1st gen crx hf
 

About a year ago I learned about the crx hf and was quite taken with it. I found a 1987 all busted up and put it back together. These are great little cars.

This last week though, it lost it's idle. It will warm up at high idle fine, drop to an intermediate setting o.k., but when it warms up to normal operating idle it just dies.

I can't seem to find anyone familiar with the carbureted version of the crx.

Does anyone have any ideas?

Watson

I don't know much about the carbbed crxs, but a user named Ryland might.

Welcome to the site!

I know very little about carburetted engines, but most carburettors run several different fuel jets. Each is involved is a specific phase of engine warm-up (fast idle, idle, etc.). If you haven't, I would check to make sure the jets aren't clogged.

Hopefully someone else will be more helpful. BTW, I'd try www.crxcommunity.com. They mostly deal with 2nd gen. stuff, but many are knowledgeable and I've seen a few 1st gen. owners do rebuilds/etc.

Sounds like the regular idle jet is FUBAR, but honestly don't know enough about Hondas to say more. On a happy note, if that's really all it is $15 worth of parts and a half-hour sets everything back to rights.

Can you keep it running if you keep the throttle open?

vacuum leak? try spraying a little ether around various hoses, intake manifold, etc. if the engine rev's, you've found the leak

clogged jets? If I couldn't find a leak, I'd rebuild the carb. It's fun, and the kit should only cost $10 or 15.

Welcome to the community.

Yeah, as long as I can heel and toe on those little peddles, it just keeps on keeping on, but my wife sure doesn't like it!

I've done top end rebuilds on three of these carburetors, they are pretty easy, about $40 from the auto parts store for the rebuild kit, and it's pretty easy, pull the air cleaner housing off, disconnect about 4 hoses, remove about 7 small bolts from the top of the carburetor, and I think one small linkage and pull the top of the carburetor off, clean out all the jets with some carburetor cleaner, clean the gunk out of the fuel bowl, and put it back together.
the rebuild kits have the top gasket, accelerator pump, float valve, O-rings, and a few other odd parts, including some spare parts that you can't use (really).
other bits of advice: the fuel level is adjusted by the Yellow painted brass screw on the top of the carburetor, don't try to remove that screw when taking stuff apart, but do, before you pull the top of the carburetor off, check the fuel leavle in the 1/2" round window in the side of the carburetor, it will need to be cleaned first, fuel should be in the center of that window if the car had been running recently, or is currently running and is on level ground, it's hard to see in the window but if you rock the car slightly you can get it to slosh.
the accelerator pump is on the back side of the carburetor, check it for leaks, to find the pump pull on the throttle cable a little, it's a pain to get to, but if it's leaking at all the car will work better if it's not dumping gas on the ground.
Also, as tempting as it is, don't try to get rid of all those vacuum hoses, there is around 57 of them under there, and they all have a job to do, including about 15 of them that cut fuel when you take your foot of the accelerator and are going down a hill, this saves gas and keeps your engine from burning valves or pistons, there is also a 1 1/2" flexible tube that goes from your exhaust manifold to your air intake, it is part of the thermostatically controlled warm air intake if that tube is not there it will screw with your idle, make your car burn more gas and increase the chances of it over heating, I've replaced the vacuum motor that opens the little flap for that warm air intake hose as well, pulling the little diaphragm doohickey out of the air intake, and sucking on where the hose hooks on to should make it move, and it should stay, if it has a leak it will move back to it's relaxed position by it's self.

If you have any other questions I'll do my best to answer them.

Thank a lot, this gives me a project for sunday.....You don't have a diagram do you?

Watson

Not exactly a diagram but how about a Complete Dealer Shop Manual? in PDF form?

Otherwise I tend to check the Dealer Parts List, as they have drawings of all the parts in an exploded view.