I need some expert advice on what to do about my sisters car. She's got an '89 Prelude 2.0 and she was driving down the interstate the other day and the thing just quit running. It tries to start, but doesn't turn over, so I was thinkin' it had something to do with fuel, like maybe a fuel pump. A good friend of mine said it's probably the timing belt, and several people have agreed with him.

Here's the question, how can I find out if it's a free-running type engine, or a non-free-running type? If it is the T-belt and a free running, that should be fixable for $500 or so, but if it's non-free-running then the thing is probably toast...right? I mean, it's a $1,500 car at best, and bending valves and such...easy into $1,500 to fix.

Any advice would be much appreciated, she's a little down on her luck and she looks to me to help with everything automotive...so I look to you guys .

Thanks in advance.

Andrew

 

Buy a 92-95 civic hatchback, get the prelude engine port and polished with new valve stems about ($1600) and drop it into the civic. She'll have a bitchin car. I'm sure that is more than what you wanted to spend but you'll have years of trouble free relatively high performance. Of course this is from a tuner perspective.

 

t-belts usually go for more than $500(labor that is) when u turn the motor over does it make a high whining noise?

 

Thanks Bax, but she's pretty much broke, I'm helping her with it.

The motor doesn't turn over Hyper, not at all.

Andrew

 

So what you're saying is it seized? If that's the case, it'll be real costly to repair. May as well throw it away or sell for parts.

 

I'm sorry, I said that wrong, the motor does turn over, it just doesn't start, like it's not getting fuel...

 

Fuel pump - have someone turn the ignition on but NOT crank the engine. Go near to the gas tank, maybe even open up the filler cap (don't do this with a cigarette in your mouth) and listen while the ignition is turned on. If the pump is working, you'll hear it whirring to pressurize the system. If you hear no noise, it's probably toast.
Ignition - check to see if you have spark to the any plug. Find someone with a plug tester. It's something you can clamp onto one of the plug wires and you can see if there is juice getting to the plug. The hard way (and potentially dangerous) is to unscrew a plug, put the plug wire back on and while hold the plug's threads against an engine ground, crank the motor and watch for a spark. Make sure you wear rubber gloves and don't lean up against the car when you do this.
Timing belt - you should be able to expose the belt cover or even see the end of the cam drive. When you crank the engine, can you see it turn? If the Prelude is and "interference" motor and you have a broken belt, you'll hear all kinds of metal pieces banging against each other - BAD!

 

LOL, thanks man. I wish there was a site I could go to that told which Honda engines were interference engines and which were not, I know they've made both.

 

personally, i don't think it's the timing belt, but it certainly could be. just pull the valve cover and you will know.

the 3rd gen si is what you're calling an "interference motor." the valves will hit the pistons if the timing is far enough out. there are a few reports of people breaking timing belts and NOT damaging the valvetrain or slugs, but they are the exception, not the rule.

what about the main pgm-fi relay? distributor ok?

you can get a lot of help with your 3rd gen at www.preludeonline.com. most of the guys over there own 5th gen ludes, but there's a decent group of 3rd gen people too.

 

Hey man, thanks a lot , but the link is dead...?

Andrew