Honda Prelude Forum - PreludeDriver.com

Hello, this will be my first post and probably a little long-winded but to provide some background:

I purchased a '92 Prelude with a F22A stock engine. After about three months of incredibly light driving, the engine gave out on the highway. This incident forced my hand in buying a new engine and I purchased a JDM engine with transmission (transmission issues were present in the car already). The JDM engine I placed along with the transmission had approximately 30,000 miles on it and from the mechanics that got a chance to look at it, they continually raved about how it is practically new and in amazing shape. However, I have just completed the engine swap and it is in running condition but still have a few issues with it:

1. The car vibrates a great deal almost making driving unbearable. I was told by my mechanic that the front motor mount is broken and replacing it will remove the vibrating issue. With that said, which type of engine mount should I buy if I am more concerned with a comfortable ride rather than its performance? Also, would it behoove me to change all the motor mounts and not just one to insure everything runs smoothly from here on out? I need a reliable ride as I will be commuting about 60 miles a day in about 5 months for school.

2. The car handles very well but seems, in my estimation, a little labored when accelerating. What could be possible issues leading to this labored acceleration?

3. Another issue is the computers. The computers that came stock with my car showed certain problem indicator lights like Check Engine, Oil Leak, Brake Lamp, etc. However, with my mechanics assurance, those issues have been dealt with but the error messages still appear. My mechanic said that is because I don't have a JDM computer engine and instead just the one that came stock with my car so that is the reason for the problem. However, if he is true in his assessment, what can I do about getting the right computer on the car? I would like to know if there is an issue with the car and at this point I have no way of knowing because of the engine computer issues. Likewise, same issues with the transmission computer, the 'D4' light continues to blink and my mechanic reassures me that it is because a new computer needs to be placed in the car.

4. My odometer is also simply not moving at all. It use to work intermittently before the engine swap and now it simply doesn't move. Is there any other additional information I could provide to someone that might lead them to figuring out wha tthe problem is or some simple troubleshooting I could do as an individual with no experience whatsoever with cars? I got a $220 initial estimate just to figure out the problem and that is money I cannot afford right now.

5. And finally, with having a broken motor mount my mechanic mentioned that he tuned my car in a way where it doesn't vibrate when driving, but instead vibrates a little in idle. But it also makes a very noticeable revving sound, where the RPM's go up by itself in idle and it also makes a jerking type of sound, like a belt is being pressured or not going through smoothly. At one point during the engine swap, there was an issue with a pulley and the revving sounds coupled with this fact is what concerns me. Any clues as far as what this might be and how serious an issue it could become?

Thank you for any help, I'm really left in the lurch and need to figure out how to address some of these issues. Thanks again.

Welcome to the forums. Glad you're here.

1: Bad engine mounts due cause terrible vibration. I'd get stock ones (from Honda, if possible) if you're interested in a comfortable ride. Most aftermarket engine mounts are firmed up to give better response. Firmer engine mounts will transmit more vibrations and will make things less comfortable in the car.

2: Could be any number of things. Tires are low on air. E-Brake sticking on. Filthy injectors. Plugged up catalytic converter. Bad spark plugs, poor timing. Does the engine run well and never skip a beat? or is it sputtering around?

3: If you ECU is compatible with the engine that you have, you should be able to get the light to go away once all is running as it should. What are the trouble codes that the ECU is giving you? You need to know what it is complaining about to see if it is something that can be addressed. This goes for the tranny as well. For the tranny, I believe that there is a manual in the manuals section (see top of screen) that has the error codes for the tranny. Have a look there.

4: A lot of people with 4th generation preludes have trouble with their VSS (Vehicle Speed Sensor). I've heard of this after an engine swap to a JDM engine on more than one occasion. You need to chase down this sensor and make sure all is wired correctly and the sensor itself is working alright. This is likely the problem.

5: Not sure what you mean here. Can you clarify? Do you mean that the idle is bouncing up and down?

Forgot to mention:

Here's how you can check your ECU codes:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=14

spiffyguido wrote:Welcome to the forums. Glad you're here.

