the rear end sounded noisy and I wonder if a bearing
>> isn't going in one of the rear wheels, he had one fail a year or so
>> back.
>>
>> So I'll get the car checked out stem to stern and then let you guys
>> know about the oil mystery. I'm thinking it very well maybe the PVC
>> as to my knowledge that has never been replaced.
>>
>> It has also lost a lot of paint on the hood and roof and trunk, so
>> it looks lousy too. I'm thinking to pimp it out and get it painted
>> and put some money in it, if I can fix this oil issue, because the
>> interior is excellent (grey leather) and the body is in good shape
>> except for the paint and it still rides well or seems to.
>>
>> In Massachusetts where I live if you buy a new/used car you not
>> only have to pay sales tax, you have to pay excise tax each year
>> and it is expensive if you buy a newer car. It just makes sense to
>> put some money into a good car if you can get it to run reliably.
>>
>>
> A thought came to mind this morning. In the olden days quite a bit
> was made about the potential for compression rings to get glued into
> the piston grooves by deposits. Whether it actually happened or not
> I don't know, but on the chance that is related to the oil
> consumption you can try running a can of Seafoam engine cleaner
> (http://www.seafoamsales.com/motorTuneUp.htm available at NAPA)
> through the engine. My son has used it in his '94 Acura and is very
> happy with the improvement in drivability (half the can siphoned
> into the intake and half in the tank). Be warned - the engine
> produces clouds of white smoke for several minutes.
>
> Mike
>

The Seafoam is a thought..

Before I do that it seems very reasonable to change the PCV valve.
Could a failure in one of these really cause that much oil
consumption?

 

"Steve L" <srl1215@comcast.net> wrote
> Before I do that it seems very reasonable to change the
> PCV valve. Could a failure in one of these really cause
> that much oil consumption?

Any oil drips under the car after sitting all night? Get
under your car and look at the oil pan. Run a finger along
its surfaces. Is it covered with oily grime? Same for right
beneath the distributor.

A malfunctioning PCV valve can overpressurise the crankcase
leading to leaks at the oil pan gasket, where the dizzy
shaft penetrates the cylinder head, etc.

Get yourself an OEM PCV valve (not an aftermarket one) in
any event. The PCV valve really should be changed at least
every ten years, AFAIC. Should help fuel mileage, too.

 

On Fri, 28 Nov 2008 22:46:06 -0800, James Sweet wrote:

> Iowna Uass wrote:
>>> Is replacing valve guide seals on a 4 cylinder Accord an expensive
>>> job?
>>
>> It depends on how it's done.
>> If the compression is good, you may be able to change the stem seals
>> without removing the head. I've used a tool that connects to your air
>> compressor to pressurize the cylinder and keep the valves in place
>> while changing the seals.
>> However, if the valve stems have any nicks, scratches or unusual
>> markings on them, the head will require removal. A much bigger job.
>>
>>
>>
>
> There's another trick I've used to do this, turn the crank so the
> cylinder being worked on is not at TDC, then feed a bit of rope in the
> spark plug hole letting it pile on the piston, then slowly turn the
> crank until the rope is squished gently up against the valves and it
> will keep them from falling into the cylinder.

eh??? to change a stem seal??? no dude, you don't need rope in the
cylinder and no, you don't need to change the stem seals.

 

On Sat, 29 Nov 2008 09:20:27 -0500, Steve L wrote:

