Help...please...help

[treed2 at wsu.edu (T. Reed)]

> Ok let me get to the point...I saw my neighbors CRX he asked if i wanted to
> race...me being me said yes. So every thing is going fine im beating him and
> im all happy i get into 4th all ok then at about 7000 rpm (thats when i
> usually shift while racing) the car did a jerk and seemed to disingage

Okay, two points here:
- most engines (the 8v and 16v included), particularly in stock form,
  start producing less and less power above a certain rpm band. Shifting
  all the way up at 7000 will likely make you slower rather than
  faster compared to shifting sooner (ie. 4500 - 5500). You also risk
  floating valves, breaking a timing belt, blowing a head gasket, etc.
  when running the engine at such high rpms. Keep it reasonable and your
  motor will last - try to be extra cautious above 6000 rpm.
- drive your rocco however you want, but in my opinion it is foolish to
  beat on it if it has not been reasonably well-maintained. things do (and
  will) break and if this is your only car you will be screwed.
- it's (arguably) foolish to beat on it, period.. "love thy rocco"

> itself then i smelt stuff burning i looked behind me and I have a lot of
> white smoke pouring out of my car...I could still drive it home and all..now

Head gasket, most likely.

Expect $400-$600 of labor plus $25 for the gasket, $25 for the bolts. To
do it right you also need $25-$35 worth of intake gaskets and exhaust
gaskets, studs, nuts, etc. Plus drain+refill oil and coolant.

Or, learn to do it yourself and it will only cost you $50-$85. It's not
that hard but you need some slightly-special tools, a Bentley manual,
mechanical ability, organizational skills and a dry place to work. It's
not THAT bad of a job, but you must do it -right-! Don't try to half-ass
it like my friend did "i just wanted to get it done so I hurried while
tightening the bolts" and wind up breaking bolts off inside the block
(note: he also re-used the original 1981 bolts, this was on a diesel
rabbit that blew a headgasket).

(aside:)
Funny story, actually, as I _repeatedly_ insisted that he try to get the
broken bolts to turn out by notching them with a dremel tool and turning
them out with a screwdriver. I reckoned that they were very oily and no
longer under tension so they would turn right out. He ignored my advice
and began stripping the car to a shell to sell parts. He dropped the
engine (without a hoist) on the garage floor after using a die grinder to
cut the axles off (instead of selling them? talk about stupid) and
cutting the clutch/speedo cables and wiring, too . Then, for some reason,
he decided to try my method after all this and every broken bolt came
right out within 5 minutes. Dumb-ass, he could have had a running car for
the cost of head bolts. He paid $700 for the car, now he has no car (just
parts that aren't worth anything) and made an ass of himself by ignoring
my advice. It vexes me because that car had a lot of work invested in it
by my brother and I back when it belonged to my brother. Now its
dismantled and will probably be crushed as soon as he figures out he
can't get any money for the parts. A shameful waste.

> here is where the stupid part of me comes in...earlier that day my oil light
> went on i checked the oil...it was FULL....i checked again later that
> day...IT was FULL...but the light still came on!! ALso my E-break light is

Common issue with these cars. I fought it until I did my 2l swap. Try
replacing the senders (several bucks a pop).. check the oil pressure
with a gauge if possible. If your pump is bad it will take your engine
with it in short order. Also sometimes the circuit board in the dash goes
bad.. try smacking the dash (but be gentle) and see if the light goes out.

> coming on once in a while randomly (thats been happening for the past 2
> days)...can any one help me...I think Im in  a very deep hole right now.
> ALso shouldnt a sports car be able to be pushed all the way once in a
> while...its not like i do it every day...thats actually the first time i
> pushed it that far all the way.

Okay, that's part of the problem. You should get to know your car well
before racing it. This applies to engine as well as handling and braking
characteristics. Otherwise, you're just being stupid. Like driving 100 moh
on a very windy road you've never been on before. There could be a hairpin
turn, a rockslide, a stranded vehicle around a blind corner, etc.

You get the point.

BTW don't drive your car any more until you get it fixed. You risk burning
off all your coolant, overheating and warping the head (~$150 for a used
head.. assuming you have a 16v).

-Toby