mikehinkle

Doing this so I don't post a million threads. Just bought a 99 ex. Bone stock from the muffler back. D16y8 164k original miles.

-Issues
-3rd gear slightly grinds at high rpms
-car idles low when warm after being driven (between 250-400) if I pump the brake quickly it will boost up to 1300ish.
-car had been sitting around 4 months so I am sure the gas is bad and it could use plugs. Sadly it had a half of a tank so I added fuel cleaner and octane booster and am going to drive it out.

I changed the oil with Mobil 1 full synthetic 5w30 and I changed the tranny fluid with penzoil synchromesh so maybe in a week or 2 of letting it set in and easy driving the grinding will stop. I cleaned the VTEC solenoid and cleaned the iacv.

Would the bad gas/fouled plugs be causing the low idle? Maybe a slightly clogged fuel filter? I plan to run shell 93 with some more cleaner, new plugs and a fuel filter when all this bad gas is gone.

Also the power locks don't work and neither does the key fob. I can't program the key with the turn x amount to on/lock cycle because the lock switch inside the car doesn't work. Checked fuses, maybe a bad switch. Note fuses #9&10 in my inside fuse box were empty.

Any thoughts and input is greatly appreciated. Thanks guys.

Here's a teaser.

ej1b18c1

A nice classic tune up always helps and worth inspecting before replacing. Cap, rotor, plugs/wires (ngk plugs/wires or OEM wires which is my personal preference) do a lot. Also check ignition timing, tbelt, air filter, fuel filter. Just general scheduled maintenance.

mikehinkle

Plan to do all of that before she is on the road. I'm hoping it is the bad fuel, Fowled plugs, or a dirty fuel filter. Car runs great. Just idles low. When I do the valve cover gasket I will check the timing but if it was timing wouldn't I have a more noticeable issue?

B serious

iTrader: (1)

I doubt it's idling at 200 RPM. The first line on your tach after the 0 is 500RPM. A lot of people mistake that for 100RPM. A rise in RPM after pumping brakes is normal. You're robbing the engine of vacuum when you do that.

Synthetic oil isn't necessary at all and is probably a complete waste od money unless you're planning on doing 7500+ mile oil changes. In either case, use pennzoil platnium rather than Mobil1.

93 octane is another waste. The car doesn't need it and you might introduce unburnt fuel into the exhaust (unlikely....but possible). 4 month old gas is most likely just fine.

Use a quality 87 octane and replace the plugs and wires with NGK parts. Use the spark plugs called for in the manual.

mikehinkle

Is there a drain plug on my 99s gas tank? If not how hard would it be to drop the tank? Can't see it being too bad.

B serious

iTrader: (1)

Disconnect the return line from the FPR. Turn the key on. Let it drain into cans.

I'm sure your gas is fine, but....that's one easy way to drain it. Albeit time consuming.

mikehinkle

If the first line is 500 rpm then the idle is easily 500-600. Sometimes it drops down and levels on that line.

I have checked all vacuum lines and can't find a leak. I run 93 because I've been told it helps clean the valves on high mileage motors, is this not true?

Would one bad motor mount cause cabin vibration? And if I'm feeling vibration in the shifter is it more than likely the tranny mount? Any inpuy appreciated. Thanks guys.

B serious

iTrader: (1)

Some 93 octane has more detergent in it....but that has nothing to do with octane number.

I'm sure this won't change your mind...but your intake valves shouldnt be that dirty unless there's some serious issue...at that point, fuel wont cure it. All that stuff is over exaggerated. There's plenty of 300k mile civics with clean intake valves that have been running 87 octane their entire lives.

Dirty intake valves are caused by bad driving habits and bad maintenance. If you drive like 2 mile trips per day...the intake valves get carboned up and detergent rich fuel *might* help you..but...probably not as much as Shell or anyone else advertises.

