I've been driving a 1987 Honda Accord DX for a few years now, and really loved the car. Only has 174k miles on it, and seemed to be in perfect condition ... until today.

Drove it around for a while, and as soon as I parked it and turned it off, I head a fairly loud crack/snap sound under the hood. After a minute, I tried starting it and it still turns over, and even starts as long as you hold the gas pedal down, but shakes pretty bad and turns off as soon as you let go of the gas. Also, there is a pretty strong smell when you try to start it now. It doesn't smell exactly like gas, so I'm not sure what it is.

I'm not a mechanic, but my gut is telling me this is pretty catastrophic. It seems like something bad has happened in one of the cylinders, and it still turns over and 'starts' only if the gas pedal is held down because 3 of the cylinders are still firing and dragging the busted one with them? The smell is the un-ignited fluids in the dead cylinder? I could be lightyears off with that assessment.

Basically, is it time for me to send this poor thing to an early junkyard grave, or does this sound like something fixable?

Happy to try to provide more info if needed.

 

Anything is fixable with money. Lol. I am sorry to say but starting it back up may have sealed its fate.

If you love the car enough to fix it a engine costs around $300

 

Hehe, yea I'm probably not going to replace the entire engine. I bought the entire car for 350 bucks a few years ago and have already put double that into it. Damn. I wonder what snapped in that cylinder.

I think i'll especially miss those flip up headlights.

 

Damn $350 and it lasted over 6 months. That was definitely money well spent. Lol.

 

Other than whatever broke, the thing felt like it just ran off the assembly line! Good little cars.