VX shift light question

[thisisntjared]

yea i was going to say i know someone who runs a 215/50/13 tire in the auto-x but he runs the r compound for his festiva. that car keeps up with evos.

so you do run street mod? i could understand if you were in sts but that class doesnt allow the cf hood. if i were racing that car in sm, i would use those wheels for the r comps and get something cheap and easy(vx) for the dd.

[RobbieVX]

what is the eavc?

my vx does the idle hunt as well. I cleaned the IACV but it didnt do anything.
I also notice the idle bump up if i press on the brakes real hard, could this be a bad booster?

[1993CivicVX]

TomO: My first mechanic, the one who did the valve adjustment, said you generally don't want to reuse the valve cover gasket. But apparently mine was glued back on. Not sure if he used a new one or not - kinda looked like the same old one. The new mechanic I have been seeing who fixed my brakes and cleaned by throttle body said it was a no no to use glue. (he also thinks the first mechanic I went to is a terrible mechanic)

Anyway, just was curious what your thoughts on that were.

Robbie: Did you clean the throttle body? That fixed two problems for me. Stopped the idle from hunting and fixed the sticking idle problem I had.

[garyhgaryh]

Originally Posted by RobbieVX

what is the eavc?

my vx does the idle hunt as well. I cleaned the IACV but it didnt do anything.
I also notice the idle bump up if i press on the brakes real hard, could this be a bad booster?

Robbie,
eavc - electronic air valve control
It sits behind the intake manifold and is usually clogged with carbon.
There is a steel mesh (or two) that covers the port. If you take it out
and you can't see a shiny steel mesh, but instead black carbon, then it's
most likely clogged. Cleaning it fixes idle issues. So this is what you can
check if you have idle issues (like hunting).

Gary
93 Civic VX - 56.12 mpg personal best

[GasSavers_TomO]

Originally Posted by 1993CivicVX

TomO: My first mechanic, the one who did the valve adjustment, said you generally don't want to reuse the valve cover gasket. But apparently mine was glued back on. Not sure if he used a new one or not - kinda looked like the same old one. The new mechanic I have been seeing who fixed my brakes and cleaned by throttle body said it was a no no to use glue. (he also thinks the first mechanic I went to is a terrible mechanic)

Anyway, just was curious what your thoughts on that were.

The OEM Honda valve cover gasket is reusable as long as no gasket sealer is used on it. It is a silicone gasket and the only time it should be replaced is if it tears. Otherwise while it is off, just a quick wipe with a dry/clean cloth will get it ready to be used again. Make sure to wipe off the mating surface on the head as well.

[dogncatboy]

OK, my girlfriend would argue with that. Me and a friend checked out the position of the belt last weekend and discovered that the timing belt was not positioned correctly. Being a chicken#$&*, I paid a trustworthy local garage to look at it as well and they confirmed the diagnosis and made the repair. Not cheap. Apparently my timing has been retarded [thats what he said] this whole time. My car now drives like a whole different car. Much peppier, it no longer feels sluggish it seems to be able to shift sooner at lower rpms without bogging. Funny thing is that the belt had been installed for the PO by the Fort Wayne Honda dealer. Goes to show you that dealer wrenches don't know all that much. I won't be able to check the mileage until next week, but I've got my fingers crossed for my first 50mpg tank.

[garyhgaryh]

Originally Posted by dogncatboy

OK, my girlfriend would argue with that. Me and a friend checked out the position of the belt last weekend and discovered that the timing belt was not positioned correctly. Being a chicken#$&*, I paid a trustworthy local garage to look at it as well and they confirmed the diagnosis and made the repair. Not cheap. Apparently my timing has been retarded [thats what he said] this whole time. My car now drives like a whole different car. Much peppier, it no longer feels sluggish it seems to be able to shift sooner at lower rpms without bogging. Funny thing is that the belt had been installed for the PO by the Fort Wayne Honda dealer. Goes to show you that dealer wrenches don't know all that much. I won't be able to check the mileage until next week, but I've got my fingers crossed for my first 50mpg tank.

Apparently I did the same thing with my timing belt. It was one tooth off and when I drove through the santa cruz mountains, I knew something was wrong. Had to do it all over again....

I changed about a dozen timing belts in my life and the vx was the first one I was off a tooth.

Gary

[thisisntjared]

i changed the timing belt on my parents crv and the intake cam was off by a tooth. it drove ok for a day then it started pinging. my dad told me and i identified it immediately and told him not to drive it till i could work on it.

he drove it to the airport, so i couldnt work on it then came home and valves were bent and whatever else with the head... man that got expensive fast!!

my point is you are lucky that all you had to do was just have it reinstalled!

[Danronian]

Often improper timing belt installation allows the gears to jump teeth, and when the timing gets too far off, that's when valve damage can occur. I've seen LS motors (same as the CRV motor) run being many teeth off (timing belt teeth) and with no motor damage. Chances are yours was a little too loose and skipped more teeth, causing valve damage. That being said, I've seen a D series motor already being off about 6 teeth, being able to run (but pinging a LOT), and no engine damage. It's all about luck with Honda's and the timing belts it seems, but in general, make sure that it's perfect before you run it to make sure no damage occurs.

[garyhgaryh]

Originally Posted by Danronian

Often improper timing belt installation allows the gears to jump teeth, and when the timing gets too far off, that's when valve damage can occur. I've seen LS motors (same as the CRV motor) run being many teeth off (timing belt teeth) and with no motor damage. Chances are yours was a little too loose and skipped more teeth, causing valve damage. That being said, I've seen a D series motor already being off about 6 teeth, being able to run (but pinging a LOT), and no engine damage. It's all about luck with Honda's and the timing belts it seems, but in general, make sure that it's perfect before you run it to make sure no damage occurs.

One tooth off shouldn't cause valve damage. I agree what probably happened was that the belt slipped a few teeth during operation causing valve damage.

Gary