arexniba

Hey everyone,

Well it sucks that everytime I come on this site it's b/c my car has some stupid problem...
I assure you that I have searched, but everytime it seems like that individual has the same problem, I notice major things that make it different...i.e. a "poor man's itr." Most of my searches on this problem involved integras with vtec, but they don't exactly correlate..

Well here's what happened. A few days ago, it has felt as if my car has been losing power bit by bit. Just yesterday it was slightly normal, but noticed it wasn't reacting to the vtec. Like I had to shift every 3-4k rpm. Then I stopped before the gym to just relax and look at the bay, and when I started the car back up and headed to the gym I was getting this awkward "screaming" sound from my car. No joke, it sounded like a female screaming, but like miles away.
I opened up the hood, but saw nothing. Anyways, went to gym for a few hrs. came back, drove home and it was back to the same.

Today, 10x worst. Took my mom to work, and on street it was going no faster than 35mph. Everytime I shifted or released the gas it would pull back real hard.
Once I merged on the freeway, the damm thing didn't move after 50mph. I had to put emergency lights and get off on the following exit. Luckily mom doesn't work too far.
Dropped her off and checked out the motor in the lot. Saw 1 major problem, the upper radiator hose was bloated on both ends...
I took the rad. cap off and it released pressure. However, I don't understand why my temp. guage wasn't picking up any problems. I guess my motor was still receiving adequate coolant.
Anyways, matters became even worst. I had to take the streets all the way home. (Mind you I only live 5-10min. tops from mom's work). After 40min. of driving, forcing the gas pedal, pulling over to the side, car dying/stalling, I finally got home.
Some things I noticed: Had a loud sound, as if there were no cat. or exhaust; hissing sound like the intake was slightly open, but wasn't; the rpm idling was at 1k; cannot go uphills b/c it doesn't have any power; after driving it in whatever gears (1-4) it starts to have this weird bogging feel...

Some things I've done in past 6 mo.: replace fuel pump, replace distributor (distributor king), spark plugs/wires were installed no longer than a year and 1/2 ago, and it has fuel.

Some things I know may be wrong: When I was trying to install the OEM cat. I went back to the aftermarket one...in the process I wasn't able to bolt up tightly the upper one, and after a few days that bolt had fell off...
But not 100% if that's the problem affecting it.

Anyways, sorry for the long story, any advice or opinions will be highly appreciated.

Thanks,
Alex

arexniba

Anyone?

TunerN00b

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by arexniba &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Anyone?</TD></TR></TABLE>

No expert, just offering my experiences.

I've had my GSR refuse to rev past 3.5k rpm (or so, not sure exactly) and had significantly less power than normal even at the low rpm it was running in. Though, I was running the big track at Willow Springs in 105* heat. Pulled the battery, added half a tank of 101 octane, no issues the rest of the day.

Also had a similar experience from oil starving my GSR during auto-x. Stalled mid corner. After restarting, wouldn't rev past 3.5k, and no power. Apparently, the lower mark on the dipstick is only the lower mark for normal driving, and not flogging the car around. Filled up to 1/2 qt past the upper mark, reset the ECU, no issues rest of the day.

I think the first time was from the knock sensor for me.

If you had coolant flow issues, you could have overheated the cylinder walls to the point of detonation, and set off you knock sensor. I could be wrong, but I think all vtec Integras have a knock sensor.

arexniba

You know what, I will take your advice on the oil and check it out...Last time i did the oil change myself, however, i was too f*n lazy to change the oil filter...
However, I will check it out tomorrow.

An old friend of mine that's a mechanic too called me tonight and said that after hearing me explain all the symptoms of the car sounded like it was the cat. clogged up.

So, I will be taking it off tomorrow, and driving it around the block 1-2 times, see if it actually picks up power/speed. If it does than my current cat. is damaged. Luckily, I have a back-up OEM stock one.

Crossing fingers and praying that it works...

rcurry14

I had a similar problem and it ended up being water that had found its way into my spark plug holes.

arexniba

I've experienced that before, but I know that's not the problem. No water has touched this car because it hasn't rained, nor have I washed my engine... And if I do I usually cover all electrical with 2x pieces of cloth and a plastic bag...

I'm removing the cat. today to see if that might be the problem--clogged cat.

arexniba

Update:

I am currently checking out my car as of the moment. I have no, and had no, check engine light, but thought, "Why not, it's not working so ecu must be throwing something off."

Put the obd2 scanner in, scanned, and it came out with P0130. Searched it online and it said "o2 sensor electrical malfunction"
Shet...I just got these replaced no more than 2 years ago.
I'm assuming that since the cat. wasn't bolted properly somehow the sensor was damaged...

Not sure. But i'm taking my mechanic's--old friend--advice and taking the cat. off. Then drive it around the block 1-2 times and see if it functions correctly. If it does, then there's a problem with the cat., i.e. clogged, or damaged.

So far, seeing that o2 sensor malfunction, is pointing to the cat.

arexniba

Relieved...found out problem. Took off catalytic, shook it and huge chunks of the honeycomb came off. Looked like pieces of rock.
Luckily I have a stock OEM cat. for backup, so I just have to take it to muffler shop to fix up the o2 bung they screwed up, then install it.

Just to make sure that was the problem, I started her up without the cat. and sounded like the old beast she's always been. Loud as hell like a race car. Hahaha...

Thanks to those who helped with advices & opinions.

Hope this helps anyone else that ever encounters this problem or is similar to mine.

arexniba

Now, update. A set back... The back up stock OEM I have is not for my model. Like the o2 bung is off from where I had it done. I thought, maybe i'll just get it re-done, but then the holes on the flange of the cat. don't match up with the holes on the header flange...

Luckily, I have one option left, but sucks that I have to cough up $$$. But I have an extra Carsound cat. that I was planning to put on months ago for a 2.5" setup. All I'd have to do is take that cat. to the shop have them put some pipes and the flanges...as well as 2 o2 bungs.
I have no clue how much it's gonna cost, b/c I don't know if I can use the flanges from my prior aftermarket exhaust that crapped out...it was 2.25".
Hopefully it'll be no more than $60