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Flashing engine light? Possible misfiring?

8K views 4 replies 5 participants last post by  bloodSHed 
#1 · (Edited)
Hey all, new to the forum. A little backstory on my car: I picked up a 5 speed 2001 base model prelude 7 months ago. It's my first car and I knew next to nothing when I picked it up (still do not know a ton); so of course I was sold an oil burning lemon.

About 2 months ago, it started having an idle problem. Not entirely sure, but I believe it to be shot valve seals. It started leaking oil as well (not a major leak), so I let it burn and leak the rest of the 10w-40 I had in there and filled it up with 20w-50, at the suggestion of my mechanic friend (I know, REALLY thick, but it wouldn't hold an idle without dying when in neutral without really thick oil). I'm planning to go back down to 10w-40 and seeing what happens.

As of late, it has been running fine. It dies almost immediately on start up if you don't give it gas and warm it up. I would just rev it up at 2.5k rpms for 2 or 3 minutes to do so as I was told that it would heat and expand the valve seals in addition to the thick oil, thus keeping my car running.

I got in it to go to school this morning, warmed up like normal, hit the highway (about 60kms to school) and when I was heading up the off ramp, I went to downshift and it would not go back into 4th. Nor 3rd. Came to a stop, tried first. Wouldn't budge. It was like trying to shift with no clutch. Long story short, I was able to get it to school and then clunk gears back to the highway after class. I got on the highway and as I'm driving, I go to pass someone doing 100km in the fast lane, I whipped around him doing about 130 when not only did my check engine light come on, but it started flashing. I threw my hazards on and dropped to 95km in 5th and the flashing stopped. If I tried to speed up, it would come back on. I would slow right back down again so it never blinked for more than 10 seconds at a time.

I got home, swapped in new spark plugs (my mechanic told me to do so a few days prior as I wasn't able to start my car one morning after an hour of trying) and took it for a test drive. The shifting is still abit stiff but managable; the engine light, however, is still on and flashes at around 100km/h. It accelerates like normal up until 3k rpms, where it then reduces to probably about 50% acceleration and becomes oddly sluggish until I upshift and the rpms fall below 3k where it will accelerate like normal until it hits 3k again. I haven't tried pushing it much past 3k rpms nor have I tried to push it past 100km with the blinking engine light.

I'm a broke student so I don't have the money for a new engine or a rebuild like I was hoping. Any advice would be massively appreciated! Don't want to see my lude go out this way.

Cheers
 
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#2 ·
Honestly, running 20W-50 oil in your car probably damaged something internally. That's way, way too thick to run in an H22, let alone any gas motor that regularly requires 5W-30.

How many miles are on the car? Did you pull the codes that the CEL was turning on from? Are there any modifications done to the car?

I hate to say this, but your 'mechanic' friend sounds like a complete idiot so far. Running super thick oil and changing spark plugs are very poor advice, especially for a problem-ridden car.
 
#3 ·
:jehon: Does your "mechanic" friend know how to perform a compression test? Or a leakdown? Or has he not gotten that far in the Eric the Car Guy series yet?


It started leaking oil as well (not a major leak), so I let it burn and leak the rest of the 10w-40 I had in there and filled it up with 20w-50, at the suggestion of my mechanic friend
You let it run out of oil?


I go to pass someone doing 100km in the fast lane, I whipped around him doing about 130 when not only did my check engine light come on, but it started flashing.
It is called the passing lane, and the speed limit there is exactly the same as the other lanes. Besides, flogging a car that is fucking up isn't the best way to guarantee making it home without a tow truck and an expensive repair.




To start doing things right:

1) Tell your mechanic friend to take a walk.

2) Diagnose the CEL. Use an OBD2 scanner, or the paper clip method.

3) Report back with results.

4) Do a compression test on the car.

- High oil consumption + won't stay running with the correct (thinner) oil screams compression loss.

- Thicker oil keeps it running? Compression loss! The thicker oil, if it is what is keeping the car running, is going to skew your results. Switch back for the test. That means get underneath the car, and drain it out via the drain plug - not letting it burn off.

5) Do a leakdown test. Figure out where the compression is going.

6) Report back with results.

7) Begin diagnosing the clutch issue. Fluid level, catching point, etc.

8 ) Report back with results.
 
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#5 ·
:jehon: Does your "mechanic" friend know how to perform a compression test? Or a leakdown? Or has he not gotten that far in the Eric the Car Guy series yet?
Damn dude, haha. :D
 
#4 ·
we should implement a sparknotes section in long posts so people like me (the lazy) can read and help out.

i read the responses instead and it seems like ya have this covered.
 
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