anonnonator

My car starts fine, runs fine for about a minute then when you start driving, the car seems like it's starving , running lean, for about 1.5 minutes. very bad hesitation and when you press on the accelerator, it makes it worse. After the car warms up past that point it drives fine, until you start the car next time. Does it all the time when it's cold. No engine light has come on and there are no codes. Honda dealer said it could be a bad Alternator???? Perhaps. Any takers here?

over_

spark pluggs fowled? clogged cat converter? fuel filter clogged?
is it auto or 5speed?

anonnonator

update: it is a 5 speed and the problem still exists. Alternator good, batterie good, and engine temp sensor brand new. still doing it and now getting a little worse when it does it and sometimes not as bad at all. depends on the weather perhaps. ( damp or dry). if it where the fuel filter wouldn't it create an issue all the time? not just at the first 5 minutes of running? Oh, and it runs better if you leave it aidle than if you coax it with pressing the gas. (cannot drive till it stops doing this)

TheZodiac

I came here searching for the same answer.
My 2001 Civic Si does this exact same thing, I'm going to try replacing the plugs with Iridiums on sale this week at PartSource.

VTECAcuraGSR

Did you guys figure this out? I have the same problem... I have replaced everything except the fuel filter which is in the gas tank. If it was the fuel filter it would not work after it warmed up.

Harlowe

My car does something similar. One of my o2 sensors is bad. I am throwing a code too.

VTECAcuraGSR

No codes here... Although my wife seems to think there is a connection to the A/C as it happens more when the ac is on.

tsennott

I am having a the same problem, does anyone have any further info?

Problems started a few weeks ago, and have been getting worse (2002 Civic EX, 95k). Hesitation on start for first couple minutes, no power intermittently, esp with heavy throttle presses, but never stalls. Worse the colder it is or the longer it has sat, it seems.

Didn't thow any codes for a while, then CE light on and off a couple times. Took it to a dealer, read high voltage on primary 02 sensor error, and cat converter efficiency error. They said it needed new of each, about 1700, I said no way, figured I'd look it up and see what I found. Some people have fixed the codes with some gas cleaner and a drive around, but haven't found any answers to the hesitation (which preceeded the codes and seems to have little relation). I will be trying the cleaner tonight anyway.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

Petah

iTrader: (1)

Another one reporting the same problem, I guess no one have resolved this problem?

Rick hybrid

idle air control valve

bsyeth

I bought an 01 EX that has this same problem. I swapped EVERY part attached to the engine trying to figure this one out... Yes even that! The ONLY PART left at this point that I have not swapped is the Throttle position sensor, which to do this you have to just buy the whole throttle body.
What I have figured out is, you can either wait just a moment for it to act up and let it pass, then continue on without it causing any other issue.
Or floor the gas and force it past that point, running the rpm's up with full throttle, and it then acts fine after.
I have had the car for almost 2 years now, and runs and drives great in any other way.
I accept her the way she is (93 octane and warmer temps help) but I paid 1700. for the car and it gets 34-44mpg every tank, and has paid for itself more than once.

But if anyone figures it out 100% first, post it up.

pegeloz187

I have same problem

ES2Tatang22

Hey guys I have a 02 sedan doing the samething everytime I cold start it the car runs good for about 30 seconds then it sounds like its sucking alot of air and the idle starts to get lower and lower when I put alittle gas to the pedal it completely stalls and literally drops to 0 but doesnt die it then idles fine but seconds later does the samething. The only time it stops is when I push the gas pedal to the ground and revs high, I do it multiple times until it runs fine like nothing happend. To me its like its misfiring or there is to much gas and not enough oxygen.. no codes other then o2 sensor and bad cat which I dont have funny to find out couple days ago... I did replace the o2 sensor disconnect the ecu and have it relearn the sensor... but nothing .. I did try using some cleaners that mix with the fuel but same spark plugs are decent and were brand new while it did this... when I bought it though the previous owner used regular gas but I use non ethanol dont know it is the cause but would like this dumb problem solved hate having too rev high like im gonna race someone in the morning.... Thanks in advanced

mavebrix21

I have the same problem with my civic 97 vti, well thats what they call it here in the philippines. Starts fine, idle is fine, but when you run it without warming it out throughly the hesitation happens, it will not go higher than 1500 rpm. But when you press the clutch, it revs fine. Changed the plugs ht wire and fuel filter, cleaned the throttle body, iacv and air filter, but stiil the hesitation remains. My engine is d15b by the way.....