mrongey

Let me start by giving a recent history of my car. In november, my 94 civic dx died. I eventually got the distributor replaced, which seemed to fix everything. After a couple days, though, it started to drag and then it wouldn't start. I took it back into the shop and they said the fuel pump went bad. They replaced the pump, and I replaced the fuel filter. Car worked great for a couple days, then one morning it wouldn't start again. Based on how it's been since then, I'm wondering if I just didn't try enough times to start it. The shop said they forgot to attach a vacuum hose and it worked again.

Since then, I've had an issue that a lot of people seem to have where when I come to a stop, the idle will sometimes get rough and the car will sometimes die as I try to accelerate. Sometimes it also takes several tries, occasionally up to a couple dozen, to start the car and I have to hold the key in the ignition position for a while.

This weekend, I cleaned out the IACV and, since I was also changing my belts, I unplugged the battery. For the first couple days, my car worked like a charm! Then it started dying and is now pretty much back to where it was. One thing I am wondering is if something is giving the computer bad information, since it works fine right after the battery has been disconnected. The CEL does not give any codes. I'm going to disconnect the battery tonight to test this theory. Any ideas on what I should check if the car does indeed run fine after the battery is disconnected?

Former User

Does the CEL work?

mrongey

The CEL does work.

One thing I forgot to mention that may or may not be related is that my temperature sensor may not be working correctly - my gauge goes up to 1/3 to halfway up and doesn't move, no matter what the outside temp is or how long I drive.

Former User

1) Find a new mechanic. The one you have sucks.

2) Top off radiator and reservoir with coolant and then bleed the cooling system. Do this immediately to avoid any further overheating of your engine.

3) Clean the FITV.

4) Adjust the idle speed.
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Bleeding the cooling system may take 20-30 minutes.

1) Park the car on an inclined driveway with the front end higher than the rear.

2) Push the dash heater lever/**** to MAX heat.

3) Follow the directions in the diagram below (hint: the bleed bolt is located where the upper radiator hose connects to the engine):

mrongey

Thanks, I'll try these and let you know how it goes.

mrongey

I did everything you suggested, still no dice. The only thing I didn't do was disconnect the coolant line from the FITV. There is a bulge in the hose right above the clip. After several minutes of trying to pull the hose off while crimping the clip, I didn't want to risk tearing the hose so I cleaned everything else I could get to. Is it possible that the bulge is some kind of blockage that needs to be removed?

When I bled the coolant, it was very green, so I refilled with distilled water, in case there was too much antifreeze in the mixture and it was boiling, but no luck. How much pressure is there supposed to be on the bleed valve? Most of the time, the coolant was just barely trickling out.

I am beginning to wonder if this is at least partially temperature related. I have noticed that it starts better when I start it cold, and when it was starting perfectly last weekend it was in the low 80s, instead of the high 90s like it has been. Are there any specific sensors I should check? I really wish I was getting a CEL reading so I at least would have a starting point. I noticed that there is a little bit of a black buildup on the MAP sensor, and the 3-wire harness by the distributor was in, but not quite to the point where it snapped in.

Former User

Describe the current problems. The more accurate and detailed your descriptions, the better the chance to pinpoint the problems.

mrongey

It will sometimes (more often than not) take several tries to get my car to start, and I will have to hold the key in the ignition position for several seconds to get the engine to engage.

It will sometimes die when I am pulling out of a parking space if I'm not giving it extra gas.

Sometimes it will die when I accelerate from a stop unless I give it a little extra gas while it is stopped. I'm not sure how often, since I've made it a habit to have my foot on the gas. I really don't like having a dead car in the middle of an intersection.

Usually it starts up more easily right after it dies, but not always. It seems to have more issues when I'm doing things like running errands that require me to drive for 10 minutes, stop for 20, drive 10 more... It seems like the engine might be getting hotter than it should, but it's hard to tell since the temperature gauge climbs to about the 4/5ths point and doesn't move.

Like I said, last weekend it started up perfectly several times in a row, but I also hadn't run the car in a day and a half, it was 15 degrees cooler than it had been recently, and the battery had been disconnected.

Former User

4/5ths would be severe overheating. The temp needle should stay below the halfway mark when the engine is fully warmed up.

Have you checked the ignition timing with the timing light?

mrongey

Sorry, I meant 2/5. I have not checked the ignition timing. I'll try to find somebody with a light. After reading about it in my manual, it sounds like it could be to far retarded. It would make sense too, since I've had these problems since the shop replaced the distributor.

meric0207

iTrader: (1)

First off coolant guage aperars to be working the cars guage should never read past half give or take a little bit. As far as the car dieing on you you should clean and check ground on the t stat housing. When the car dies does it shut right off or does it stutter?

mrongey

Good to know about the gauge. When it dies, it sputters and sometimes makes a groan-like noise right before it gives out. Sometimes I can save it by shifting into park and revving the engine.

oscalito

did u check for any open cables if is not that then is ur computer 75% is ur computer

mrongey

By open cables, do you mean loose or unplugged wire harnesses? If so, then I have not done an exhaustive check.

r berq

That's just what the gauge should do. Indicates that the thermostat is doing a good job keeping the coolant at a constant temperature.

r berq

When starting, try stepping on the accelerator just a little and see if that helps. If it does, that might indicate it is starved for air.
I know you said you cleaned the IACV, but ....
Sure sounds suspicious, for all the symptoms above. Does it still do the slow, rough idle like you mentioned in the first post? I don't have a 94 shop manual, so I don't know the testing procedures. Could be wrong, but I think the 94 IACV is actuated by a motor. Can you tell if that is actually working? Maybe disconnect the IACV from the manifold, keep the electrical connected, turn the ignition on and off and see if the valve moves?

oscalito

noo if ther an open cable u might not see it i had the prublem whith my vtech id dint work cables lokedit fine but wen i check it good with the little computer thas made for that it had an open cable and i changed the cable check it it was noty open and vtech work fine sooo check for open cables if not ur computer is not good

mrongey

I was able to borrow a timing gun. I'm working pretty long hours this week, but hopefully I'll have time to check the ignition timing tomorrow. I was reading in my Chilton, and the symptoms it described for a retarded ignition timing sound almost exactly like what I've been experiencing. It would also make sense if the shop did something wrong when they put the new distributor in. That would also be a free fix, so I've got my fingers crossed!

Oh, you mean spark plug cables?! That could be a possibility, since I replaced the cables back in November when I was troubleshooting what turned out to be the distributor. It seems like if that were the case though it would be a more constant misfire type of issue, but it's worth checking.

r berq, It started up almost perfectly and always on the first try today, but it was relatively cool (low 80s) and had long resting periods in between each time I drove it. I was also giving it gas each time I was at a stop, but didn't notice any hesitation like it sometimes has.

I'll look at the timing, take another look at the IACV, and get ahold of a continuity tester for my cables and report back. Actually, I think I still have my old cables, which weren't really that old, so I could try putting those back on too. It probably wouldn't hurt to look at the connections going into the computer too if none of those fix it.