Hey guys,

I have a concern about my A/C. I know about the stress the A/C puts on the engine. But is it normal that when my A/C is turned on, my car rattles a lot. To the point it is uncomfortable and I turn it off. See the pix of before and after A/C is turned on (I don't see much change in the RPM though). Also, when I have the A/C on, put the gear in reverse and really lightly (but enough to move the car) step on the gas; when I slowly step off the gas, it feels as though the car is about to cut off.

Also, does anyone know how to remove (or a DIY guide?):

Exterior B Pillar on the driver side (see pic - I have a 97 accord)?
Remove a cracked instrument cover - part #77215-SV4-A01ZJ (see pic)?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

You may want to remove the snorkel to the throttle body. Clean the bore of the throttle body and both sides of the throttle plate.

You may want to clean the screen to the IACV.

The common diy thread on top of the gen tech help forum has a link for online shop manuals. There is a 94 manual that is almost identical to your 97 accord.

The pillar on the door is simple. Pull down the seal and there should be 4-5 screws holding that in. The manual shows how to do this.

Not sure about the steps to replace that cracked interior piece.

 

Try to pinpoint the location of the rattling noise. In the engine compartment? I'm thinking that it's a tensioner pulley or toe AC compressor clutch pulley or something like that.

 

The ripped side panel will be impossible to repair completely. Here's what may yield a cosmetically acceptable repair.

1)Pull rip out slightly and fold over to access back side of panel.

2) Fit in place some plastic strips on inside face of hole edges. Use a stiff plastic strip glued w/ acetone based glue to bond the strip. Strip should be wide enough to provide a foundation for the torn part pulled out of the way. Allow glue to dry completely on plastic foundation strips.

3) Fold torn strip back in place onto acetone adhesive on the plastic strips previously installed. Use tape to secure the edges to the outer hole edges. Allow to dry completetly and remove tape.

Tear line will still be visible, but should not get any worse w/ time.

good luck

 

Thank you all for the responses.

I will try my best to follow all suggestions beginning with PAhonda's and provide updates. I need time though, as I will have to read up on how to accomplish these troubleshooting steps. I'm not a genius when it comes to cars lol.

@JimBlake, I haven't checked under the hood yet so I'm not sure exactly where the rattling is coming from. I will check and let you know.

@TexasHonda, so far the rip hasn't gotten worse. The most annoying part (aside from the cosmetic damage) is the wind that comes from there when on the highway. It gets really noisy. When I looked behind the rip, I see a metal pipe shaped object perpendicular to the rip (I'll try to take a picture). I don't know what this "pipe" is for but I feel as though this is where the air is coming from, but I'm not sure. Hopefully following your directions would stop the wind coming in. Oh and that passenger door is not completely flush with the ripped side panel. You can see a gap between.

I will try all suggestions and provide update.

 

Air is the return air for blower which is under the dash nearby.

good luck

 

If I decide to close this pipe, would that be dangerous?

 

Can anyone help me clarify something. I will be cleaning the IACV, FITV and TB tomorrow.

I have read different threads and seen a couple of videos and pretty much grasped what has to be done, but I have a couple of question about setting the base idle. In this thread, JimBlake provided some steps on setting the base idle which I have some questions about.

Can you elaborate on steps:
2 - What do you mean by the Mechanical stop? Must not hold what open?
4 - When you say nurse it so it doesn't stall; you mean using the adjustment cable and raising the rpm a little, right? If yes, this leads me to my question on step 5. If this is not what you mean, then how can I nurse it so it doesn't stall?
5 - How can I determine an idle speed of 500 rpm if the adjustment cable is being used to keep the engine from stalling (by raising the rpm)?

Sorry if these are dumb questions, but I have stayed up all night reading DIYs and the manuals. I am set to do these tomorrow morning (well in a few hours) and was hoping to clear all this up by morning.

By the way, is cleaning the IACV, FITV and TB something that can be completed in 4 hours?

 

Disconnect IACV electrically, after cleaning throttle plate, throttle bore, and IACV inlet screen, entry, exit ports, and valve movement.

Crank and idle should be 550 +/- 50 rpm. If not adjust the idle air bypass screw on top of the throttle body inlet to achieve target.

Reconnect IACV and crank engine. It should idle at 700 +/-50 rpm.

No messing w/ throttle cable or throttle stop screw.

Yes, < 4 hrs should be achievable easily.

good luck

 

Thanks for clearing that up.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to clean the IACV. I couldn't get to the bolts circled in red (then there is the hose as well..geez man!). My hands are too big to fit in there. While still struggling with the bolts, it started to rain (freaking NY weather). So I had to stop.

My throttle body and plate are surprisingly clean though so I didn't clean them. When I'm able to get to the IACV and FITV, I will clean everything at once. I will let you guys know how it goes.

Off topic question - when is the cooling fan on the left (when in the driver seat, fan on the left) supposed to turn on? Only the passenger fan comes on when I turn on the A/C.