> "Michael Pardee" <null@null.org> wrote in message
> news:fv6dnVmsq43N0KzUnZ2dnUVZ_gOdnZ2d@sedona.net.. .
>>
>> "Steve L" <srl1215@comcast.net> wrote in message
>> news:ggrh84$mot$1@news.motzarella.org...
>>>
>>> "Tony Hwang" <dragon40@shaw.ca> wrote in message
>>> news:w36Yk.3839$5L3.2487@newsfe09.iad...
>>>> Steve L wrote:
>>>
>>> snipped
>>>
>>>
>>>>>
>>>> Hi,
>>>> Bought new? Replaced PCV? Checked compression on each cylinder? Blow
>>>> down test is even better. Tried heavier oil?
>>>
>>> Bought used about 5 years ago, it had 50K and was a one owner when we
>>> bought it.
>>>
>>> Haven't checked compression yet, but will this week.
>>>
>>> PVC hasn't been replaced but will do that quickly.
>>>
>>> Haven't tried heavier oil.
>>>
>>> I have a good mechanic looking at it this week, it needs a full going
>>> through. It hasn't been tuned up in at least 80K miles. I also noticed
>>> the rear end sounded noisy and I wonder if a bearing isn't going in
>>> one of the rear wheels, he had one fail a year or so back.
>>>
>>> So I'll get the car checked out stem to stern and then let you guys
>>> know about the oil mystery. I'm thinking it very well maybe the PVC as
>>> to my knowledge that has never been replaced.
>>>
>>> It has also lost a lot of paint on the hood and roof and trunk, so it
>>> looks lousy too. I'm thinking to pimp it out and get it painted and
>>> put some money in it, if I can fix this oil issue, because the
>>> interior is excellent (grey leather) and the body is in good shape
>>> except for the paint and it still rides well or seems to.
>>>
>>> In Massachusetts where I live if you buy a new/used car you not only
>>> have to pay sales tax, you have to pay excise tax each year and it is
>>> expensive if you buy a newer car. It just makes sense to put some
>>> money into a good car if you can get it to run reliably.
>>>
>>>
>> A thought came to mind this morning. In the olden days quite a bit was
>> made about the potential for compression rings to get glued into the
>> piston grooves by deposits. Whether it actually happened or not I don't
>> know, but on the chance that is related to the oil consumption you can
>> try running a can of Seafoam engine cleaner
>> (http://www.seafoamsales.com/motorTuneUp.htm available at NAPA) through
>> the engine. My son has used it in his '94 Acura and is very happy with
>> the improvement in drivability (half the can siphoned into the intake
>> and half in the tank). Be warned - the engine produces clouds of white
>> smoke for several minutes.
>>
>> Mike
>>
>>
> The Seafoam is a thought..
>
> Before I do that it seems very reasonable to change the PCV valve. Could
> a failure in one of these really cause that much oil consumption?

yes. it's supposed to maintain crank pressure in a certain range. if
crank pressure is too low because of a malfunctioning valve, oil vapor
gets sucked from the engine into the intake manifold and burned.

 

Leftie wrote:
> Steve L wrote:
>> "jim beam" <spamvortex@bad.example.net> wrote in message
>> news:C01Yk.25831$zf3.6370@fe06.news.easynews.com.. .
>>> On Fri, 28 Nov 2008 15:53:30 -0500, Steve L wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> it's highly unlikely oil seals are needed - that's more relevant to cars
>>> with seals that are submerged in oil in the head. hondas are not.
>>>
>>> regarding diagnosis, it sure would help us though if you said how much
>>> it's burning.
>>>
>>
>> Ah! Sorry.. he drove it over my house yesterday and it was down about
>> 2.3 quarts, and it had been about 5K since last oil change.
>>
>> It's been going through oil for quite sometime and seems to run well
>> in every other way. I had the timing belt changed and the front end
>> bushings changed at 100K miles. I can't remember that it's ever been
>> tuned up.
>>
>> Someone mentioned a PVC valve stuck open could cause issues like this?
>> Engine looks clean, so it's not spewing oil out of the top of the engine.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
> There was a problem that was fairly common in the '70's, but not so
> much now: a main crank oil seal would get a piece missing, and slowly
> rotate. When the gap was oriented up, no oil leak. When it was down, the
> engine would dump oil at highway speeds. I had at least one Maverick do
> that. Unlikely but possible.

That sort of problem will coat the underside with oil. Automatic rust
proofing

I recently had a kink in a crankcase vent hose blow out a valve cover
gasket and I ended up with oil droplets sprayed on the back bumper. Had
to fix that in a hurry, environmental mess in addition to the car.

