82 Accord - stalls out once warm

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Those Honda carbs used to have problems with the float leaking. Fuel would get in them, the float level would change and the car would run terrible (rich)
 
You can check for spark yourself with a spare spark plug, pull a wire, attach to spare plug, and angle it so you can see it through the crack between open hood and cowl. Watch through your windscreen, hunched down.

If your choke is giving you issues and the engine's still sort of running, floor the gas. There's usually a mechanical doodad that pulls the choke off when wide-open.

"Usually" spark problems are like you turn off the key while carb problems are more sputter-y. However a weak coil or old wires will idle okay but cut out under load.
 
Had an 87 MR2 with that problem, when warm the engine would die. A spark plug tester came in handy in diagnosing the problem, it was spark related. Turned out to be a bad distributor.
 
this thread is all over the place. you are dealing with a carbuerated engine.#1 place to look for temp-related behvior = carb. stuck choke. bad float. linkage.

beyond that there is not enough detail. is choke stuck? how does engine sound as it dies? they sound different rich vs lean.

wires fatigue at this age from vibration, but the insulation will look fine. especially as they pass through grommets. hard to trace. can absolutely cause temp-related shutdown.

you need fuel, spark, and compression. you're going to have to start with finding those three. anything else in conjecture.
 
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Yes, people's advice is all over the place because they don't realize that temperature-dependent problems are caused by choke in 98% of the cases. There is also a small possibility of problems with high-altitude compensation, carburetor feedback air bleed (oxygen sensor), and hot-air intake systems but that could easily be checked by disconnecting these systems.

I can say for 100% that it's not ignition-related or engine-mechanical-related because these don't depend on temperature. It's also not EGR because that would stall a cold engine.

3000 RPM idle for a hot engine is crazy.

Yes, it could also be that a bad float is flooding your engine. In that case, you would smell a lot of gasoline. You can also check the float level through the sight glass.

Troubleshoot the automatic choke using the steps in my previous post.
 
I've been making a list of all the possible suggestions. Thank you.

I'll check the choke (as that is easy to do/see). Thanks for listing the visual steps.

I think I'll invest in a spark plug tester. It seems like a good thing to have anyway.
 
No offense to those who has contributed trying to help.

Fact is, 82 Accord is a carb'ed, 1.8L engine which, if memory serves, comes in 4 different flavours sold in NA, including the tightly emissioned Cali spec.

the Keihin carb itself may have become problematic over the years, but don't discount the possibility of vacuum leaks.

You'll definitely need to either (a) find a mech who is capable of dealing with these kinds of carbs, or able to trace all the vacuum lines and thermo-vacuum motors for you; (b) you'll need to find a mitchell service manual for your specific model to trace all the vacuum lines, and determine the thermo-vacuum motor opening/closing spec.

More so: you may have to consider pulling the carb and rebuild it if deemed necessary.

The last time I touched on one of these 81~82 Accord carbs was around 1991, so my memory is very, very vague now.

Good luck. Don't spend too much time on those that talks about EFI or similar, for they are not relevant to your engine.

Q.
 
Is this a hatchback? Bunch of my friends when they graduated from the masters program and ended up in Bay area bought the redesigned Accords. Most these guys are now big shots but still had kept their "first car" in their stable. I wonder if this specimen at one time belonged to them.

Almost 35 year old car! Can you get the parts for it?
 
In one of my favorite episodes of The Simpsons -- Lisa's Date with Destiny (December 15, 1996) -- Superintendent Chalmers proudly shows his newly purchased 1979 Honda Accord to Principal Skinner, saying something like, "If you made money like someone in my position, you could afford a nice car like this -- a 1979 Honda Accord!"
smile.gif


1979_Honda_Accord.jpg


Then, the Honda emblem of the car gets stolen and things develop from there.

A friend of mine had a 1982 Accord in graduate school and drove it all the way to Chicago when he was done.

Again, it's probably a choke issue. There are also still carburetor rebuilders in the LA area I believe, and you can go to one of those places to exchange your carburetor with a rebuilt one if you are unable to fix the choke or you are missing some torn vacuum diaphragm that controls the choke.
 
Electric Choke
It's probably the choke not opening the choke plate. Pull the air cleaner cover and watch to see if the choke plate in the air horn is opening up gradually as the engine is warming up. Those electric chokes are spring loaded to the closed position. When electric current goes in there to heat up the coil spring, the coil spring expands and opens the choke. It takes a little while for the choke to open, in the meantime, your engine is warming up. If the choke plate never opens up after the engine is warmed up, that will create an over rich condition and your car won't be going anywhere. The wire to the choke is always hot whenever the ignition is on. First check to see if your choke is opening up like it should. If not, check to see if you have current flowing to the choke. If you do, then you probably need a new electric choke.
 
