Can anyone help me with Honda problem?

Dysfunction · Feb 1, 2010

and no the problem isn't that they keep trying to race me..

My gf has a 97 Civic that i've started to do maintenance stuff on, usual plugs, wires, cap, rotor. Well the car has been having a "surge" issues. Say you're driving and accelerating normally the car will kind of buck, kind of like it would if you hit the throttle and let off rapidly. I'm not sure what would cause this, whether it be spark fuel or air related? I've been thinkin O2 sensors, but i'm not sure if they'd cause a bucking problem.

Any help is appreciated.. I really don't wanna go to a honda forum... :sad5: lol

birel21y · Feb 1, 2010

Sounds like a sudden fuel/spark problem. Start looking for shorts. test your fuel pressure. Was this happening before you did the tune up?

Javi · Feb 1, 2010

here in sn95 we dont discriminate lol

birel21y · Feb 1, 2010

Javi, Do you now have girls molesting your car?

white 98 gt · Feb 1, 2010

i had an 01 altima with similiar issues. if i remember right, it was supposed to be a vacuum leak problem , at the intake manifold i believe. never fixed it. just drove it then sold it.

2slo95fiveoh · Feb 1, 2010

older hondas tend to have idle surge problems when the coolant is low (weird i know).. not sure if a 97 is old enough for that though...
Is the car throwing a check engine light? I would check the easy/cheap things first (vacuum lines, loose wire connections, etc..).

dafizuck · Feb 1, 2010

I had that problem with my 00 contour svt. For my situation, turned out to be a bad fuel pump.

MustangChris · Feb 1, 2010

sound like a vacuum leak to me. id check around and listen under the hood... clean the mass air flow.

does it idle okay?

id check the dizzy, make sure the contact points are clean.

clean the battery terminals.

make sure the spark plug wires are on tight.

check your fuel pressure.

replace fuel filter.
replace air filter, (why not... its only $3.99.. . lol)

get back to us...

if that doesnt work, do a B18 swap, quad v-tek, and a big single turbo, Yo....
(I couldnt help it)

Dysfunction · Feb 1, 2010

MustangChris said:
sound like a vacuum leak to me. id check around and listen under the hood... clean the mass air flow.

does it idle okay?

id check the dizzy, make sure the contact points are clean.

clean the battery terminals.

make sure the spark plug wires are on tight.

check your fuel pressure.

replace fuel filter.
replace air filter, (why not... its only $3.99.. . lol)

get back to us...

if that doesnt work, do a B18 swap, quad v-tek, and a big single turbo, Yo....
(I couldnt help it)

Haha. I'm not even gonna comment on that..

Anyway yes it was doin the same thing before the plugs n such. I'll look around the engine bay for Vacuum leaks if i can catch a nice day. I didn't even think to check the coolant, but i'll check that too.

And the idle does fluctuate.. Perhaps pointing to a vacuum leak.

I know the problem is getting more and more pronounced, and i don't want something to break while she's traveling somewhere leaving her stranded.

MustangChris · Feb 1, 2010

hahha, keep us posted amigo. we can figure this blich out. lol.

Rice_slayer · Feb 1, 2010

Simple solution to all import problems....

MustangChris · Feb 1, 2010

i eloheled.

97ponygt · Feb 1, 2010

Rice_slayer said:
Simple solution to all import problems....

lol

Dysfunction · Feb 1, 2010

Rice_slayer said:
Simple solution to all import problems....

Hahaha. Thanks. I'll keep that in mind..

Dysfunction · Feb 3, 2010

She stopped at autozone and ran the codes and it says "Fuel Trim Malfunction, system to Rich"... Umm, what does that mean? Do hondas have a return line or is their fuel system a one way?

wnracing · Feb 3, 2010

If it has an IAC, that's the first place I would check. If it thinks it's getting more air then it really is, it's going to give the motor more fuel and cause it to run rich/not idle correctly. Check the intake tube and make sure that it is connected to the TB properly with no holes in the tube or anything like that. You can take the IAC off and clean it as well. Also, if it has a MAF sensor, clean that too. Doesn't sound much like a vacuum issue to me, unless it's near the intake or TB.

When I worked @ Auto zone, we had a guy come in and was telling me that he had to have a new IAC, he had a new edge GT with cobra emblems, but that's besides the point. I told him that I would come out and listen to it to make sure, but he didn't want to hear it, he was sure that the IAC was clogged up/ stuck open. I ordered the part for him, he came back a few days later and picked it up. He was back at the store within about 2 hours and bringing the new IAC back saying that it didn't fix the problem. I offered again to go out and look at it, this time he accepted. I took one look in the engine bay, he had a cheapo ebay CAI and didn't get the boot between the CAI and the TB on correctly and it had about a 3cm gap between the boot & tb, took the clamp off, slid the boot on correctly, problem solved.

Sorry for the long story, but this was just to show you how little the problem could really be..

Dysfunction · Feb 3, 2010

Apparently there was another code called the "Control Valve." I'm just looked it up and apparently the IAC is called the Idle Control Valve, which makes sense. I'm hoping it just needs to be cleaned and not bought. Hopefully i'll be able to mess with it before the snow comes back.. yeesh.

wnracing · Feb 3, 2010

Dysfunction said:
Apparently there was another code called the "Control Valve." I'm just looked it up and apparently the IAC is called the Idle Control Valve, which makes sense. I'm hoping it just needs to be cleaned and not bought. Hopefully i'll be able to mess with it before the snow comes back.. yeesh.

yessir! Idle air control valve.

MustangChris · Feb 3, 2010

Dysfunction said:
Apparently there was another code called the "Control Valve." I'm just looked it up and apparently the IAC is called the Idle Control Valve, which makes sense. I'm hoping it just needs to be cleaned and not bought. Hopefully i'll be able to mess with it before the snow comes back.. yeesh.

preyyt sure most of those are non-serviceable. but i may be wrong.

Dysfunction · Feb 4, 2010

I read something about the honda IACs where the little hole inside it that leads to the sensor gets clogged, and spraying it with electric parts cleaner can clear it out.. I just need a fuggin day i can get to it. Not snowing today but i have to work shorty. Tomorrow supposed to snow and work. As they say. Lifes a blitch.