Help a girl who has questions about her '90 Integra gs

-beth-

New Member
Hey all,
I have a 90 integra gs (two door and automatic in case that's important). It's got right around 53k miles on it. When I bought it last June it only had 42k and needed minimal work. Winter doesn't seem to be too kind to my car, and I could use some advice about how to keep it in good shape. Here are some things I've noticed about it:

In the middle of a winter road trip (after dealing with pot holes and piles of snow), I started hearing a metal on metal vibration between about 3200 and 3500 rpm. Once I get beyond 3500 rpm, it gets quiet again. Other places on the internet suggest it's not a big deal at all. Is that right?

Also, when it's very cold outside and I don't give the car time to warm up, it doesn't always want to shift between drive, reverse, and park. The gear shift moves, but it takes a few seconds for the car to realize I moved it. I've also been having trouble getting the key out of the ignition at times. Sometimes I have to restart it and turn it back off and pull the key out. Are those related?

Lately, within the past few weeks, I've been noticing a bit of a burning plastic smell when I get out of the car or am sitting at a red light. It isn't running hot at all...the temp gauge actually stays below halfway. Some websites suggest it's just burning winter road grime, but I never remember my parents' car smelling like this in the winter. I have definitely been keeping my oil changed on time and I'm not really rough on the car.

And...it isn't so much an issue now, but within the next three months it will be. My air conditioner doesn't work. We have put more of the coolant stuff in it, but it didn't help. My dad used the coolant that's supposed to show a leak...but it never showed a leak. It just blows hot air at me in the summer. The heat, on the other hand, works wonderfully. I've been toasty all winter. What could be wrong with it and how expensive should it be to fix it?

Thanks for your help!
 

TegSox

Super Duper Moderator
A 1990 Integra with 53K on it, that's amazing, good find!

Your rattle may just be an exhaust rattle, it's an Integra common problem. Probably nothing to worry about, just annoying and embaressing, heh.

I had a 1990 Civic and the auto tranny acted the same way, moved slow but did eventually move. Dunno if it's a sign of bad things to come, mine worked until I got rid of the car. Doing a tranny fluid flush may be a good idea, can't hurt, probably needs it if it hasn't been done in recent years.
Currently my 1995 Integra is stubborn with removing the key also, I have to do it a certain way, just old age I think.

The burning plastic smell and AC issue, couldn't help you. Maybe you just have a bad AC component, it's hard to expect an AC system to still work 100% on a 21 year old car, even one with such low mileage. Crapped out AC's are unusual.

Sounds like you just have some common Honda quirks.
 
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BrokenTalon27

W.F.O
I agree with TegSox on the vibration issue. Most likely a heat shield is loose. I had the same problem the other day.
As for the A/C, it most likely needs to be flushed out, have a new drier installed, then the vacuumed and filled to the proper level. Converting it to R134a would be a good idea as well, if it hasn't been done yet.
For the burning plastic smell, check the simple things first. Maybe a plastic bag on the road caught on the exhaust manifold and is just stuck there burning off. Make sure nothing has gotten loose and is hanging on the exhaust manifold and burning.
Hope that helps.
 

klutchDb7

ლ(ಠ益ಠლ)
Again like what TegSox said, exahust for the vibration. Not sure what the correct term for it is but I'm having the same iswsue with my car right now. From my understanding, the pipe right after the cat converter is two separate tube, one inside and one outside and when it gets worn down enough, you get that metal on metal noise. Not sure if it is the same for older model tegs, but all you have to do is weld it set so it doesnt vibrate anymore :)

Giving it time to warm up could help with the cold. But you'll get that with any car in general. The key issue is separate and doesn't necessarily happen when it's cold, it can happen any time. You just have to play around with it and see what gets it out without having to turn the car back on. This is a common occurence with almost any sort of key.

Burning plastic smell, couldn't really say sorry... Make sure nothing is hanging off the car though. And I'm no help with AC lol, Did you check the compressor? Maybe it just needs a recharge...
 


soulboarder

New Member
your transmission works on pressure to move to the diffrent gears. in summer and warmer months it will engage quicker being as the oil will be not be as thick in winter months from the cold. for you a/c check your compressor to see if the clutch is engaging when u turn on the ac.
 

DagoAcura92

New Member
Check the axke boots for the funny smell, you could be leaking axle grease. Check under the passenger side dash for leaks coming from the AC evaporator. Simplest way I can think of to check the ac compressor clutch is when you have the engine on and press the ac button on and off, listen for a click and a change in idle .
 


01FTW

New Member
Im sorry to tell you this, but your tranny is fucked up and its gonna cost you a lot to get it fixed. Probably bad bearings.
 

Accel.speed

basically, i like fast!
Im pretty sure hes wrong^ I would just flush out the tranny fluid and go from there.

About the bad smell, Just recently i too have noticed somekind of burning smell. Mine actually smelt like brakes, but i was never hard on the brakes... But so I jacked up my car and come to find some foam under neath my fan assembly that I think moved out and started touching the radiator. Just pulled it out last night actually. Still workin on the car so ill see if it fixes it. But yeah may not be that but just jack the car up and look for stuff :thumbs up
 

-beth-

New Member
Well the car shifts just fine when it's driving. It's just hesitant to go between park, drive, and reverse when it's cold out. I never had a single problem out of it until it got cold.
 

soulboarder

New Member
-beth- said:
Well the car shifts just fine when it's driving. It's just hesitant to go between park, drive, and reverse when it's cold out. I never had a single problem out of it until it got cold.
Click to expand...

thats normal when it gets cold out. oil gets thicker and it will take a couple seconds to engage. when its warm it should engage almost right away
 

drkstoner

New Member
Noise and rubber smell could be linked as someone stated before put it up on jacks and check the CV Boots had similar issues with my new Teg and found that my boots had separated and with all the snow on the roads the grease was washed away I just hadn't noticed any clicking or banging from the CV unless I put down heavy tourque or took sharp turn something I am not really doing out here in Montana

The Transmission issue is defiantly due to the cold heck even my 2006 Magnum does that in below freezing temps there are cold weather A/T Fluids but not really worth the trouble since they need to be swapped out in warmer months,

as to the key issue you may want to consider replacing the ignition switch and cylinder as its showing signs of breaking down
 

Jay1990RS

Don Megatron
Yeah the whole shift thing is related to not being to get your key out. You have to wait until the park symbol on your gauge cluster lights up to kill the engine and take out your key. I currently have the same problem lol. I find it handy to take a longer route if I'm going on a short jaunt to school or the the store, etc. A couple extra blocks won't hurt.
 
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