1: Bad engine mounts due cause terrible vibration. I'd get stock ones (from Honda, if possible) if you're interested in a comfortable ride. Most aftermarket engine mounts are firmed up to give better response. Firmer engine mounts will transmit more vibrations and will make things less comfortable in the car.

2: Could be any number of things. Tires are low on air. E-Brake sticking on. Filthy injectors. Plugged up catalytic converter. Bad spark plugs, poor timing. Does the engine run well and never skip a beat? or is it sputtering around?

3: If you ECU is compatible with the engine that you have, you should be able to get the light to go away once all is running as it should. What are the trouble codes that the ECU is giving you? You need to know what it is complaining about to see if it is something that can be addressed. This goes for the tranny as well. For the tranny, I believe that there is a manual in the manuals section (see top of screen) that has the error codes for the tranny. Have a look there.

4: A lot of people with 4th generation preludes have trouble with their VSS (Vehicle Speed Sensor). I've heard of this after an engine swap to a JDM engine on more than one occasion. You need to chase down this sensor and make sure all is wired correctly and the sensor itself is working alright. This is likely the problem.

5: Not sure what you mean here. Can you clarify? Do you mean that the idle is bouncing up and down?

Thank you for the welcome and also thanks a million for the response. It is really incredibly appreciated.

1. Speaking to problem one and your suggestion, I just purchased one from AutoZone, a DEA and this is what the item description reads "DEA is the aftermarket's leading supplier of engine mounts. We offer hydraulic and rubber mounts available for OE fit. The mounts are designed to maximize dampening of engine vibration." Was this a bad move on my part if I am interested in the comfort-ability of my ride? If so, any suggestions as far as where I might get a new stock Honda mount?

2. Speaking to your second point, this actually was another question I had, the engine doesn't run smoothly all the time. It doesn't smoothly decelerate, the major issue I noticed today after driving it for a few hours. Also, when I am accelerating, it seems to "kick-in" and go faster. It is close to how it feels when a person quickly changes gear on a manual car (my car is an automatic), an initial kick-back in the car and than it begins to accelerate faster. Could this problem be addressed if I troubleshoot the possible problem areas you mentioned like the air pressure on the tires, the E-Brake sticking on, injectors, catalytic converter, spark plugs and timing? Also, I don't believe it is the tire pressure or the e-brake sticking on (which I believe means it just being on rather than off). Is there anywhere, like a "how-to" you can direct me towards for checking on the catalytic converter, spark plugs, and the timing?

3. Speaking to your third point, how would I know if my ECU is compatible with my JDM engine? Its the stock computer from a '92 but the mechanic said certain sensors are just not plugged in anywhere because they don't have a corresponding slot in either the engine or the computer. Does this mean my computer isn't compatible with my engine and if so, where can I find and how can I know what is compatible? The error codes I am getting as of now is 'Check Engine' and 'Brake Lamp'. Both come on after I have been driving for 10-15 minutes and don't go away after they light up. On the transmission side, the 'D4' light continues to blink which I believe indicates some type of transmission problem. The mechanic assured me the transmission, like the engine is installed properly and the error message is coming up because I have my old computer in with the new engine and transmission. Is this a correct assignment on their end or just an easy answer to give an uninformed customer?

4. Speaking to your fourth point, how would I chase down the sensor and is their any how-to that you can guide me to in regards to doing the trouble-shooting that you mentioned?

5. And speaking to your fifth and final point, without speaking technically (as I may be using the wrong terminology) but when the car is in Park, the engine just revs up on its own going up to about the '2' on the rpm gauge and back down, continually until I start driving again. The mechanic explained this, and the accompanying very strained belt jerking type sound as an affect of the way he tuned the car to minimize the vibration. He said in order to mitigate the vibration, this occurrence is part of the trade-off. He said he could tune it so it doesn't do that anymore, but it would increase the vibration if he did. Assuming this is correct, this problem should go away after I replace the motor mount and the car is re-tuned. In any event though, any help with correcting this problem now is greatly appreciated. Thanks a million for the help.

Also, if it helps any with point 5, I can take a video with sound to show what I mean more clearly. Let me know if necessary. Thanks again.