 

Steve L wrote:
> "Tony Hwang" <dragon40@shaw.ca> wrote in message
> news:w36Yk.3839$5L3.2487@newsfe09.iad...
>> Steve L wrote:
>
> snipped
>
>>>
>> Hi,
>> Bought new? Replaced PCV? Checked compression on each cylinder?
>> Blow down test is even better. Tried heavier oil?
>
> Bought used about 5 years ago, it had 50K and was a one owner when we
> bought it.
>
> Haven't checked compression yet, but will this week.
>
> PVC hasn't been replaced but will do that quickly.
>
> Haven't tried heavier oil.
>
> I have a good mechanic looking at it this week, it needs a full going
> through. It hasn't been tuned up in at least 80K miles. I also noticed
> the rear end sounded noisy and I wonder if a bearing isn't going in
> one of the rear wheels, he had one fail a year or so back.
>
> So I'll get the car checked out stem to stern and then let you guys
> know about the oil mystery. I'm thinking it very well maybe the PVC as
> to my knowledge that has never been replaced.
>
> It has also lost a lot of paint on the hood and roof and trunk, so it
> looks lousy too. I'm thinking to pimp it out and get it painted and
> put some money in it, if I can fix this oil issue, because the
> interior is excellent (grey leather) and the body is in good shape
> except for the paint and it still rides well or seems to.
>
> In Massachusetts where I live if you buy a new/used car you not only
> have to pay sales tax, you have to pay excise tax each year and it is
> expensive if you buy a newer car. It just makes sense to put some
> money into a good car if you can get it to run reliably.
>
>

Surprising the paint is bad on something that "new", and amusing to me
anyway that '98 still sounds so new. As far as paint goes, you get what
you pay for, don't be tempted by those $300 paint jobs you see
advertised, I've seen the result of them and it'd look better left alone.

 

"James Sweet" <jamessweet1@trashmail.net> wrote in message
news:ggs1qi$phf$6@news.albasani.net...
> Steve L wrote:
>> "Tony Hwang" <dragon40@shaw.ca> wrote in message
>> news:w36Yk.3839$5L3.2487@newsfe09.iad...
>>> Steve L wrote:
>>
>> snipped
>>
>>>>
>>> Hi,
>>> Bought new? Replaced PCV? Checked compression on each cylinder?
>>> Blow down test is even better. Tried heavier oil?
>>
>> Bought used about 5 years ago, it had 50K and was a one owner when we
>> bought it.
>>
>> Haven't checked compression yet, but will this week.
>>
>> PVC hasn't been replaced but will do that quickly.
>>
>> Haven't tried heavier oil.
>>
>> I have a good mechanic looking at it this week, it needs a full going
>> through. It hasn't been tuned up in at least 80K miles. I also noticed
>> the rear end sounded noisy and I wonder if a bearing isn't going in one
>> of the rear wheels, he had one fail a year or so back.
>>
>> So I'll get the car checked out stem to stern and then let you guys know
>> about the oil mystery. I'm thinking it very well maybe the PVC as to my
>> knowledge that has never been replaced.
>>
>> It has also lost a lot of paint on the hood and roof and trunk, so it
>> looks lousy too. I'm thinking to pimp it out and get it painted and put
>> some money in it, if I can fix this oil issue, because the interior is
>> excellent (grey leather) and the body is in good shape except for the
>> paint and it still rides well or seems to.
>>
>> In Massachusetts where I live if you buy a new/used car you not only have
>> to pay sales tax, you have to pay excise tax each year and it is
>> expensive if you buy a newer car. It just makes sense to put some money
>> into a good car if you can get it to run reliably.
>>
>>
>
> Surprising the paint is bad on something that "new", and amusing to me
> anyway that '98 still sounds so new. As far as paint goes, you get what
> you pay for, don't be tempted by those $300 paint jobs you see advertised,
> I've seen the result of them and it'd look better left alone.

Sounds new to me too. I drive them till the wheels fall off. I'm driving a
1987 Ford van. My son is driving our 1989 Accord and my wife is driving our
1992 Seville. Just can't stand to make payments, I guess.