A torn motor mount can cause a lot of vibrations/movement. Its usually the rear mount that goes. On 96-00 civics, the driver side engine mount also commonly fails.

mikehinkle

I always use shell. Glad to know I can now save an extra 30 cents per gallon and run 87 or 89. So is it fine to go ahead and change the fuel filter and plus before this gas runs out?

I'm assuming there is no chance the 96-98 airbox hose is causing the low idle. ( refer here ) - https://honda-tech.com/forums/showthread.php?p=49570664#post49570664

Can someone recommend a cold air intake pipe (just a pipe) that will have all the holes and location for the sensor for my 99 y8? I've been told I need 3 places for hoses + the spot for the sensor?

Should I get a k&n filter? Or some kind of velocity stack?

The car has 164xxx, anyone think before next oil change run a can of seafoam in the oil and let it idle for a minute or 2 then change the oil?

I have no ides of previous maintence history. Trying to clean everything cleanable.

Anything other than the iacv and VTEC solenoid I can clean? Plan to have the intake manifold heat tanked and clean the tb and give them new gaskets.

Any info/suggestions is greatly appreciated.

ej1b18c1

A vacuum leak should spike the idle high and usually surges. Check ignition timing yet?

For a sohc just use a drop in k&n (that's just me though)

I've heard good and bad things from seafoam products so others can chime in on that. I've always preferred just changing the intake manifold gasket and cleaning the carbon out the manifold/tb.

They sell oil cleaners that add to the existing oil and let it run to clean the oil system out, but really it's designed to get the engine hot so you drain the oil at a hotter temp so it will drain better. Drain the oil when the engine is cold and you will see the difference.

TomCat39

Also, instead of synchromesh, source some Torco MTF. 10w30 conventional motor oil is better for the manual tranny than the synchromesh. Torco is the best I've been told.

You'll find Mobile 1 oil burns off pretty fast so your oil consumption will go up with it, especially on the synthetic. Mobile 1 isn't as good as it used to be, others have gotten better, especially Pennzoil. I trust the source I learned this from.

Instead of seafoam, if you want to clean the engine see if you can source yourself some Forté Prelube. Unlike the caustic cleaners they use in the lube shops, this one is meant to be non caustic and you can drive mellowly for about 10 minutes before your oil change with it in the oil. Those others would destroy an engine if you did anything other than idle with them in the oil.

Seafoam has mixed results. Forté on the other hand has done wonders around the world. The fusion additive brings conventional motor oil up to sythetic standards. Back in the day it was oil fortifier but they've since removed the thickening agents to only leave the heavy duty friction modifiers. The philosophy is that if an engine needs an oil thickener it needs an overhaul not a band-aid.

It's probably cheaper to locate a stock designed dry flow K&N air filter. The short rams pretty much just make the car noisy at WOT for very little power gains. The dry flow just needs to be cleaned once a year and so saves you the money of always buying disposable filters over time.

Anything over 87 octane is a waste of money. The car is designed for 87 octane, you get absolutely nothing from running higher octane until you raise your compression ratio or go to forced induction. Either way you then have to chip your ECU and get it tuned for your setup and the Tuner will tell you what octane you need.

Being you don't know the history, you are taking care of the fluids, sounds like you are going to do a full tune up, and the other bit is to do the timing belt, water pump and tensioner pulley all with OEM honda parts.

After that, then your car is golden for running.

I believe the stock idle of the 96-00 series for manual transmission is about 670. I'm assuming you are in the US. And by the sounds your idle is not low but perfectly normal. Oh and the drop to the first line (500 rpm) is probably due to the radiator fan kicking on, the sudden draw of current tends to drop the idle for a moment and the car compensates and raises the rpm back to normal just after.

Below is the set idle procedure from the FSM:



As for third gear grinding, unfortunately, that requires a tranny swap or rebuild. Torco may buy you some time though.

mikehinkle

Thanks for all that. Can you post page 11-84?

