18 replies to this topic

[jdmjeff]

i bought a 3rd gen civic about a month ago and it took a lot to crank it! Well i went to pep-boys and got a new fuel filter (both of them) well it still took a lot of work to crank it up....wweellll i found a little lever under the steering wheel and it had an arrow pointing down and i pulled it and she turned over and ran! BUT the catch is that she still wont idol when i go to drive her!

Well i was just wondering what is still wrong with my car? help me RPR

thanks, JDMJEFF

[hoopty dx]

I dunno.. I accidentally broke that thing off

[jdmjeff]

^^ oh damn that sux... but does anyone know??

[3gencivic]

um if im not mistaking that lever is your tilt steering, next time you pull it down try movign your steering whell up and down.

if your a choke its on the dash above the coin box and will have a 1inch or so size knob on it that you pull OUT and it clicks 2 times when pulled all the way out.
and usally has a :-: on it

[bigk3000]

if its carbed.. then yes it has a choke... unless the US ones had electric chokes?? but i doubt it..

either way put your finger in the carb and play with the choke plate..

[stoner]

if its carbed.. then yes it has a choke...  unless the US ones had electric chokes?? but i doubt it..

either way put your finger in the carb and play with the choke plate..

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

once its running, push that lever back to where it was. thats prly why u can't idle, the choke is open

[3gencivic]

opps i forgot us had auto chokes the rest of the post still stands, that lever is your tilt steering and has nothing todo with startign the car.

if you have a manuel choke then you will have the konb above the coin box you cant miss it. its beside the dimmer for your dash lights.

[jdmjeff]

OK well.. it is the choke!!!! the car has trouble starting till i pull the lever! LOL i didnt see it until today! but it still doesnt wanna run right it drives fine but wants to stall after the rpms drop? i drained out the gas, new fuel filters but im still having problems! the car was sitting for a year but before that she ran fine HELP!!!

[hoopty dx]

what else did you do? give it a regular tune up...plugs nd stuff?

[jdmjeff]

what else did you do? give it a regular tune up...plugs nd stuff?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

yeah but i dont think thats it... i guess ill take it to a shop OH WELL

[DarkHand]

My guess is an electrical problem of some sort.

Since you're in the US, you more than likely don't have a manual choke, as all US cars had automatic chokes. The lever you're describing is indeed the tilt steering, but there alot of electrical connections in the column... Perhaps moving the steering wheel tilt around is jostling some wires and making/breaking a connection?

Edited by DarkHand, 03 August 2005 - 08:39 AM.

[Surestick]

Uhhhh... guys....
Maybe I'm stating the obvious here but you don't just use the choke just to get the engine started, you use it to richen the mixture & keep it running until it's warm enough to idle w/o choke.
On my CRX it needs choke (generally just the first of the three stops on the choke knob) until the temp needle is on the bottom red line on the temp guage.
Depends on OAT though, if it's really cold out it will need it until the needle is a bit higher.

Starting procedure depends on OAT & whether the motor is warm from being used earlier in the day.
During the summer on a couple of pumps of the throttle plus the first click of choke is generally enough to get it started & I can stop using choke after a couple of blocks.
In cold weather (15C or less) it generally needs the second or third click of choke to get started & takes a bit longer before I can stop using the choke.

If the motor is warm - no choke needed.


Edit - just saw the posts about electrical choke on USDM cars. You should still be able to see the choke plate w/the air filter housing lid off. It should be easy enough to check it's operation with a helper to try & start the engine & play w/the tilt steering.


Edit 2 - Just re-read my post & realised it sounded a bit preachy... It was intended to be informative.

Edited by Surestick, 03 August 2005 - 03:20 PM.

[JEFFtheJ00la]

on both crx's i own the elsectric chokes dont work. you just have to go for a drive around the block (or in my case a lap around the circle track in my back yard, hehehehe)

[I are Corey]

OK well.. it is the choke!!!! the car has trouble starting till i pull the lever! LOL i didnt see it until today! but it still doesnt wanna run right it drives fine but wants to stall after the rpms drop? i drained out the gas, new fuel filters but im still having problems! the car was sitting for a year but before that she ran fine HELP!!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

if you're still talking about the tilt steering wheel lever...

[fastcivic]

Here is a way to tell if you are pulling the tilt or the choke, when you pull it straight out and then let go does it spring back in. The choke as you pull it out will click about 3 times, and stay out, the tilt will spring back in, for the tilt to work you have to pull it out then push it down and then the will moves up and down.