 

Forrest wrote:
> "James Sweet" <jamessweet1@trashmail.net> wrote in message
> news:ggs1qi$phf$6@news.albasani.net...
>> Steve L wrote:
>>> "Tony Hwang" <dragon40@shaw.ca> wrote in message
>>> news:w36Yk.3839$5L3.2487@newsfe09.iad...
>>>> Steve L wrote:
>>> snipped
>>>
>>>> Hi,
>>>> Bought new? Replaced PCV? Checked compression on each cylinder?
>>>> Blow down test is even better. Tried heavier oil?
>>> Bought used about 5 years ago, it had 50K and was a one owner when we
>>> bought it.
>>>
>>> Haven't checked compression yet, but will this week.
>>>
>>> PVC hasn't been replaced but will do that quickly.
>>>
>>> Haven't tried heavier oil.
>>>
>>> I have a good mechanic looking at it this week, it needs a full going
>>> through. It hasn't been tuned up in at least 80K miles. I also noticed
>>> the rear end sounded noisy and I wonder if a bearing isn't going in one
>>> of the rear wheels, he had one fail a year or so back.
>>>
>>> So I'll get the car checked out stem to stern and then let you guys know
>>> about the oil mystery. I'm thinking it very well maybe the PVC as to my
>>> knowledge that has never been replaced.
>>>
>>> It has also lost a lot of paint on the hood and roof and trunk, so it
>>> looks lousy too. I'm thinking to pimp it out and get it painted and put
>>> some money in it, if I can fix this oil issue, because the interior is
>>> excellent (grey leather) and the body is in good shape except for the
>>> paint and it still rides well or seems to.
>>>
>>> In Massachusetts where I live if you buy a new/used car you not only have
>>> to pay sales tax, you have to pay excise tax each year and it is
>>> expensive if you buy a newer car. It just makes sense to put some money
>>> into a good car if you can get it to run reliably.
>>>
>>>
>> Surprising the paint is bad on something that "new", and amusing to me
>> anyway that '98 still sounds so new. As far as paint goes, you get what
>> you pay for, don't be tempted by those $300 paint jobs you see advertised,
>> I've seen the result of them and it'd look better left alone.
>
> Sounds new to me too. I drive them till the wheels fall off. I'm driving a
> 1987 Ford van. My son is driving our 1989 Accord and my wife is driving our
> 1992 Seville. Just can't stand to make payments, I guess.
>
>


Yeah payments are something I've never had and never want. It's not that
I can't afford them, it's just a matter of why? There's so many more
useful things to spend disposable income on.

 

First words back from mechanic.

1. Looks like he hit something/sometime underneath and oil pan has big
dent in it and it is leaking oil from that. (I didn't see that when it
was parked in my driveway, but he could be right.)

2. Rear passenger wheel bearing needs replacing.

3. When all of this poor idle/stalling and check engine light happened
he was low on oil, and it stayed on after we refilled it.

4. Mechanic would like to do a tune-up, replace wires, plugs
...what/anything else? The code says fuel problem. We talked about the
PVC and the possibility that the throttle body could be filthy with
oil and he said it was quite greasy and he would clean that up and see
what happens.

5. Also needs front brakes.

6. Found a laid off body shop guy that will paint it for $1K is that
about right?

I'll report out as the saga goes down. All-in-all it looks like I'll
get this thing pimped out for under $2K.

Question, I notice that the aluminum wheels on this car are filthy red
color (I assume from brake dust) allthe way around? Is that common, I
haven' tried cleaning them up.. not sure they will clean up. I've seen
wheels where there is a leak in a brake line and how they get the
wheels filthy, this is almost like that. Ideas?

Thanks for all the great info so far! Usenet, the gold mine the masses
don't know about!

 

"Steve L" <srl1215@comcast.net> wrote in news:gh4l0m$vhs$1
@news.motzarella.org:

> First words back from mechanic.
>
> 1. Looks like he hit something/sometime underneath and oil pan has big
> dent in it and it is leaking oil from that. (I didn't see that when it
> was parked in my driveway, but he could be right.)
>
> 2. Rear passenger wheel bearing needs replacing.



$600 for new OEM. Less for aftermarket, but that would last much shorter.


>
> 3. When all of this poor idle/stalling and check engine light happened
> he was low on oil, and it stayed on after we refilled it.



VERY VERY BAD!!!!!

Have your grease monkey check out the /actual/ oil pressure with a proper
gauge plumbed into the oil pressure port. If the pressure is truly low,
sell the car or replace the engine (~$2,500).



