knettles5

My problems started with my car having problems in the morning / after having been sitting for awhile where it's totally cold. It would idle high (around 2k) then would settle down so low that the car would shake (wanting to shut off). At red lights and stop signs it would and could stall at almost every stop. These problems would go away after car warms up (like 20 min of driving). After giving it my mechanic to try and diagnose he put the following parts on it

98 honda civic ex
Map Sensor
Tps sensor
iac motor
distributor
distributor cap
rotor

Distributor was last thing that he put on the car, and I then started experiencing all new problems. Occasionally the rpm needle would start bouncing erratically and I would hear a rattle / misfire sound coming from the motor. Then the sound was accompanied by the car actually sputtering and shaking with the misfire sound. The car would be driving fine then all of sudden start doing this, I'd say like 90% of time I can put car in neutral and turn off and restart car and the problem would go away.

The easy thing to say is well it started after putting distributor on so that's your problem but the problem doesn't happen every time I drive the car, even though it's starting to get to be more often then naught now. Attached a video of the rpm needle jumping and if u listen u can hear the misfire or w/e the sound is. This problem is driving me crazy any help would be very appreciated.

Former User

Did the mechanic install an aftermarket or used distributor?

CEL codes?

redyute

iTrader: (2)

Does she throw any codes?

knettles5

it was throwing codes for the map sensor and burning rich when i first gave it to him and since he worked on it the codes are cleared and none have come back

TOO MUCH TORQUE

ignitor in dizzy

knettles5

I thought I read that the ignitor in dizzy wouldn't cause motor to sputter and or misfire or am I wrong?

Former User

Doe the CEL now work? See Codes sticky at the top.

Former User

Former User

Wrong

knettles5

It was a reman. distributor that he put on it. Was thinking maybe wire to ignitor not connected good or messed up?

Former User

Reman OEM or aftermarket? My guess currently is that it was bad right out of the box.

Does the CEL work?

knettles5

The actual CEL doesn't work on dash but when i first got car we pulled a few codes off it and cleared it and they haven't came back. Forgot to also mention that i have replaced the computer on it i guess the ecu or ecm. When the jumping rpm needle problems surfaced my mechanic put it back on reader but there wasn't any codes. But this was awhile ago I can go and have it read again to see if any new codes

Former User

Fix the CEL. Somebody probably just removed the bulb in the cluster.

How do you know?

knettles5

well i was giving mechanic my car every monday and tuesday for like 6 weeks while he kept trying different things to no avail. when i said they hadn't came back was during the 6 weeks he had the car, he kept checking for codes. but it has been over a month since so i'll take it and have it read again.

Former User

How much did you pay this mechanic?

1) Never bring your car back to him.

2) Install a CEL bulb in the cluster so that the CEL works.

3) The distributor he installed is probably bad.

knettles5

honestly he did all the work for free since he never actually fixed the problem. Really do apologize but with all the problems i left some stuff out that i shoulda put in OP. The stalling out at red lights and stops will go away after car warms up (like 20 min of driving) but would still idle low at stops. Would also struggle to start at random times seems to be getting plenty of spark just would take 3-4 tries to get car to crank. and these problems with the rpm needle and jerking of car started a couple of days after distributor installed and i noticed it for a couple days then it stopped for like the past month and just recently resurfaced.

also just took it get codes and got these

p0172
p0420

Former User

P0172 - running rich

P0420 - usually dead cat

Reset the ECU to see whether both codes return after running the engine.


Start by clean the IACV and doing what I said above.

knettles5

ya i can remember those codes from when we originally scanned it and the car has new throttle body iac motor or valve can't remember and it was totally cleaned

Former User

...and adjust the idle speed - see FAQs sticky for diagram.

redyute

iTrader: (2)

Hard cold start and running rich makes me suspect a faulty coolant temp sensor,your mechanic should have no problem testing it with a decent scan tool and a multi meter equipped with a temp sensor probe.

Motionek55

Check your transmission speed sensor. I had similar issue, the speed sensor was faulty and or starting to back out and the vehicle went into fail safe bc it could not read the speed properly, u can get one a a junk yard from another tranny, its in the back on the top of the tranny.

knettles5

taking it to mechanic in the morning gonna put a new distributor on it and gonna have him check the coolant temp sensor and tranny sensor. will post results in a day or two to see if any fix and will definitely post if i find the fix.