New Member 2.3

audioecology · Post by **audioecology** » Thu Jul 17, 2014 9:51 pm

Just got a 4th gen 2.3i Auto with 100k on the clock. Considering whether I should try and change the belt on it myself or get someone qualified to do it. Loving the car, want to take care of it!

89 UKDM BA4 4WS (resto job!) · Post by **wurlycorner** » Fri Jul 18, 2014 11:00 am

Welcome, great that you're pleased with it - they are great cars

And the 2.3 is a good (and relatively rare) engine, as well.

Do you mean cambelt or drive belt?
Drive belts are easy, although the alternator tensioner can be a pain to suss out and fiddly to access

If you've done cambelts before, the cambelt on an H23 shouldn't really give you anything new to worry about. I haven't done one on a H series engine yet (been too busy to do them myself plus there was a time when it was cheap enough to get Honda to do it, that it wasn't worth thinking about!) From what I hear, access isn't necessarily the easiest and the bottom pulleys can be a right sod to remove by all accounts. Other than that, the H23 has a manual tensioner so none of the complication of making sure the auto tensioner is carefully removed so it doesn't explode (like on H22's)

Post up some pics of the car when you can and whereabouts you are?

mills · Post by **mills** » Fri Jul 18, 2014 11:14 am

Welcome to LG

mart609 · Post by **mart609** » Fri Jul 18, 2014 6:13 pm

Hi and welcome

Post by **Doggo** » Fri Jul 18, 2014 6:59 pm

Welcome in

Rudelude · Post by **Rudelude** » Fri Jul 18, 2014 9:28 pm

Is that the nice looking 2.3 that was for sale on autotrader...looked v.nice if it is....

audioecology · Post by **audioecology** » Mon Oct 13, 2014 9:31 pm

Whoa guys, I didn't have any email notifications, so I completely missed your replies! It's been a while and after pouring over the service manual, I decided to pay someone to do it. I just paid 620 quid to have all the drive belts, the cambelt including balancer shaft belt, water pump, engine and transmission oil, fuel and oil filters, spark plugs, rocker cover gasket (it was sweating oil) and finally a new radiator - done!

Since July when I got the car, she's put on 7k miles, (that's before the epic service unfortunately), it has 107k in total and Iove it. Usual niggles include 4ws warning coming on intermittently, although it has worked for the last month without a glitch and is good fun taking sharp corners. I can feel slight play in front suspension and I have minute vibrations coming through steering at 60mph. I had 4 new (part worn) tires put on and all 4 wheels balanced. The guy spent half an hour balancing the rear wheels, which are the stock 15 inch alloys, all could do with a refurb.

Yes, she was the nice looking one on auto trader for £695, but she's not so pretty upfront. Rear arches already touched up, and bubbling, the touch-up having been a horrendous job. More touch-ups up front and most notably the sunroof has seen things coming down from the sky and has been painted (with what looks like a paintbrush) and is rusting. Still up for doing her up and perhaps a colour change.

On the TODO list is a new exhaust system (perhaps all the way from manifold to back box), current one already blowing somewhere midway between the wheels, brake pads (disks?) and then I would love to do something about the suspension. She's a project all right

I am slightly concerned with what may be a very slight tappet in the valve train, the mechanic did confirm that there is something there, but we decided to first see how she gets on with fresh oil. I asked him to also sort out the valves, but I have heard that them shimmed valves are a lengthy and thus very expensive mission. Then I heard that when doing the cambelt you're halfway there.

I will end with a puzzling question - yesterday under the glovebox I noticed a dangling PCB board! What the hell, no cover what so ever, quite complicated looking thing. Also some two other connectors with pins shorted with jumper cables. I looked into the service manuals again, but the only thing I can figure is that the connectors are for service, but the pcb - could it be alarm, or SRS airbag?

I'm in Dalston, east London.

Peace!

prahunt · Post by **prahunt** » Mon Oct 13, 2014 9:55 pm

Get some pics up. Want to see this beauty.

89 UKDM BA4 4WS (resto job!) · Post by **wurlycorner** » Wed Oct 15, 2014 11:46 pm

Dangling pcb? How big? First thoughts going on that location would be the resistor pack for the fan, but difficult to say without knowing the size, or pics.

The service connector is a blue 2 pin plug located behind the centre console under the radio. That is one connector for the engine, 4ws and ABS ECU's. Next to it in the same location is a grey 3 pin plug. Neither should have any jumper connection on them as standard, but both have a dummy socket that they plug into, for storage purposes.

For the intermittent 4ws fault, the first thing to do is to pull the fault code and tell us what that is.