nixin

i had problems with my car (96' Civic EX 1.6L VTEC 4door) about a year ago and all my questions were answered and since then it has been running great...besides the fact that i have to fill it with anti-freeze every few months...

BUT about two weeks ago i was driving on the freeway with half a tank of gas and the gas started going into spurts. i would let go of the gas and it would stop but when i tried again it did the same, but only when i pushed the gas more. i drove slow the rest of the way and as long as i didn't push the gas hard it was fine. i made it home (10 miles later) and the next day it was fine.

TODAY i had a full tank of gas and was pulling out of the neighborhood and i hit the gas and it started doing the same thing, going into spurts, like it was studdering and it wouldn't even move so i turned of the car, pulled over and tried starting it. i just got the che che che and i could tell immediately it wasn't the battery or lack of fuel. could it be the fuel pump or relay? i've got four people that saw it said they think it's the fuel pump...non-mechanics that is.

maybe this isn't enough information and if you need more let me know and i'll be happy to provide it. if anyone knows, please help. i'd really appreciate it. you guys helped alot before and i'm sure you can do it again for me...cause i know nothing about hondas!! thank you very much.

fatboi07

Fuel filter. $15. Thats your cheapest option. Work your way up from there.

Syndacate

Is it a light cut off or does it feel like ALL the power has been cut?

There's a "light" break up when you need a tune up (plugs, wires, rotor, and cap), but nothing like full power/no power transitions.

If it's like night and day I agree with fatboi - change out the fuel filter (although I doubt that's the problem), and check your fuel pressure.

If your fuel pump goes bad - it usually just goes, it usually doesn't turn on and off.

If anything with the fuel pump it's a weak connection.

See if there's any resistance in the main relay or the fuel pump fuse.

RCautoworks

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nixin &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> i just got the che che che and i could tell immediately it wasn't the battery or lack of fuel. could it be the fuel pump or relay? i've got four people that saw it said they think it's the fuel pump...non-mechanics that is.

maybe this isn't enough information and if you need more let me know and i'll be happy to provide it. if anyone knows, please help. i'd really appreciate it. you guys helped alot before and i'm sure you can do it again for me...cause i know nothing about hondas!! thank you very much.[/QUOTE

If its getting fuel, its not the pump. Pumps rarely go bad, and when they do they seem to go bad more when you shut the car off and try to restart it.

[QUOTE=fatboi07]Fuel filter. $15. Thats your cheapest option. Work your way up from there.</TD></TR></TABLE>

See, problems like this ( the stuttering ) can infact be the fuel filter. It couldn't hurt to replace this.

nixin

well it was light at first but like i said, the more i hit the gas, the more it just sputtered and didn't let me move. it didn't really feel like the power had been totally cut because the time it happened before i still drove home with my foot barely on the gas. and all the electric parts were still on.

my friend was saying that i should get a tune up but would that really get to the point of not letting the car start?

first things first i'll replace the fuel filter and check the fuel pressure and resistance on the main relay and fuel pump fuse and i'll let you guys know if that did the trick.

thanks again and you'll be hearing from me soon!

99blusi

sounds like the distributor. I'd start with cap and rotor...but I am guessing coil. There's a test procedure in the helms manual. I can look it up if you need it. Hit me with a pm.

nixin

fuel filter has been replaced , and so has the cap and rotor. car is still not able to start.

any other ideas?

Malakai

fuel pump

acydphryck

hey hey...just got off the phone with jon and he told me to post this link on here...hope it helps out. if it doesn't, gimme a call back...i'll try to have a 96 and up civic helm's manual next to me or so...

http://www.justanswer.com/JA/A...a.htm

nixin

the fuel pump is priming and gas is being pumped through the filter too but i was thinkin of replacing the main relay.

also, anyone think it could be the o2 sensor or the spark plugs?

acydphryck

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nixin &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">the fuel pump is priming and gas is being pumped through the filter too but i was thinkin of replacing the main relay.

also, anyone think it could be the o2 sensor or the spark plugs?</TD></TR></TABLE>

i don't think it's the O2 sensor...do this, pull one of the spark plug wires and take a screw driver and put it up close to the spark plug socket to see a small arc when cranking over the motor...it could be just a bad plug or something. hope that helps out

Archidictus

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 99blusi &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">sounds like the distributor. I'd start with cap and rotor...but I am guessing coil. There's a test procedure in the helms manual. I can look it up if you need it. Hit me with a pm.</TD></TR></TABLE>

100% Excellent advice and very helpful. Huge props.