I just got a 91 Civic Si from my brother for free (great deal huh?). It has 216,xxx miles on it and still running strong! But it has an idle problem after it warms up and if sitting at a stoplight or fast food drive-thru it starts to smell like gas, or possibly exhaust, in the cabin really bad. It gets to the point, if I have to sit there really long, that I have to open all the windows and sun roof, and sometimes that doesnt even help. It starts burning my throat from having to breathe it. Which obviously is not good.
The car is otherwise in really good shape, besides some minor things that need to be dealt with.
My brother did mention he thought it was time for a new cat converter. I'm not saying he's wrong, but it seems to me there's something else going on here, as well as possibly a bad cat.
The idling problem starts up after the car is at normal operating temp, not while its warming up. So once it is completely warmed up, it bobs up and down from about 1,000 rpm to anywhere from 1500-2000 rpm. Back and forth, up and down... constantly. Then the gas/exhaust smells starts. It does not effect the way the car drives at all. Just while idling. Once the car is moving, its fine and the smell starts to go away, although not completely.
Give me all you got, I want this car to last because its currently pulling down 35-40 mpg for me! Thanks!
The car is otherwise in really good shape, besides some minor things that need to be dealt with.
My brother did mention he thought it was time for a new cat converter. I'm not saying he's wrong, but it seems to me there's something else going on here, as well as possibly a bad cat.
The idling problem starts up after the car is at normal operating temp, not while its warming up. So once it is completely warmed up, it bobs up and down from about 1,000 rpm to anywhere from 1500-2000 rpm. Back and forth, up and down... constantly. Then the gas/exhaust smells starts. It does not effect the way the car drives at all. Just while idling. Once the car is moving, its fine and the smell starts to go away, although not completely.
Give me all you got, I want this car to last because its currently pulling down 35-40 mpg for me! Thanks!
Mar 3, 2007 at 4:05 PM