94 Honda Civic LX Sound at startup - ABS? Also, light issues, more...
 

Every few days when I start my car, there is a loud noise and it only
lasts for about a second. It sounds like something could be
collaborating… I’m not sure. The sound resembles the noise when I
slide on ice and the ABS kicks in, that sort of loud grinding noise
and sounds like it is coming from the same place. I am unsure if it
has anything to do with that though. It only does this once when I
start the car in the morning, and won’t happen again 3-7 days later,
and doesn’t seem to be effected by where and how I drive.

When I do drive, I also hear a clicking noise when I go over large
bumps or cracks in the road. The clicking lasts for about 5-10 clicks.
It won’t happen every time either, just randomly. It has also started
to happen when I come to a complete stop.

I have also noticed that when I start the car, and turn the lights on,
some of the lights on the dash won’t be on, and then a few seconds
later, they will pop back on. Other times, when I turn the lights on,
for about a second, none of the lights on the dash will be on, and
then they will all come on.

One last issue, when the car starts, sometimes the engine RPMs are
going really fast, and sometimes pulses up and down really fast. Other
times, it just starts normal and sounds like nothing is wrong.

Does anyone have any advice or possible troubleshooting solutions to
the problems noted above?

Thanks

Re: 94 Honda Civic LX Sound at startup - ABS? Also, light issues,more...
 

On Jan 14, 12:23 pm, psonal...@gmail.com wrote:
> Every few days when I start my car, there is a loud noise and it only
> lasts for about a second. It sounds like something could be
> collaborating… I’m not sure. The sound resembles the noise when I
> slide on ice and the ABS kicks in, that sort of loud grinding noise
> and sounds like it is coming from the same place. I am unsure if it
> has anything to do with that though. It only does this once when I
> start the car in the morning, and won’t happen again 3-7 days later,
> and doesn’t seem to be effected by where and how I drive.
>
> When I do drive, I also hear a clicking noise when I go over large
> bumps or cracks in the road. The clicking lasts for about 5-10 clicks.
> It won’t happen every time either, just randomly. It has also started
> to happen when I come to a complete stop.
>
> I have also noticed that when I start the car, and turn the lights on,
> some of the lights on the dash won’t be on, and then a few seconds
> later, they will pop back on. Other times, when I turn the lights on,
> for about a second, none of the lights on the dash will be on, and
> then they will all come on.
>
> One last issue, when the car starts, sometimes the engine RPMs are
> going really fast, and sometimes pulses up and down really fast. Other
> times, it just starts normal and sounds like nothing is wrong.
>
> Does anyone have any advice or possible troubleshooting solutions to
> the problems noted above?
>
> Thanks

the first one could be the ABS alright. it does that sometimes. i
don't know why, so i don't know why it would do it more.

the last one could be more or less normal: cars in general often get
the idle speed adjustment gadget (either a little air hole or a motor
that adjusts the throttle) gunked up and sticky; in civics of that age
(i have a 92 and went through it) it's a little air hole modulated by
a valve, can probably be cleaned out by somebody who knows where to
look.

the other two i'm out of ideas about.

Re: 94 Honda Civic LX Sound at startup - ABS? Also, light issues, more...
 

It took me a while to realize you have quite a list of weird (well, some not
so weird) problems. That makes me wonder if you have the typical "weird
symptom" producer: a loose or otherwise failed engine ground. The ground
could be a separate braided strap between the engine and the chassis or it
could be a moderately heavy wire from the battery negative terminal and the
chassis. Not necessarily your problem, but easy to check (meaning checking
for tightness at both ends and good condition overall) and important to rule
out. I'm always surprised by how often bad engine grounds occur, and the
symptoms are often noticeably strange - like the dash lights and the engine
pulsing rapidly.

For the same reason, I'd look at the electrical system in any case. Checks
with a voltmeter, especially for AC across the battery (should be under 0.1
VAC) and voltage from engine to chassis (also under 0.1VDC), are a good
place to start.

Mike

<psonal393@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:aac53127-2e1d-429d-a302-5d9dbc540770@a12g2000yqm.googlegroups.com...
Every few days when I start my car, there is a loud noise and it only
lasts for about a second. It sounds like something could be
collaborating… I’m not sure. The sound resembles the noise when I
slide on ice and the ABS kicks in, that sort of loud grinding noise
and sounds like it is coming from the same place. I am unsure if it
has anything to do with that though. It only does this once when I
start the car in the morning, and won’t happen again 3-7 days later,
and doesn’t seem to be effected by where and how I drive.

When I do drive, I also hear a clicking noise when I go over large
bumps or cracks in the road. The clicking lasts for about 5-10 clicks.
It won’t happen every time either, just randomly. It has also started
to happen when I come to a complete stop.

I have also noticed that when I start the car, and turn the lights on,
some of the lights on the dash won’t be on, and then a few seconds
later, they will pop back on. Other times, when I turn the lights on,
for about a second, none of the lights on the dash will be on, and
then they will all come on.