Have yet to check the timing but I will when the rain stops. Not too worried about 3rd gear. Only reason I was going the route of a cold air intake is due to the airbox itself has a large crack and I have a 99 with a 96-98 airbox hose so I'm missing the area to run the hose from the valve cover.

I see y8 trannys all day for 150$ so not too worried about having to drop the current and replace it.

Glad to know about the gas, when I drained the old oil it really didnt look to bad, not gritty or very black. I will change oils next time to penzoil or castrol. Car doesn't smoke or seem.to be burning oil.

Can someone link me to a good detail thread on checking the timing? Also can the Im be heat tanked?

Will fix the airbox, filter and airbox hose, new plugs and wires, check the timing, new fuel filter, clean the tb snd im/new gaskets, and post and let you guys know how that worked out.

JesusJuice

Sub'd because this is very informational

TomCat39

mikehinkle

Thanks man. I picked up a new airbox and the airbox to throttle body hose 99-00 so I have all the hoses hooked up now.

Rained me out so didn't get to check the timing. Going to do the plugs, wires, fuel filter, clean the tb and intake manifold and new gaskets.

Next step is timing, compression test, then having the injectors tested for flow pattern.

Is there a difference in the 96-98 and 99-00 intake manifolds? Since I had the wrong airbox hose just want to verify I have the right tb and intake manifold.

Thanks guys.

mikehinkle

What all fuses relate to the power door lock switch? I've searched and get a ton of mixed answers. My keysless entry does not work and I can't program the key if the automatic door locks don't work.

mikehinkle

Changed the plugs and fuel filter. NGK plugs and just a autozone fuel filter. Idle seems to be good now. Plugs were badly fouled.

So first time on the highway after 60-65ish it shakes pretty bad. Seems to be coming from the passenger side. I know it needs an alignment. It pulls to he right pretty badly. Could this cause the shaking? I don't want to get to get it aligned and then have to fix something else and have to get it aligned again. What can I visually inspect and what should I look for?

Thanks guys. It is lowered on unknown springs with a skunk 2 camber kit in the front.

Miguel613ekb18c

Just go to a garage and have the car inspected aka safety

ej1b18c1

Wheels are most likely out of balance and or bent. If shakes while braking then most likely the rotors are warped.

Good idea to check all the bushings, tires, wheels (suspension) etc and then alignment. Most major shops offer a free inspection (just because they want to suck you in) or for a very reasonable price they will check everything.

I would first take it to check the wheels/tires (balance & tread)

mikehinkle

The rear tires are causingnthe shaking. Had it up on a lift, from no camber kit in the rear they have a bumpy Knotty feeling. Will a cheap eBay camber kit be okay for the rear? Have a skunk 2 camber kit up front.

The photo below is around where my idle rests when warm. Keep getting a check engine light for the cat. Just replaced the upstream o2 the cat is the only cell. Could it be from it sitting? It hasn't came back on yet. Drove it 60 miles and it passed inspection.

TomCat39

That idle looks appropriate, looks like about 650 which is within spec.

Passed emissions means the motor is running within spec.

I have to let others comment on the suspension items. I don't know much of anything in that department.

mikehinkle

It has vibration at idle. I have visually looked at motor mounts and don't see any that look horrible.

NotARaCist

iTrader: (1)

Bumpy, knotty tires are not caused by no camber kit, they're caused by a **** alignment. Camber doesn't chew tires, tow does. Feathering (bumpy/knotty) is caused by broken components. You need to check your wheel hub bearings, make sure your lug nuts are all properly installed and torqued to spec, and check all of your bushings for wear. A camber kit isn't going to fix your problem.

As for an idle vibration, check your spark color - it should be bright white at best, bluish white at worst.

ej1b18c1

If you have very stiff mounts it can cause a vibration.

NAR is 100% correct. Follow his recommendations.

tony_2018

Since the car has been sitting the tires probably have that bump in it that just will wear off in time. But if you wanna take it in for a balance than I suggest a road force balance.