hi all,

my 94 Accord EX car has 95k miles on it now, and it's been working for nearly 14 years. i have just realized by reading the manual that there is a 90k maintenance service that i should do. i would like to do a tune-up...
i would really appreciate it if anybody could tell me what a tune-up includes and what parts should be changed/inspected, e.g. spark plugs, wires, PCV valves, etc.

thanks a lot :)

Have you already had the timing belt & water pump changed?

As a general rule, OEM wires & PCV aren't changed unless there's a problem. We used to change our plugs at 30K with new NGKs. That was the OLD recommendation from Honda. At 30K we'd also change out the fluids, including brake & put in fresh coolant.

90k

Timing Belt
Drive Belts (The ones you can see)
Cam and Crank Seals
Water Pump
Plugs
Distributor Cap and Rotor
Air Filter
Valve Adjustment
Transmission Fluid (Honda Only for the Automatics)
Brake Fluid (If it's not clear anymore)
Power Steering Fluid (if it's dirty looking)
Coolant
Oil/Filter

The rest is a bunch of checks, some suspect items on your model are CV boots being torn, leaking rack and pinion steering system, oil pan gasket leaking, plug tube seals leaking/cam tower o-rings - pull the plug tubes out of the valve cover, if they're coated in oil you got problems), the exhaust should also be looked at, along with other suspension components and a check for leaks anywhere. Use Honda parts on the belts and seals as well as fluids.

90k

Timing Belt
Drive Belts (The ones you can see)
Cam and Crank Seals
Water Pump
Plugs
Distributor Cap and Rotor
Air Filter
Valve Adjustment
Transmission Fluid (Honda Only for the Automatics)
Brake Fluid (If it's not clear anymore)
Power Steering Fluid (if it's dirty looking)
Coolant
Oil/Filter

The rest is a bunch of checks, some suspect items on your model are CV boots being torn, leaking rack and pinion steering system, oil pan gasket leaking, plug tube seals leaking/cam tower o-rings - pull the plug tubes out of the valve cover, if they're coated in oil you got problems), the exhaust should also be looked at, along with other suspension components and a check for leaks anywhere. Use Honda parts on the belts and seals as well as fluids.

so far, i have already changed the following:

80k miles (3 years ago):
- front rotors and pads --> break fluid(?)
- clutch slave cylinder --> clutch fluid(?)

83k miles (2.5 years ago):
- timing belt
- balancer shaft belt
- camshaft oil seal
- crankshaft oil seal
- balancer shaft oil seal
- water pump
- oil pump gasket
- power steering belt
- compressor/alternator belt
- air filter
- valve cover gasket
- coolant
- CV boots

88k miles (1.5 years ago)
- manual transmission fluid

and i'm going to change the following pretty soon:
- left and right upper control arms
- sway bar bushings
- sway bar end links

the previous owner had also changed the fuel filter and the exhaust pipe and muffler (i don't know about other things he's done to the car).

so i'll change the spark plugs, but keep the current wires, since everything is working okay now.
about valve adjustment: what does it include? should i change any parts when doing it?
about distributor cap and rotor: should they be changed as well (considering the age of the car and that the 60k service period) or just inspected for any problem?

the reason i am asking all these questions is that i want to order whatever parts that need to be changed from a dealer online and get everything changed/looked at/fixed in one go. thanks a lot Princess and Accordlover :)

The Brake fluid is due for replacement if it is 3 years old. Look at your air filter, it is probably dirty by now. Pay close attention to a level change in your power steering. The level should never change from the MAX line and if it does you've got a leak. So keep on that, since it's common. You could leave the dist. alone, but I would do it just so you don't have to deal with it later. Also make sure no oil is leaking from behind there.

The valve adj. is simply what it sounds. You're just adjusting the valves to decrease any excessive ticking the engine might be making by now. These motors get loud with age, and the valve adjustment usually does wonders to quiet them down.

You could leave the dist. alone, but I would do it just so you don't have to deal with it later. Also make sure no oil is leaking from behind there.

The valve adj. is simply what it sounds. You're just adjusting the valves to decrease any excessive ticking the engine might be making by now. These motors get loud with age, and the valve adjustment usually does wonders to quiet them down.

i was checking under the hood today and doing some diagnostics with my ABS unit, and unfortunately i noticed some oil marks under the hood, but i'm not really sure where they come from, i mean. i have to take some pictures and post them here...

anyhow, i think i'll keep the current wires on the car and just change the distributor cap and rotor. could you please confirm that they are indicated by numbers 2 and 3 respectively in the picture below (taken from here (http://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com/auto/jsp/mws/prddisplay.jsp?inputstate=5&catcgry1=ACCORD&catcgry2=1994&catcgry3=2DR+EX+LEATHER&catcgry4=5MT&catcgry5=DISTRIBUTOR+(HITACHI)&vinsrch=yes))?
http://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com/auto/jsp/mws/catimgs/13SV20_E0510.gif

my question regarding the valve adjustment was about the parts needed to be changed (if any), e.g. valve cover gasket, etc. since i haven't done it before, i really don't know the details, so i'd appreciate it if you could help me . i would like to order whatever parts necessary and just do the repairs as soon as possible

thanks so much :)

Just a valve cover gasket.... it's also a common sight for oil leaks when they get dried out.

i was checking under the hood today and doing some diagnostics with my ABS unit, and unfortunately i noticed some oil marks under the hood, but i'm not really sure where they come from, i mean. i have to take some pictures and post them here...

i had taken my car to a mechanic some time ago and had asked him to check for any leaks, and here's what he's said: "found power steering pump and oil pan gasket leaking. it is not leaking much and is okay for now." so finally, i managed to take some pictures of the power steering pump.

front:
https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/baharian/shared/accord/pspfront.jpg

back:
https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/baharian/shared/accord/pspback.jpg

i'm wondering what parts i should change to fix the power steering pump leak, according to the picture below? do i need to change the whole pump (which is ~ $460 new or $225 remanufactured) or is it enough to change some o-rings and seals?
http://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com/auto/jsp/mws/catimgs/13SV20_E19.gif

as for the oil pan gasket, is it enough to just change gasket number 8 in this picture (left side)?
http://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com/auto/jsp/mws/catimgs/13SV20_E14.gif

You might try tightening the bolts on the oil pan gasket first, sometimes that does the trick. Also, make sure the guy who diagnosed the leaking gasket didn't just see oil that dripped down when adding oil for an oil change. That gets confused, a lot.