One last issue, when the car starts, sometimes the engine RPMs are
going really fast, and sometimes pulses up and down really fast. Other
times, it just starts normal and sounds like nothing is wrong.

Does anyone have any advice or possible troubleshooting solutions to
the problems noted above?

Thanks

Re: 94 Honda Civic LX Sound at startup - ABS? Also, light issues, more...
 

"Michael Pardee" <null@null.org> wrote in
news:w66dnYdTf9oKBenUnZ2dnUVZ_uOdnZ2d@sedona.net:

> It took me a while to realize you have quite a list of weird (well,
> some not so weird) problems. That makes me wonder if you have the
> typical "weird symptom" producer: a loose or otherwise failed engine
> ground. The ground could be a separate braided strap between the
> engine and the chassis or it could be a moderately heavy wire from the
> battery negative terminal and the chassis. Not necessarily your
> problem, but easy to check (meaning checking for tightness at both
> ends and good condition overall) and important to rule out. I'm always
> surprised by how often bad engine grounds occur, and the symptoms are
> often noticeably strange - like the dash lights and the engine pulsing
> rapidly.
>
> For the same reason, I'd look at the electrical system in any case.
> Checks with a voltmeter, especially for AC across the battery (should
> be under 0.1 VAC) and voltage from engine to chassis (also under
> 0.1VDC), are a good place to start.
>
> Mike
>
><psonal393@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:aac53127-2e1d-429d-a302-5d9dbc540770@a12g2000yqm.googlegroups.com.
> .. Every few days when I start my car, there is a loud noise and it
> only lasts for about a second. It sounds like something could be
> collaborating… I’m not sure. The sound resembles the noise when I
> slide on ice and the ABS kicks in, that sort of loud grinding noise
> and sounds like it is coming from the same place. I am unsure if it
> has anything to do with that though. It only does this once when I
> start the car in the morning, and won’t happen again 3-7 days later,
> and doesn’t seem to be effected by where and how I drive.
>
> When I do drive, I also hear a clicking noise when I go over large
> bumps or cracks in the road. The clicking lasts for about 5-10 clicks.
> It won’t happen every time either, just randomly. It has also started
> to happen when I come to a complete stop.
>
> I have also noticed that when I start the car, and turn the lights on,
> some of the lights on the dash won’t be on, and then a few seconds
> later, they will pop back on. Other times, when I turn the lights on,
> for about a second, none of the lights on the dash will be on, and
> then they will all come on.
>
> One last issue, when the car starts, sometimes the engine RPMs are
> going really fast, and sometimes pulses up and down really fast. Other
> times, it just starts normal and sounds like nothing is wrong.
>
> Does anyone have any advice or possible troubleshooting solutions to
> the problems noted above?
>
> Thanks
>
>
>

on the RPMs,make sure your coolant level is right.
if the coolant temp sensor is not fully immersed in the coolant,then the
ECU gets wrong engine temp readings,and misadjusts the mixture.

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net

Re: 94 Honda Civic LX Sound at startup - ABS? Also, light issues,more...
 

[UPDATE]

The weekend after I wrote this, my car failed to start at all (it was
cold) which was fixed by filling the gas tank with a couple bottles of
Heat and letting the car sit for a few days to let the weather clear
up a bit. After I started driving again, all of my original problems
started to come back one at a time each day. I’ve also been having an
issue with the steering wheel that I forgot to include in my previous
post. When I start the car in cold weather, it feels like the power
steering has been disabled. Then after the car warms up, the problem
goes away. Not really a big issue, but it seems that it would also do
this when it wasn’t that cold outside, so maybe not the weather, not
sure. It just seemed to happen more often in cold weather.

The moan that I hear at startup now happens more often, just about
every other day. This is something that has been going on for a couple
years now, but seems to happen more frequently after making it through
a winter season. Once again, it only does this the first time I start
the car in the morning, and then won’t happen again for a few days.

I’ll get in the car, turn key, engine turns, engine starts, then a
half a second later is when it will make the moan sound and will only
last for about a second, then I start to drive and everything seems to
be fine and drives like nothing is wrong.

I am 90% sure that the moan is the same sound that the brakes/ABS make
when I slide on ice and definitely sounds like it comes from the same
place. The days that I would slide on ice, the sound wouldn’t happen
in the mornings after. It seemed like each time I did slide, and heard
the moan, it would reset the cycle and I wouldn’t hear the noise a few
days later.

Any suggestions on troubleshooting or possible causes are always
appreciated.

Re: 94 Honda Civic LX Sound at startup - ABS? Also, light issues,more...
 

[UPDATE]

The weekend after I wrote this, my car failed to start at all (it was
cold) which was fixed by filling the gas tank with a couple bottles of
Heat and letting the car sit for a few days to let the weather clear
up a bit. After I started driving again, all of my original problems
started to come back one at a time each day. I’ve also been having an
issue with the steering wheel that I forgot to include in my previous
post. When I start the car in cold weather, it feels like the power
steering has been disabled. Then after the car warms up, the problem
goes away. Not really a big issue, but it seems that it would also do
this when it wasn’t that cold outside, so maybe not the weather, not
sure. It just seemed to happen more often in cold weather.

