Rough/Low cold idle, Fuel smell, wont rev past 4500
11-25-2009, 05:07 PM
#1
Honda-Tech Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Rough/Low cold idle, Fuel smell, wont rev past 4500
Its a 88 5spd. hatch with a d15 and dpfi. Title kinda says it all. On a cold start u have to keep ur foot in it until it warms up or the idle will drop to < 500 RPM and die. Also there is a potent fuel smell on startup and cold rev. And final problem is while driving it wont rev much past 4500RPM for some reasons. Sounds like u just take ur foot off the gas. Any ideas? I'm pretty new to hondas...
11-26-2009, 09:02 PM
#5
Honda-Tech Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Lake Elmo, MN, US
Posts: 241
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: Rough/Low cold idle, Fuel smell, wont rev past 4500
Your timing is probably off. recheck that because thats what my old civic did. Also if that isnt it just reset your ecu. Just take off the negative on the battery for 30 seconds then put it back on
11-28-2009, 12:01 PM
#7
Honda-Tech Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: Rough/Low cold idle, Fuel smell, wont rev past 4500
Now that i think about it timing is most likely the culprit. It also has a little misfire at idle and timing could cause the car to be running way rich causing the gas smell and the bogging out/cutting out.
Trending Topics
11-28-2009, 02:53 PM
#10
Honda-Tech Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: Rough/Low cold idle, Fuel smell, wont rev past 4500
So i got under the hood to start ripping off the timing cover to check/set the timing and i see a plug that looks kinda loose. Thinking it could be contributing to the problem i take said plug off to inspect for dirt/debris. What i find is that the previous owner has coverd the plug with enough tape to where it will jam in there but not connect electrically.
So, i take off said tape and plug it in and all of a sudden the cold idle jumps up to where it should be, but is fluctuating like 500rpm (900-1400) non stop. So i quickly unplug it and it resumes misfiring and idling quite low and choppy. I also found no noticable vaccum leaks.
Can anyone tell me what this plug is plugging into and what it does? Sry to be a nub i'm just new to hondas.
So, i take off said tape and plug it in and all of a sudden the cold idle jumps up to where it should be, but is fluctuating like 500rpm (900-1400) non stop. So i quickly unplug it and it resumes misfiring and idling quite low and choppy. I also found no noticable vaccum leaks.
Can anyone tell me what this plug is plugging into and what it does? Sry to be a nub i'm just new to hondas.
11-28-2009, 02:55 PM
#11
Re: Rough/Low cold idle, Fuel smell, wont rev past 4500
pull back the carpet on the passenger side under the glove box and count the blinks on coming from the red led.
If nothing comes up, definitely check timing as suggested before. I'd do a leak down test to figure out what kind of shape the engine is in.
If nothing comes up, definitely check timing as suggested before. I'd do a leak down test to figure out what kind of shape the engine is in.
11-28-2009, 04:42 PM
#12
Honda-Tech Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 218
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: Rough/Low cold idle, Fuel smell, wont rev past 4500
you need to connect that (because it is connected on mines) and you need to mess around with the idle control to fix the idiling
11-28-2009, 05:00 PM
#14
Honda-Tech Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: Rough/Low cold idle, Fuel smell, wont rev past 4500
11-28-2009, 05:07 PM
#15
Honda-Tech Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Boulder, Co, USA
Posts: 351
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: Rough/Low cold idle, Fuel smell, wont rev past 4500
11-28-2009, 07:57 PM
#16
EFB055
Re: Rough/Low cold idle, Fuel smell, wont rev past 4500
The thing that the plug was connected to can be removed and cleaned, that's often the problem with a fluctuating idle.
11-28-2009, 08:06 PM
#17
Honda-Tech Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
11-28-2009, 09:13 PM
#18
EFB055
Re: Rough/Low cold idle, Fuel smell, wont rev past 4500
11-28-2009, 10:00 PM
#19
Honda-Tech Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 218
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: Rough/Low cold idle, Fuel smell, wont rev past 4500
well i had the same problem where my car would be at 1000,rev to 1500 and go back down the whole time it was on so i messed with the idle screw and it fixed it
11-29-2009, 01:16 AM
#20
EFB055
Re: Rough/Low cold idle, Fuel smell, wont rev past 4500
11-30-2009, 01:19 PM
#21
Honda-Tech Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: Rough/Low cold idle, Fuel smell, wont rev past 4500
Just attempted this today. I say attempted because upon getting it off and whatnot, i find.....the screen over the hole missing. Wonder what coulda happened to it...
11-30-2009, 10:38 PM
#23
Honda-Tech Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: Rough/Low cold idle, Fuel smell, wont rev past 4500
So i fixed idle issue and the massive fuel smell at idle. Now all thats left to figure out is the misfire at idle and the fact that it wont rev past 4500rpm in gear or 4800-5000 in neutral.
12-02-2009, 01:53 PM
#24
Honda-Tech Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: Rough/Low cold idle, Fuel smell, wont rev past 4500
JW before i time it, is there some trick to timing these? I know in my escort u have to jump some pins in the diag box with a paperclip...anything like that with these cars?
12-02-2009, 01:55 PM
#25
EFB055
Re: Rough/Low cold idle, Fuel smell, wont rev past 4500