>
> 4. Mechanic would like to do a tune-up, replace wires, plugs
> ..what/anything else? The code says fuel problem.




That covers about a dozen specific issues. You need to give the ACTUAL
ALPHANUMERIC DTC (ERROR CODE) (and not whatever text description the
monkey's reader gave him). You're looking for something like P017x, where
the X is a number.



> We talked about the
> PVC and the possibility that the throttle body could be filthy with
> oil




"Possibility"? It takes all of a minute to pull the pipe off and see. Is
the gas pedal a bit sticky in the morning? Oil in the throttle body is
neglect and/or tons of blowby.



> and he said it was quite greasy and he would clean that up and see
> what happens.




Plugged PCV would have no effect except to pump oil into the throttle body
thru the breather pipe. Pressure builds up in the crankcase ONLY after the
situation goes critical and the breather pipe gets plugged as well. And at
that point your engine is already on its deathbed.



>
> 5. Also needs front brakes.



What? Pads? Calipers? Lines? Fluid? What? Lotsa parts down there.



>
> 6. Found a laid off body shop guy that will paint it for $1K is that
> about right?




Sure. With bad prep and peeling paint in two years. Good luck.




>
> I'll report out as the saga goes down. All-in-all it looks like I'll
> get this thing pimped out for under $2K.


Not likely.


>
> Question, I notice that the aluminum wheels on this car are filthy red
> color (I assume from brake dust) allthe way around? Is that common,



Yep. That's rust from cheapo "long life" aftermarket brake pads with lots
of steel wool in them. Might come off, but probably not all the way. Rust
stains very badly.



--
Tegger

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

 

Steve L wrote:
> First words back from mechanic.
>
> 1. Looks like he hit something/sometime underneath and oil pan has big
> dent in it and it is leaking oil from that. (I didn't see that when it
> was parked in my driveway, but he could be right.)
>
> 2. Rear passenger wheel bearing needs replacing.
>
> 3. When all of this poor idle/stalling and check engine light happened
> he was low on oil, and it stayed on after we refilled it.
>
>


That worries me, how low on oil did it get? I had someone mention once
that the "low oil" light had been on for a few days, not realizing that
the light was not low oil, but low (or no!) oil pressure. Needless to
say that was the end of that motor. Doesn't take long with low or no oil
pressure for some serious damage to be done, and that can easily lead to
poor running. I would do a leakdown test to assess the condition of the
cylinders and valves prior to dumping any real money into it. If it does
turn out the motor is shot, a junkyard motor is a viable option, the car
is old enough and common enough for there to be plenty of them out there.

 

"Tegger" <invalid@invalid.inv> wrote in message
news:Xns9B68CD6B219BAtegger@208.90.168.18...
> "Steve L" <srl1215@comcast.net> wrote in news:gh4l0m$vhs$1
> @news.motzarella.org:
>
>> First words back from mechanic.
>>
>> 1. Looks like he hit something/sometime underneath and oil pan has
>> big
>> dent in it and it is leaking oil from that. (I didn't see that when
>> it
>> was parked in my driveway, but he could be right.)
>>
>> 2. Rear passenger wheel bearing needs replacing.
>
>
>
> $600 for new OEM. Less for aftermarket, but that would last much
> shorter.


$600 for a new oil pan? or rear wheel bearing, or combination of both?



>
>
>>
>> 3. When all of this poor idle/stalling and check engine light
>> happened
>> he was low on oil, and it stayed on after we refilled it.
>
>
>
> VERY VERY BAD!!!!!
>
> Have your grease monkey check out the /actual/ oil pressure with a
> proper
> gauge plumbed into the oil pressure port. If the pressure is truly
> low,
> sell the car or replace the engine (~$2,500).
>
>

He's a certified Ford mechanic with excellent skills around most cars,
just isn't geared up yet for all cars. He probably read the OBD-II DTC
codes, but didn't have the chart that's in the PDF.

The car was down a bit more than 2 quarts, although when I added that
2 qts it was past half way up between the hash marks on the dip stick.
The oil pressure light never came on when he was driving, although
when he stalled, the Check Engine light came on. Will ask to check oil
pressure.


