Backfiring/Bogging Only In Gear and Under Load
12-22-2017, 05:55 AM
#1
Honda-Tech Member
Thread Starter
Backfiring/Bogging Only In Gear and Under Load
Alright guys so I’ve searched and searched everywhere and it seems like everyone had a problem similar but no one posts when they have found the solution. I have a 1995 Civic EX manual with a Mini Me swap (D15B7 block with D16Z6 head). It ran perfectly fine until about 4 days ago. I was cruising down the highway in 5th at 75mph, went up a hill, and started losing speed. I got to about 70mph and gave it some gas, the car started to lose speed further and it started sputtering. I gave it more gas and it backfired. Now this doesn’t do it in neutral at all. I can rev it all the way up and it’s good. But in any gear it’ll do it under load. My plugs were old so I went ahead and did plugs, wires, cap, rotor, and coil in the distributor. My fuel filter had the filter element was broken loose inside the canister so I replaced that as well. I’ve checked the mechanical timing and it’s dead on and I’ve already hit it with a timing light and it’s all lined up at factory specs. I’m stumped y’all. It drove perfectly fine with all the old parts on it and then just started messing up.
12-22-2017, 07:50 AM
#2
Re: Backfiring/Bogging Only In Gear and Under Load
Since your fuel filter was toast I would also check the spray of the injectors. No fuel filter, you don't know what passed onto the injectors and possibly clogged one, two or all of them.
12-22-2017, 11:54 AM
#3
Honda-Tech Member
Thread Starter
Re: Backfiring/Bogging Only In Gear and Under Load
I’m going to go get them flow tested and rebuilt on my next day off. I appreciate the quick reply TomCat! But do you think that since it revs so freely in neutral that a clogged injector could still be the problem?
12-22-2017, 01:08 PM
#4
Re: Backfiring/Bogging Only In Gear and Under Load
Spray pattern problems may be okay for no load rpm but burn inefficiently enough to cause problems loaded.
I think it's less likely but still possible.
Have you done a compression test?
I think it's less likely but still possible.
Have you done a compression test?
12-22-2017, 07:58 PM
#5
Honda-Tech Member
Thread Starter
Re: Backfiring/Bogging Only In Gear and Under Load
I did one before I replaced the head and it showed a bent valve. Then I did one after I replaced the head which they all showed even but I forget what the exact numbers were since it was a month or so back. I was going to ohm out the injectors and also check the TPS for any dead spots
12-22-2017, 09:44 PM
#6
Re: Backfiring/Bogging Only In Gear and Under Load
I would do one now that it's running funny. A month ago it was running okay after the head swap, now it's not. Another test should be done to rule out the major causes.
12-23-2017, 04:16 AM
#7
Honda-Tech Member
Thread Starter
Re: Backfiring/Bogging Only In Gear and Under Load
I’ll do that the same day that I take the injectors in. I’ve noticed that if I shift around 3500 that this problem is very unlikely to happen. Also on the way home last night my headlights were flashing every once and while and then they started to flash like crazy. I pulled off to the side of the road and found my positive battery terminal wasn’t hooked onto the actual battery it was just touching the post. I put some new terminals on and I don’t know if it’s just my mind playing tricks but it sure seems to have gotten a lot better. Prior to replacing the cables it would do this all the time going down the highway in 5th now it only does it if I’m in 5th doing 60 and trying to accelerate
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12-23-2017, 10:16 AM
#8
Honda-Tech Member
Thread Starter
Re: Backfiring/Bogging Only In Gear and Under Load
Alright guys so I’ve searched and searched everywhere and it seems like everyone had a problem similar but no one posts when they have found the solution. I have a 1995 Civic EX manual with a Mini Me swap (D15B7 block with D16Z6 head). It ran perfectly fine until about 4 days ago. I was cruising down the highway in 5th at 75mph, went up a hill, and started losing speed. I got to about 70mph and gave it some gas, the car started to lose speed further and it started sputtering. I gave it more gas and it backfired. Now this doesn’t do it in neutral at all. I can rev it all the way up and it’s good. But in any gear it’ll do it under load. My plugs were old so I went ahead and did plugs, wires, cap, rotor, and coil in the distributor. My fuel filter had the filter element was broken loose inside the canister so I replaced that as well. I’ve checked the mechanical timing and it’s dead on and I’ve already hit it with a timing light and it’s all lined up at factory specs. I’m stumped y’all. It drove perfectly fine with all the old parts on it and then just started messing up.