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Electric Choke
It's probably the choke not opening the choke plate. Pull the air cleaner cover and watch to see if the choke plate in the air horn is opening up gradually as the engine is warming up. Those electric chokes are spring loaded to the closed position. When electric current goes in there to heat up the coil spring, the coil spring expands and opens the choke. It takes a little while for the choke to open, in the meantime, your engine is warming up. If the choke plate never opens up after the engine is warmed up, that will create an over rich condition and your car won't be going anywhere. The wire to the choke is always hot whenever the ignition is on. First check to see if your choke is opening up like it should. If not, check to see if you have current flowing to the choke. If you do, then you probably need a new electric choke.

Electric choke heater primarily functions when you first start the engine and it only opens it partially. It won't open the choke fully in a hot engine. It's more likely the choke-opener vacuum diaphragm, as it would open the choke fully (90 degrees, fully vertical) in a hot engine. If the choke opener is not working, it's either a disconnected vacuum line, torn diaphragm, or faulty thermostatic vacuum switching valve. Note that the choke opener is the diaphragm that is connected to the choke linkage and has a single vacuum line.

But then it wouldn't hurt to troubleshoot the choke heater either. Measure its resistance with an ohmmeter (between the terminal and ground). It should be approximately 19 - 24 ohms. Also, measure with a voltmeter the voltage at the disconnected choke-wire connector with the engine running and verify that there is alternator voltage (~ 14.3 V).
 
Originally Posted By: Quest
No offense to those who has contributed trying to help.

Fact is, 82 Accord is a carb'ed, 1.8L engine which, if memory serves, comes in 4 different flavours sold in NA, including the tightly emissioned Cali spec.

the Keihin carb itself may have become problematic over the years, but don't discount the possibility of vacuum leaks.

You'll definitely need to either (a) find a mech who is capable of dealing with these kinds of carbs, or able to trace all the vacuum lines and thermo-vacuum motors for you; (b) you'll need to find a mitchell service manual for your specific model to trace all the vacuum lines, and determine the thermo-vacuum motor opening/closing spec.

More so: you may have to consider pulling the carb and rebuild it if deemed necessary.

The last time I touched on one of these 81~82 Accord carbs was around 1991, so my memory is very, very vague now.

Good luck. Don't spend too much time on those that talks about EFI or similar, for they are not relevant to your engine.

Q.


It's a 4 door. I do the PickNPull (salvage yard) thing. I actually find it fun, and somewhat sad, to walk the aisles and see all the old cars in their last hours of existence.

SAM_2229_zpsfku22so2.jpg


SAM_2231_zpsllsn0twr.jpg
 
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LOL, Awesome. Thanks for sharing that.

Originally Posted By: Gokhan
In one of my favorite episodes of The Simpsons -- Lisa's Date with Destiny (December 15, 1996) -- Superintendent Chalmers proudly shows his newly purchased 1979 Honda Accord to Principal Skinner, saying something like, "If you made money like someone in my position, you could afford a nice car like this -- a 1979 Honda Accord!"
smile.gif


1979_Honda_Accord.jpg


Then, the Honda emblem of the car gets stolen and things develop from there.

A friend of mine had a 1982 Accord in graduate school and drove it all the way to Chicago when he was done.

Again, it's probably a choke issue. There are also still carburetor rebuilders in the LA area I believe, and you can go to one of those places to exchange your carburetor with a rebuilt one if you are unable to fix the choke or you are missing some torn vacuum diaphragm that controls the choke.
 
First thing I will try is the choke and a thorough visual inspection of vacuum lines.
 
I'd also check the control box where all the vacuum lines run to - Hondas of that era with carbs were pretty complex.
 
That's a very well kept car indeed. With a small amount of repair, it could be made to run excellent, and it's well worth the effort and money.

If you are unable to repair the carburetor and/or emission systems, take it to a shop specialized in carburetor cars. There are very few shops these days who know about carburetors -- if any at all -- but if you find one, they will probably be able to successfully fix your car and make it run as good as new.

You may also have the valve-stem oil seals replaced if you are having large oil consumption. You can find an economical and reliable shop that is specialized in cylinder-head repairs. In California it's safe to use 10W-40, 15W-40, or 20W-50 to control the oil consumption.
 
I can't make out the condition of the paint from the picture. But the interior looks pristine for the age of the car. Little bit of TLC on that paintwork would make it look even better.
 
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