94 accord ex (numerous question from a newbie)

[dueceosix]

I have recentlty purchased a 94 accord ex and the other day i was looking down into the engine compartment and i noticed what might be grease? there is dirt down there everywhere because i know that the previous owner has ran through numerous mud puddles with it!

1. so then i looked at the oil and its a bit blackish? is that really bad? i already bought an oem honda filter and am ready to change it.

2. then i crawl under the car and notice a leak not too harsh i mean you can tell that its leaking but it just drips down a little bit everytime you drive it and there is no puddle under the car so should i just leave it or maybe try and get a new seal or gasket etc done on wherever its leaking?

3. whenever i lock the driver side door it keeps on trying to lock, it goes click click click click for about 30 secs but it does not do that when i lock other doors but leave it alone so i know the problem is on the drivers side power lock door. help? lol

4. my car came with a cd player and it plays normal cd but it does not play burned cds, is that normal? its a honda factory cd/casset/radio.

5. my leather seats are really really bad, there are minor scratches and there are quite large cuts. is there a way to repair them? how much would it cost? i know ebay sometimes sell leather seat covers for my 94 accord but i was wondering if there are other solutions.

i just turned 16 and any advice/help i would be very greatful for because i am really a newbie at this even though i take adv automotive technology at school.

[tim515]

Well for the CD player part that is common....some older CD players will not play burned discs

[94accordVTEC]

Okay here goes...

1. Dark oil is not always an indication of a problem...could have just been a while since it was changed.
2. The leak is most likely from the rear main seal, i replaced it when i changed my transmission and i do not ever put oil in mine now if i change the oil every 3000mi (I have almost 190,000 miles)
3. I had this problem once and it turns out that the lock was not adjusted right...this sounds kinda but the actual piece that sticks up on the door panel for the lock can unscrew...if it is not screwed on enough (or to much more likely) this problem will occur. As i said i know this sounds strange but it fixed my problem.
4. No it will not play most burned CD's
5.Either buy a nice set of seat covers (or racing seats) or see if see if you can find some seats at the junk yard. Depending on the condition a shop that does interiors may be able to make them look better or perhaps replace only partial sections of the leather, they could also recover them completely.

Good Luck!

[analyst75201]

I also just purchased a 94 Accord. Mine's a 2dr LX w/95K on it. My second honda, but my first used one.

1. What are the major problems or issues that I should look for immediately regarding ensuring reliability and longevity?

2. Purchased from a dealer w/no records or manual, where can I get a manual very cheap?

3. There is a slight tapping sound appears to be coming from the front right tire area when significant turns are made (car also pulls right). Any suggestions? tie rod maybe?

going to change the oil/filter this weekend and flush the coolant (look at it this afternoon and flush if appears needed) and possibly rotate tires.

any other info would be greatly appreciated!!!

[AccordCodger]

3) sounds like CV joint (tapping) and alignment (pulling to right)

The previous owner may not have replaced the timing/balancer belts. DO it now unless you're sure they WERE replaced.

[pumatiger]

For the door lock I had the same problem. I have the same car. On mine, the drivers side door lock actuator was malfunctioning. I went to the salvage yard and got a replacement actuator (white, creamish plastic part). Unfortunately, it is difficult to remove just the actuator from the entire door lock mechanism while everyhitng is inside the door. I had to take out the whole locking system, even the pin on top of the door, and then switch out the actuator and reinstall it. It was alot of work, and I also was a newbie, but I did it. It was definitely worth it, because now it is not annoying at all. But I couldnt drive it because I couldnt lock the door, so because I am a crappy mecanic, I couldnt drive it for about 4 days. hope this helps.

[nmikmik]

For the leather seats you could buy some cheap (hopefully not cheap looking) seat covers and at least temporarily have it looking all right. To prevent covers from slipping on the leather put a sheet of foam lining in between.
If your oil was really contaminated hard to judge by “blackish”… you could clean the engine walls from the old oil by doing a dual oil change at once.
Drain the oil,
change the filter
replace with fresh oil (does not have to be expensive) and filter (does not have to be Honda filter) ,
Run the engine for ~ 5 minutes or drive until engine reached operating temp.
Drain the oil again,
Save the temp filter in the plastic bag and mark it TEMP
Replace with fresh oil and Honda filter

Sounds like a big project but really not much of work considering you don’t know when was the last time oil changed and the benefit of not contaminating fresh oil withhold junk from the engine walls and parts.