Hi gang,

Ok, so my stepdaughter’s 1986 Automatic, Carburetor, Honda Accord went dead the other day and she replaced the battery.

Problem is - she didn’t pay attention to what she was doing and put a battery in the car with the terminals swapped. The negative terminal was where the positive terminal should be and positive terminal was where negative terminal should be.

She put the cables on the terminal leads, paid “NO” attention to the sparks, and commenced with trying to start the car

Of course the car didn't start and she blew a fuse. The fuse has since been replaced after the car was towed home.

The correct battery has since been installed in the car with the terminals in the correct locations, but now all the car does is spin when the key is turned and it won’t start.

The other peculiar thing is that the starter seems like it’s struggling to turn the motor (it doesn’t’ spin smoothly like it used to)

Something is definitely wrong but I can’t seem to put my finger on it.

Any and all ideas are welcome………………Thanks…..

 

Basically answered your one of many questions. She could've killed the starter by trying to turn it over and holding the key down and what not. Possibly replace this if necessary, also if you notice it must be wrong. Best of luck!

 

Probably several problems; starter may have been problem when battery was replaced, and reverse installation may have damaged the ignitor.

Check for spark to the spark plugs by grounding a plug attached to one lead. If no spark, check for 12V to the distributor. If yes, then suspect ignitor may be damaged. You may have an external ignitor.

good luck

 

Thanks, I found one of the fuses in the fuse box in the engine compartment blown so I replaced it and I got it to start but like I wrote in my second post - now she's spewing gas back into the air box after she’s running for about 30 seconds.

I think that when she reversed the battery cables a few electrical components got shortened out or damaged and somehow it affected the gas pressure regulator which is now causing pressure to build which is causing the gas to spit back into the air box.

The car is carbureted (not fuel injected) so none of this is making any sense to me and I've never in my life seen gas spew from back into the air box the way this thing is doing.

 

Now I know what year/engine you are working on....I'm going to delete your other thread.

Pull the air cleaner and see exactly where the gas is coming from. Take a pic if you can, my "GUESS" the float seat/adjustment is leaking.....I'll see if I got a pic of it from one of my 3rd gen's.

 

Thanks Poorman 212 but I do see exactly where the gas is coming from and I've tried to explain it several times now.....

The gas is literally spewing into the air breather box through the air breather vent tube that connects to the top of the valve cover.

Damndest thing I've ever seen............ I've never in my life seen gas compress into the head, and shoot up through the breather tube into the air breather compartment on any car, and I've been wrenching on cars for roughly 33 years.

It makes no sense because gas shouldn’t be coming up through that tube - only hot air.

My wife has decided that she's done messing with this thing because we've sunk a ton of money into it and every week there's a new problem so the car is headed for Honda Heaven, I just wanted to get some ideas from any of you or was wondering if any of you have ever experienced such a phenomenon, and if so - how you fixed it.

I’ve attached a picture of what I’m talking about.

I appreciate all the replies............

 

Sir, I'm a old guy that has messed with 3rd gen carb'd accords for many, many years (+15). If liqiud gas is coming from the VC vent to the cleaner then a very large mass of gas is being "dumped" into the engine and being pushed up....basically, if I read this right, liquid gas is coming out of the valve cover.

Good luck going forward, I was only trying to help.

Thanks.

 

Oh I'm very grateful believe me and if I came across as rude please forgive me.

It’s just that when you’re trying to explain things (over the internet) it gets a little frustrating because different people have different interpretations.

I ask questions because as old as I am (I don't know everything) and I’m always looking for other pinions.

You’re absolutely right; liquid gas is spewing back up through the valve cover into the air box.

This car has been the biggest disaster ever.

First I replaced the head with a brand new rebuilt one, then we changed the entire engine for a “presumably” good one because the lower half of the original engine had bad rings, then the carburetor started acting up by not holding an idle, then my step daughter crossed the battery cables and this weird phenomenon with the gas dumping into the air box is happening.

I’m seriously through putting money into this car……………

Thanks for the help guy…..

 

Totally understand....if you have liquid gas coming out of the valve cover,,,,,,there are major issues. I was only trying to understand/know what "hose" we were talking about.


Vent shunt/acel pump/fast idle/float seat....trust me I know there are enough "hoses" on these to drive a person crazy.

Again, if you have liquid gas coming out the vc.....time to call it a day. The carb is dumping so much gas down the intake that it is filling up the crankcase.

Pull the oil dipstick and check it.....I'm surprised it isn't leaking gas/oil out of it.

 

Thanks, I will check the oil dipstick....

At least now I can say I've seen or heard about something like this if it ever happens again (which I hope is never)

Thanks for all the help.....