First off thank you for reading this. I appreciate any help I can get. I am 21 years old and own a 1992 civic with 192k miles on it. Recently my battery light in my car has came on. I kind of figured that my alternator was going bad. I remember reading it in the manual when I got the car with 175k miles on it. I went to a gas station on my way home to see what they could tell me, they were closed and I went to turn my car back on and it wouldnt start. I got a jump and it is now parked safe. What I a, trying to figure out is...is it my alternator or my battery... im assuming alternator.

Also my cars RPM's seem to bounce when im in idle.... like in neutral or park... what is the cause of that.

A friend of mine an hour away is a mechanic, but he is unreachable. Im going to get a major service tune up on my car very soon. All I can think of is the following, my car has not been serviced in a while, the friend that owned the car bought it with 135k miles on it for 3 grand from a dealer, and its beena great car to him. He really didnt do any service to it besides like oil and tires and stuff like that no plugs or wires etc....what im thinking about doing is...

1. Spark plugs
2. Spark plug wires
3. Air filter
4. Fuel filter
5. Oil change
6. Oil filter
7. Alternator
8. Battery


Anything else you guys can thnk of? Much appreciated!!!

 

.................please

 

OK. the no start is probably the alternator. If you were able to jump and run the battery should be fine. Now the fluctuating idle could be a vacuum leak or a faulty IACV. Check for vacuum leaks first. And add a cap and rotor to the list of parts to be replaced, please.

 

BTW where are you from?

P.S. ricers are not found on this forum

 

im from MD,

i just hate ricers and i have a civic because my family needs a good reliable car not a freakin farting machine down the streets!

i almost forogt a cap and rotor! thanks!

 

LOL....good point on ricers. Btw civics are great cars. I've been trough 2 and I highly enjoyed both. My last one clocked just a tad bit over 200K before getting totalled.I would also change the belts while at it...they're only like $10 a piece and they must be pretty worn out

 

Your PCV valve could probably be replaced also. If you have ever heard of seafoam thats always something good to do before you change the oil.

 

Oh yes. Seafoam is great. If you have an Advance auto aprts next to you they should carry it.

 

see my friend who bought the car got a deal on it. It was 135 miles on 92 civic...from a dealer and it was marketed at "6k" when he bought it... thats what he says... he got it for 3k, put it up to about 175k or so and sold it to me for $1250. Great car so far for me, I just dont want to kill the thing without giving it service. Anything you guys think I need that wont cost me an arm and a leg, I will buy. I appreciate all responses!

 

http://replacement.car-stuff.com/par...howdc=true#top

that is the vaccum I was talking about that slit earlier... THANK YOU ryank327