Is your P/S level noticeably low? If not, you may just want to buy a bottle of Honda Power Steering fluid (only honda) and keep it with you to top off every now and then. My pump leaks on both my Accords, but its very, very minor. Seems to be a common problem.

On some years you can get a PS pump seal kit. You'd tear it apart & replace the seals. If you can tell which seal is leaking, then you could ask if a dealer's parts dept. has the kit & if it covers THAT seal.

If not, go Honda reman'd. Not new. Then it's OEM, but with all new seals.

You might try tightening the bolts on the oil pan gasket first, sometimes that does the trick. Also, make sure the guy who diagnosed the leaking gasket didn't just see oil that dripped down when adding oil for an oil change. That gets confused, a lot.

well, there are some oil spots on the ground in my parking spot; just a couple of them, but it's definitely leaking oil. considering the age of the car (14 years old), i think it's about time to change the oil pan gasket, as i have to fix other things too. so is it enough just to change gasket number 8 in the last picture of my previous post?

Is your P/S level noticeably low? If not, you may just want to buy a bottle of Honda Power Steering fluid (only honda) and keep it with you to top off every now and then. My pump leaks on both my Accords, but its very, very minor. Seems to be a common problem.

no, the change in the PS fluid level is not even visible. i think, as the mechanic said, the oil is just "seeping".

thanks a lot :)

On some years you can get a PS pump seal kit. You'd tear it apart & replace the seals. If you can tell which seal is leaking, then you could ask if a dealer's parts dept. has the kit & if it covers THAT seal.

If not, go Honda reman'd. Not new. Then it's OEM, but with all new seals.

i googled for 1994 Accord power steering seal kit, and i've found some, but i'm not sure if they're OEM honda parts or not. do you know if Honda makes the kits or some other company?

also, considering that the P/S pump's leak is minor, do you suggest i change the seals or just add P/S fluid to the reservoir?

regards :)

i googled for 1994 Accord power steering seal kit, and i've found some, but i'm not sure if they're OEM honda parts or not. do you know if Honda makes the kits or some other company?

also, considering that the P/S pump's leak is minor, do you suggest i change the seals or just add P/S fluid to the reservoir?

regards :)

You may want to consider trying www.collegehillshonda.com for some of those parts you mentioned. If you can't access them online give them a call. The prices are pretty good even with shipping.

I would monitor the PS fluid level. Buy bottle of fluid from your dealer and keep it in the trunk. That's what I do. I top it off maybe once a year? If that.

There's no point in investing into a car if you don't have to, you know?

If you identify what seals you would need the dealer can get them. I needed to replace the seal right behind the pulley as it was leaking on my pump. Went to the dealer and he ordered it. Pulled the pulley from the pump and replaced the seal. Now the pump doesn't leak.
The leaking boots on the rack and pinion are another story. I'll just keep the fluid level between min and max. Not worth pulling the r&p in my opinion.
You can get the Honda only power steering at AutoZone if you are interested.

I would monitor the PS fluid level. Buy bottle of fluid from your dealer and keep it in the trunk. That's what I do. I top it off maybe once a year? If that.

There's no point in investing into a car if you don't have to, you know?

will do that :) thanks...

I have to take my car for an oil change pretty soon. I'm planning to do a lot of other repairs/maintenances as well. As I've mentioned before, the oil pan gasket is leaking, but it's minor. I'm going to change that (unless someone here has a better idea on how to fix the leak), so I'm wondering if it's enough to change number 8 in this picture?
http://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com/auto/jsp/mws/catimgs/13SV20_E14.gif

Thanks :)

anybody?

You can use Liquid Gasket, but it will be a PITA the next time you have to remove the oil pan for anything.

Are you absolutely certain it is the oil pan gasket? There are other spots around the engine where oil could leak out, but only you or your technician can determine the exact location and then rectify accordingly.

The gasket isn't too much money.... you'd likely pay nearly as much for enough liquid gasket. I'd just replace the gasket.

Over time they can leak, but they are also mis-accused... other stuff leaking can drip down to it. :dunno:

Over time they can leak, but they are also mis-accused... other stuff leaking can drip down to it. :dunno:

Exactly.

My sister's old Mazda drips enough oil that she had to put a cardboard under the car in the condo parking spot or else she'll get yelled at.

The mechanic I trust first replaced the oil pan gasket, then the valve cover gasket, now he thinks it's near the backside of the cylinder head area and is likely a partial failure of the head gasket.

Due to the age of the car (1991 model), she's not going to spend any more money getting the head pulled off to change the head gasket.

I have these estimates for the following services from the mechanic I'm taking my car to. Some of them seem a bit too expensive to me, but I'm not a mechanic, so I wouldn't know for sure. Are these prices in the okay range?

Please note that I have the parts, so the mechanic will ONLY provide labor:

valve adjustment: $95

changing spark plugs, distributor cap, and rotor: $100

change oil pan gasket + oil change: $250-$300

changing clutch and break fluids: $70-$80

Thanks a lot :)

any ideas about the prices above?