Hoping you can help....
I have a 94 accord w/ 175K miles. Had the last timing change @ 100K miles. Has driven fine, doesn't burn oil, no noises, its been a great little car for about 1000 miles that I have owned it...but there are some strange behaviors. Key fob is funky. The button labels are worn off and the guy I bought it from just said to use the bottom button (what I learned was the panic button) to lock/unlock. I found out by accident if you hit the middle button too it would prevent the car from starting and even cranking. Hit it again and it would start. So out on a Saturday & drove it to the hardware store, key fob acted as if the battery died and so I locked the car with the old fashioned key in the door, went in and did some shopping, unlocked with the key in the door & it started and died. Now it cranks and wont start. Mechanic initially said (took off the top) she was good for 300K miles - valves looked good, timing wasn't off, had compression, distributor was good (turning?) and he was questioning the alarm/fob thing and concerned with electrical....now he says he re-checked the compression & the valves are bent and I'm looking at $1000 to repair...does this sound logical? I towed it out of his shop when he went from $250 to $1000 over night, without a phone call to me... Thanks for your help. I just want my first Honda fixed - without being taken for the fool.

 

Well, with 75k on the timing belt, it's reasonable to NOT expect it to break. (Except I don't know whether it's been over 7 years.) For me, the sound of the engine cranking with a bad belt (or bent valves) is immediately noticable. When it cranked & didn't start, how would you describe the sound of how it cranked?

 

You can see if you cam is turning by removing oil fill cap. look inside valve cover while someone cranks engine, you will see valve tappets etc. moving up and down and around. also listen to it . it should sound the same as when it used to start. this is a starting point. It is possible for the belt to jump a tooth. but should still start. If it jumped more than one tooth compression will be low. Dont let em freak you out about bent valves. A simple leak down check can determine that in 10 to 15 minutes.

 

In the mornings or after sitting for a shift at work it would take a second for it to start up, but I attributed that to a 17 year old car that was 'cold'. Initially, when this happened it sounded just the same not that it took a while, it had just driven fine 30 minutes prior. It died and when I tried it again it sounded like it was close to catching but would not start. It started for maybe 1 minute and died. When i was trying to start it I could have sworn it made a small clunk, almost like something bumped under the hood, but I'm not 100% sure. Now that its come back from the mechanic it does sound a little different...almost like a weaker battery when it cranks. Thinking about it some more, i do recall like at stop lights while waiting on the green it would idle a little lower just for a second (maybe down to 500 rpms) then it would go back up to normal - 1000-ish.

Thanks for all the help, I appreciate it!

 

Thanks I will try that today & post an update. They do have me freaked out

 

Dont freak. sounds like something simple. you dont have bent valve. so get that out of you head. we'll figure it out. Sounds inexpensive. just keep me posted. So you know I have a 91 accord 202345 miles that runs like a dream, but I am a mechanic by trade. Stay calm, we'll get it figured.

 

Distributor needed replaced...thank God I found a decent & honest mechanic in Eugene Oregon! Grand total = $380. A far better cry than $1000 for a bent valve. Thanks for all your help and reassurance !