Update: I ohmed all the injectors they are all reading at about 12. Checked my fuel pressure both with the regulator hooked up and not. I’m getting 38PSI with the regulator hooked up and 45PSI without it connected. Going to be doing a compression test in the next few hours
12-23-2017, 10:59 AM
#9
Honda-Tech Member
Thread Starter
Re: Backfiring/Bogging Only In Gear and Under Load
Got the compression test done. The block itself has 218,924 miles on it and I have no idea how many miles the head has on it.Cyl 1 150 PSICyl 2 130 PSICyl 3 138 PSICyl 4 150 PSI
12-23-2017, 01:19 PM
#10
Re: Backfiring/Bogging Only In Gear and Under Load
Sounds to me like you fixed your issue and that it was an electrical problem. Which.... Definitely would cause problems with it running.
12-23-2017, 01:24 PM
#11
Honda-Tech Member
Thread Starter
Re: Backfiring/Bogging Only In Gear and Under Load
12-23-2017, 02:42 PM
#12
Re: Backfiring/Bogging Only In Gear and Under Load
It should be over 2000 rpm as you start to accelerate in the new gear.
Have you checked that there are no codes in the ECU?
Have you checked that there are no codes in the ECU?
12-23-2017, 03:06 PM
#13
Honda-Tech Member
Thread Starter
Re: Backfiring/Bogging Only In Gear and Under Load
I have 2 codes in the ECU now. One is for my IACV and the other is my O2 Sensor due to the previous owners expert attempted installation of a wideband O2. I haven’t gotten around to fixing either one but they were on prior to the driveability issues that I started having. I still haven’t gotten a chance to take the injectors in for cleaning since my next day off is Christmas and all the shops are closed. I’m going to try some intake cleaner as well because whenever I replaced my old cone filter my PCV system was putting oil into the air pipe so I just put a breather on the PCV system instead of running it through the air filter pipe. Like I said I really appreciate all the help man! I’ll keep everyone updated on if the situation improves with each step I take after this
Last edited by austen95; 12-23-2017 at 04:16 PM. Reason: Adding information
12-24-2017, 12:36 PM
#14
Honda-Tech Member
Thread Starter
Re: Backfiring/Bogging Only In Gear and Under Load
Alright guys so I’ve searched and searched everywhere and it seems like everyone had a problem similar but no one posts when they have found the solution. I have a 1995 Civic EX manual with a Mini Me swap (D15B7 block with D16Z6 head). It ran perfectly fine until about 4 days ago. I was cruising down the highway in 5th at 75mph, went up a hill, and started losing speed. I got to about 70mph and gave it some gas, the car started to lose speed further and it started sputtering. I gave it more gas and it backfired. Now this doesn’t do it in neutral at all. I can rev it all the way up and it’s good. But in any gear it’ll do it under load. My plugs were old so I went ahead and did plugs, wires, cap, rotor, and coil in the distributor. My fuel filter had the filter element was broken loose inside the canister so I replaced that as well. I’ve checked the mechanical timing and it’s dead on and I’ve already hit it with a timing light and it’s all lined up at factory specs. I’m stumped y’all. It drove perfectly fine with all the old parts on it and then just started messing up.
Update: I ran some Seafoam intake cleaner through the throttle body last night. It definitely cleaned some stuff out because it pulls a bit harder then it did prior. It only backfired once going down the road. Still haven’t pulled the injectors out yet due to Christmas
12-24-2017, 01:31 PM
#15
Re: Backfiring/Bogging Only In Gear and Under Load
Is it backfiring or merely misfiring? Misfiring is much more common and acts like the car is stuttering or skipping. Backfiring makes a loud bang. Actual backfiring almost always means the spark plug fired at the wrong time, either timing is improperly set or a problem in the distributor.
12-24-2017, 03:59 PM
#16
Honda-Tech Member
Thread Starter
Re: Backfiring/Bogging Only In Gear and Under Load
Is it backfiring or merely misfiring? Misfiring is much more common and acts like the car is stuttering or skipping. Backfiring makes a loud bang. Actual backfiring almost always means the spark plug fired at the wrong time, either timing is improperly set or a problem in the distributor.
It doesn’t act like a miss. It just stutters and then if I try and throttle through is whenever it actually backfires. It’s a definite bang. I’m going to pull the IACV and try cleaning it to help get rid of those codes in the ECU
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