The moan that I hear at startup now happens more often, just about
every other day. This is something that has been going on for a couple
years now, but seems to happen more frequently after making it through
a winter season. Once again, it only does this the first time I start
the car in the morning, and then won’t happen again for a few days.

I’ll get in the car, turn key, engine turns, engine starts, then a
half a second later is when it will make the moan sound and will only
last for about a second, then I start to drive and everything seems to
be fine and drives like nothing is wrong.

I am 90% sure that the moan is the same sound that the brakes/ABS make
when I slide on ice and definitely sounds like it comes from the same
place. The days that I would slide on ice, the sound wouldn’t happen
in the mornings after. It seemed like each time I did slide, and heard
the moan, it would reset the cycle and I wouldn’t hear the noise a few
days later.

Any suggestions on troubleshooting or possible causes are always
appreciated.

Re: 94 Honda Civic LX Sound at startup - ABS? Also, light issues, more...
 

<psonal393@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:bdb9608d-39c4-4e03-bd0d-d423128b71e0@h20g2000yqn.googlegroups.com...
[UPDATE]

The weekend after I wrote this, my car failed to start at all (it was
cold) which was fixed by filling the gas tank with a couple bottles of
Heat and letting the car sit for a few days to let the weather clear
up a bit. After I started driving again, all of my original problems
started to come back one at a time each day. I’ve also been having an
issue with the steering wheel that I forgot to include in my previous
post. When I start the car in cold weather, it feels like the power
steering has been disabled. Then after the car warms up, the problem
goes away. Not really a big issue, but it seems that it would also do
this when it wasn’t that cold outside, so maybe not the weather, not
sure. It just seemed to happen more often in cold weather.

Dunno about your other symptoms, but what you describe is commonly known as
"morning sickness." That is the result of the internal seals in the steering
rack hardening so they don't seal well when cold. After the fluid warms up a
bit the seals soften enough to seal and all is well until it gets cold
again. I don't know why the external seals don't succumb to the same problem
but (thankfully) morning sickness isn't much of a predictor for rack leaks.

Because the proper fix is replacement or rebuild of the rack (as expensive
as it sounds) a lot of people turn to additives. This is Honda power
steering so you have to be careful about what you put in the system; it's
easy to make it much worse. I have had success with Lucas power steering
additive for stopping a leak in a '93. It looks like red "engine honey" -
very thick. It comes in bottles big enough to treat a small city - you only
use a couple ounces - but the price is reasonable. You could also try
replacing the fluid with fresh genuine Honda power steering fluid - can't
hurt, might help.

I recommend you wait for the gurus to give their advice and then see what
fits your budget and tolerance of risk. You may elect to just let it ride,
especially if it happens only on really cold days. One of my previous work
trucks had morning sickness one winter and not the next. Huh.

Mike

Re: 94 Honda Civic LX Sound at startup - ABS? Also, light issues, more...
 

On Thu, 5 Mar 2009 18:17:09 -0800 (PST), psonal393@gmail.com wrote:

>[UPDATE]
>
>The weekend after I wrote this, my car failed to start at all (it was
>cold) which was fixed by filling the gas tank with a couple bottles of
>Heat and letting the car sit for a few days to let the weather clear
>up a bit. After I started driving again, all of my original problems
>started to come back one at a time each day. I’ve also been having an
>issue with the steering wheel that I forgot to include in my previous
>post. When I start the car in cold weather, it feels like the power
>steering has been disabled. Then after the car warms up, the problem
>goes away. Not really a big issue, but it seems that it would also do
>this when it wasn’t that cold outside, so maybe not the weather, not
>sure. It just seemed to happen more often in cold weather.
>
>The moan that I hear at startup now happens more often, just about
>every other day. This is something that has been going on for a couple
>years now, but seems to happen more frequently after making it through
>a winter season. Once again, it only does this the first time I start
>the car in the morning, and then won’t happen again for a few days.
>
>I’ll get in the car, turn key, engine turns, engine starts, then a
>half a second later is when it will make the moan sound and will only
>last for about a second, then I start to drive and everything seems to
>be fine and drives like nothing is wrong.
>
>I am 90% sure that the moan is the same sound that the brakes/ABS make
>when I slide on ice and definitely sounds like it comes from the same
>place. The days that I would slide on ice, the sound wouldn’t happen
>in the mornings after. It seemed like each time I did slide, and heard
>the moan, it would reset the cycle and I wouldn’t hear the noise a few
>days later.
>
>Any suggestions on troubleshooting or possible causes are always
>appreciated.


It is normal for the ABS pump to occasionally run momentarily at
startup. It may even mention it in the manual. It is also normal for
it to run momentarily after the ABS has activated although it may not
happen every time. As long as the ABS light isn't lit, just ignore
it.