Rep Power: 0

Hello just recently my 1992 Honda civic vx 1.5l started shaking for the first few seconds when I start it up. It was only a very short duration at first. However it had started to shake for longer and longer. It's not cold outside. So that's not a part of the equation. It seems to shake now for an average of 5-10 seconds pretty rough before it stops on its own. Idle is normal. About 1 1/2rpms then levels out to 1 to .6rpms.

I am very good about maintenance and change the oil every 1500 miles.

Anyone have any idea what may be causing this shaking, whether it's a very bad sign or not, and how to go about fixing it?

 
Rep Power: 518

Is it a misfire? Dead cylinder misfire?
Does it smoke?

Get it on a cold startup where it shakes, and shut it off before it comes out of it.
Pull the spark plugs out and see if any are wet.
Then figure out what the wet is...antifreeze, gasoline, or oil.


Has it been losing coolant? Is the radiator low?

 
Rep Power: 0

Well I replaced my battery terminals which were terrible and could not get very tight. Since I replaced them it seems to start up faster and not shake. I'm 99% sure it's a lack of power issue. My battery needs replacing as well I believe.

the coolant hasn't been topped off in 3 months and it's still almost full. The reservoir is empty after 3 months but it's a very slow leak and I cannot locate where it's going. Is it normal for them to lose a little coolant over months?

I didn't have time to pull the plugs but I do not believe any of the cylinders have problems. At least the compression was very good in them all last time they were checked less than 20k miles ago.

I've ordered a HO alt and new battery. Already have done the big 3. I'll post again when I upgrade the battery and alt and see if that solves the issue completely.

 
Rep Power: 518

Yes and no.....Ideally it's a no, but some just do.
Some use more than others. Even newer cars. Some might be attributed to evaporation, since the reservoir is considered an open container.

I notice a lot of Hondas that need the reservoir topped up at the time of an oil change or other service, so I refill and don't think much of it unless I smell hot coolant when it comes in or I can locate the usual evidence of a slow coolant leak somewhere.

I can't keep track of individual cars though, and I usually don't know if anyone else refills the reservoirs during service.




Keep an eye on it.
It's up to you to never let it get too low before refilling, and make sure the radiator is full too.

 
Rep Power: 0

Glad to know that.

I usually keep it topped as much as it will take. I do have quite a bit of experience working on vehicles. But I'm paranoid easily as well. I've put over 2.5k in parts just as preventive maintenance on my little honda. I love it dearly and am trying to run it to a million plus miles.

 
Rep Power: 518

You can't keep the bottle completely full to the top, there has to be room for expansion.

The full line or max line is usually somewhere close to the middle of the bottle.

 
Rep Power: 0

I was referring to keeping the radiator itself for-sure topped off. I always fill it with 70/30 mix then top off while it's running with 50/50 as described in the best manual I could find on them. I always open the bleed valve as well to ensure no air is trapped in the system. My cooling system is mostly brand new.

I have never filled the overflow past the max fill line. I spent a lot of dough and upgraded to an all aluminum racing grade dual core radiator. (Not that I'd ever treat one of the best economy cars ever made like a race car...)