>
>>
>> 4. Mechanic would like to do a tune-up, replace wires, plugs
>> ..what/anything else? The code says fuel problem.
>
>
Will get the code, I went to the FAQ and pulled the PDF for all the
codes.

>
>
> That covers about a dozen specific issues. You need to give the
> ACTUAL
> ALPHANUMERIC DTC (ERROR CODE) (and not whatever text description the
> monkey's reader gave him). You're looking for something like P017x,
> where
> the X is a number.
>
>
>
>> We talked about the
>> PVC and the possibility that the throttle body could be filthy with
>> oil
>
>
>
>
> "Possibility"? It takes all of a minute to pull the pipe off and
> see. Is
> the gas pedal a bit sticky in the morning? Oil in the throttle body
> is
> neglect and/or tons of blowby.
>
>
>
>> and he said it was quite greasy and he would clean that up and see
>> what happens.
>
>
>
>
> Plugged PCV would have no effect except to pump oil into the
> throttle body
> thru the breather pipe. Pressure builds up in the crankcase ONLY
> after the
> situation goes critical and the breather pipe gets plugged as well.
> And at
> that point your engine is already on its deathbed.
>
>
>
>>
>> 5. Also needs front brakes.
>
>
>
> What? Pads? Calipers? Lines? Fluid? What? Lotsa parts down there.
>
>

I think he meant just pads, he didn't mention calipers.

>
>>
>> 6. Found a laid off body shop guy that will paint it for $1K is
>> that
>> about right?
>
>
>
>
> Sure. With bad prep and peeling paint in two years. Good luck.
>
>

So I should be thinking double that for the paint? I'll talk to him
more about that. Also get another or maybe 2 quotes from decent body
shops.

>
>
>>
>> I'll report out as the saga goes down. All-in-all it looks like
>> I'll
>> get this thing pimped out for under $2K.
>
>
> Not likely.
>

Well, itwas a preliminary report.

>
>>
>> Question, I notice that the aluminum wheels on this car are filthy
>> red
>> color (I assume from brake dust) allthe way around? Is that common,
>
>
>
> Yep. That's rust from cheapo "long life" aftermarket brake pads with
> lots
> of steel wool in them. Might come off, but probably not all the way.
> Rust
> stains very badly.
>
>
>

Didn't know that about aftermarket pads..


> --
> Tegger
>
> The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
> www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

 

>
> So I should be thinking double that for the paint? I'll talk to him
> more about that. Also get another or maybe 2 quotes from decent body
> shops.
>
>>


Last time I had a car painted was about 7 years ago. Quality base coat +
clear coat, decent prep, some minor bodywork, it was about $2K at the
time and that was having it done in Canada when the exchange rate was
good. Cost depends heavily on how much prep is required as well as the
type of paint you use.

 

"James Sweet" <jamessweet1@trashmail.net> wrote in message
news:gh4o9q$3f7$1@news.albasani.net...
> Steve L wrote:
>> First words back from mechanic.
>>
>> 1. Looks like he hit something/sometime underneath and oil pan has
>> big dent in it and it is leaking oil from that. (I didn't see that
>> when it was parked in my driveway, but he could be right.)
>>
>> 2. Rear passenger wheel bearing needs replacing.
>>
>> 3. When all of this poor idle/stalling and check engine light
>> happened he was low on oil, and it stayed on after we refilled it.
>>
>
>
> That worries me, how low on oil did it get? I had someone mention
> once that the "low oil" light had been on for a few days, not
> realizing that the light was not low oil, but low (or no!) oil
> pressure. Needless to say that was the end of that motor. Doesn't
> take long with low or no oil pressure for some serious damage to be
> done, and that can easily lead to poor running. I would do a
> leakdown test to assess the condition of the cylinders and valves
> prior to dumping any real money into it. If it does turn out the
> motor is shot, a junkyard motor is a viable option, the car is old
> enough and common enough for there to be plenty of them out there.

The low oil light never came on, but I added 2 quarts to get it up to
the hash marks on the stick. I checked to make sure light came on when
I turned on the key, and it does, but I was worried that perhaps the
actual sensor didn't work, even if the lamp worked.