1993 Honda Accord missing quite a lot when damp.
#1
01-28-2018, 05:24 PM
1993 Honda Accord missing quite a lot when damp.
I have a 1993 Honda Accord, 2.1L, 5spd manual. I've been noticing an odd dampness related missing problem for a while.
Basically, when the weather is dry the car runs perfectly, no problem at all. However, if there has been rain in the previous few days then the car misses quite a lot for some time after starting, enough to kill the engine if I let the RPMs get below about 1,200 to 1,500 and shift wrong or lug it too much while going up a hill (it's not noticeable when idling unless I stamp the accelerator).
This problem resolves after getting up to highway speeds for a few miles, however it does not resolve by just letting the car sit and idle for a long time first, even for thirty minutes to an hour.
My best guess is some kind of short aggravated by moisture, probably somewhere that air from driving down the road gets to easily and evaporates the moisture, but somewhere that doesn't get very much engine heat, hence why idling doesn't help.
I haven't tried driving in the rain much, however once I drove it in some dense fog and it started missing again.
Do you have any idea what the most likely problem area is?
Basically, when the weather is dry the car runs perfectly, no problem at all. However, if there has been rain in the previous few days then the car misses quite a lot for some time after starting, enough to kill the engine if I let the RPMs get below about 1,200 to 1,500 and shift wrong or lug it too much while going up a hill (it's not noticeable when idling unless I stamp the accelerator).
This problem resolves after getting up to highway speeds for a few miles, however it does not resolve by just letting the car sit and idle for a long time first, even for thirty minutes to an hour.
My best guess is some kind of short aggravated by moisture, probably somewhere that air from driving down the road gets to easily and evaporates the moisture, but somewhere that doesn't get very much engine heat, hence why idling doesn't help.
I haven't tried driving in the rain much, however once I drove it in some dense fog and it started missing again.
Do you have any idea what the most likely problem area is?
Last edited by Orz; 01-28-2018 at 05:27 PM. Reason: Spelling
#2
01-28-2018, 05:48 PM
Decades ago I had a missing problem and - on my friends advice - I sprayed WD-40 into the distributor. Can't recall the car.
I was appalled then because I saw WD-40 as a light lubricant (oil). But, d*mn, it worked.
Since, I've been told WD-40 stands for Water Dispersent formula 40. Old info, but it worked back then.
I was appalled then because I saw WD-40 as a light lubricant (oil). But, d*mn, it worked.
Since, I've been told WD-40 stands for Water Dispersent formula 40. Old info, but it worked back then.
#3
01-28-2018, 06:36 PM
Don't use something flammable like WD40. Just get an old windex bottle and fill it with water. When it is dark outside, mist water onto the spark plug wires, distributor cap, and the coil. You should be able to see the spark arching to ground.
Here is a good video.
Here is a good video.
#4
01-29-2018, 01:17 PM
Decades ago, my brother had a similar problem. Turned out to be tracks etched into the shiny surface of the distributor cap. High humidity would somehow cause arcing through those tracks, until it all warmed up.
You should see this by doing the water-spray test that PA mentioned. In the dark with all the lights turned off.
You should see this by doing the water-spray test that PA mentioned. In the dark with all the lights turned off.
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