Non-working reverse lights and fuel smell

Third Generation Honda Prelude topics

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jimshah
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Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Oct 12, 2009 8:31 pm

Non-working reverse lights and fuel smell

Post by jimshah »

I wanted to check if anyone can tell me why my reverse lights are not working. I've checked all the fuses that I can find, and looked at the bulbs. I can't find anything wrong, just have no back-up lights. All the other lights are working. The only other electrical issue is that the lighter doesn't work. Am I missing something?
Another question: There's a gasoline smell in the car, that kind of comes and goes, but it's stronger when the heater fan is on. Should I be looking for a leak somewhere. perhaps a fuel line? Is this a safety issue I need to be concerned about? Again, I appreciate any insights. Thanks!

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spiffyguido
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Prelude Model: 1991 SE-SR
Location: Alberta, Canada
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Re: Non-working reverse lights and fuel smell

Post by spiffyguido »

Do you have an automatic or 5-spd?

If all the fuses and bulbs are good, it could be that the switch itself isn't working. When you put the car into reverse gear thee is a switch that closes to make the reverse lights come on. The circuits for this system will be detailed in the manual which is available in our manuals section. I'd suggest taking a look there to see if you can identify additional areas of the circuit that you haven't checked. Page 16-142 in the 1988 manual is a good place to start.

Regarding the fuel smell: I'm going to ask a few follow-up questions.

Are you sure that what you're smelling is fuel (gasoline) and not another fluid like antifreeze. Sometimes people will complain that when they run the heater they smell antifreeze inside the car. This is caused by a coolant leak in the heating system and will result in an icky film of antifreeze on the inside of the windows.

If you're sure that what you smell is fuel, then there must be a leak somewhere. Do you have any reason to believe that your car is running really rich? Is your engine throwing any error codes? Is there a bad exhaust leak that might be putting some fumes into an area where they could be picked up and put into the cabin of the car. Have a look around under the hood for any fuel leak, and if you find one, fix it right away!

jimshah
Prelude Enthusiast
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Oct 12, 2009 8:31 pm

Re: Non-working reverse lights and fuel smell

Post by jimshah »

Thanks for the response. I'll check out the switch for the reverse lights and let you know.

To answer your questions: My car is a 5-speed, and I'm pretty sure that I'm smelling fuel. That is to say, I think I would recognize antifreeze smell. I haven't seen any engine error codes, but the other issues are something I can check out. How would I know if the engine is running too rich? The car always starts right up, and seems to run well, although it does sometimes idle a little strong. I've read on the forum that that's not uncommon for this vehicle. I've also been surprised that my mileage isn't as good as I had hoped (I'm getting around the mid 20's). Would this be an indicator?

Thanks!

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spiffyguido
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Joined: Fri Nov 11, 2005 2:55 am
Prelude Model: 1991 SE-SR
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Re: Non-working reverse lights and fuel smell

Post by spiffyguido »

There are several ways to tell if a car is running rich. Poor fuel economy offers a hint, but to really know, here are a few other things that you can check out.

Stand behind your car while it is running. If you can smell gasoline in the exhaust, that's a sign of an engine running rich. Don't breath the exhaust because it's not good for your health, just try to get a whiff in your nose of the smell. If you car is running REALLY rich, the exhaust will also make your eyes burn a bit from the fuel vapors being ejected out the back of the car.

Another, and more reliable method of determining if a car is running rich is to pull out the spark plugs and check to see if they are all fouled up with carbon and other blackish deposits. Spark plugs should be free of any deposits when they are taken out. If they're not, that's a bad sign.

For good measure, I would suggest running a container of injector cleaning through the car for good measure if you haven't done so recently. If the needle valves in the injectors are all gooed up, they might be dribbling in between engine strokes, which will give you both an odor and bad fuel economy.



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