7 symptoms, one problem?

lil_wilde

New Member
5+ Year Member
OK, so there are several problems with my car so I figured this time I would post them all in one since they might be related. It’s a 1991 Honda Civic Hatchback, 1.5L automatic.

1- I’m getting code 16 from the ECU.
2- The car sometimes won’t start after I have driven it somewhere, stopped for a few minutes and then tried to go again. If I let it sit for a few minutes it will eventually start.
3- The car doesn’t respond to gas sometimes. I will press the gas pedal but it won’t accelerate right away and then I’ll push harder and it suddenly shoots ahead.
4- I seem to be leaking coolant but I’m not positive because there is no puddle. I replaced the radiator when it cracked and added coolant until it appeared to be full but I didn’t bleed the coolant system. When I drove it overheated so I checked and it needed more coolant. I thought maybe if there was air in there it had come out and I was now able to completely fill it up but then it overheated again so I had to add more coolant. Was there that much air trapped or am I losing coolant somewhere?
5- There is a small engine oil leak from the front driver’s side but I haven’t noticed it as much lately.
6- There is a small amount of smoke that comes from under the manifold cover sometimes.
7- There seems to be a lot of exhaust smoke. It is white and could be I’m only
noticing it because of the cold weather lately but it seems suspicious.

I have recently changed the ignition coil in the distributer and like I said I changed the radiator. I had problems 1 and 2 since I bought the car 4 months ago but the other problems are more recent, since the rad. cracked and I overheated it.

I have the Hayes manual and I’m willing to get my hands dirty if it saves me money but I don’t even know where to start.
 

SourPanch

Project Smurf
5+ Year Member
3. might be a loose throttle cable.
4. check your overflow levels, vary?
5. Are you sure its engine oil? power steering commonly leaks in that area.
6. Could be that lost coolant
 


jada64

New Member
5+ Year Member
Sounds like you blew a headgasket to me. does the exhaust smell sweet, like coolant?
 

lil_wilde

New Member
5+ Year Member
ok, is there some way I can find out for sure if its the head gasket?
 


irbryanxp

New Member
5+ Year Member
I'm having similar problems with my 88 civic.
1) I have a small oil leak on the front drivers side of the engine
2) I have some white exhaust also mostly when i give it gas
3) The car stalls after the engine warms up, only if I stop without giving it gas. When it does stall I have to wait about 20 minutes before it will start up again
4) Let me know what you find out.
 

RonJ

Banned
White smoke + loosing coolant = blown head gasket

Code 16 + won't start = bad main relay

Hesitation = do a basic ignition system tune up
 

lil_wilde

New Member
5+ Year Member
Well, I did a compression test and all the cylinders were the same but "low". Oil looks fine, no bubbles in the rad. Don't think it's a head gasket problem, think it was just a matter of not bleeding the coolant system and there really was THAT much air in there cuz the coolant stays full now.

BUT there is still the problem of the code 16. I know it means fuel injection systme but where to start...
I think Ill post a new thread about the code 16 alone.
Thanks for your help.
 

lil_wilde

New Member
5+ Year Member
Also, I have changed the main relay and still get code 16 and both relays look good to me.
 


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