Wdpfreak145

Hey guys. Started a new summer job as a delivery driver and I am noticing some issues out of my car after multiple runs/long drive times.

Car is a 95 civic ex sedan
d16z6 5spd. ECU is converted p28 from Auto to Manual and has worked without issue since the conversion 3 years ago.
Dizzy is a complete reman purchased within the last 2-3 years. Plug wires, cap, and rotor are also about the same age. Rotor does have a small mass missing from it opposite the contact. (I am NOT opposed to replacing these parts, just stating facts. They do show SOME age).
Already replaced spark plugs within the last month or two, properly gapped.

The problem I am experiencing is after the car is run @ operating temp for a while, in low RPM (any gear), under anything more than "light" throttle, the ignition starts to cut out sporadically. This will persist until about 2500 RPM and the car starts to create power and then the problem goes away. I have searched and seen a few threads here and there, but no definitive cause from what I read. Any and all help is appreciated.

MartyZ

In for ideas myself, as I'm going thru the issue. Currently I have replaced injectors, pump, and filter. I'm in a 92 VX personally, but I'm having the EXACT same issue, RPM's and everything. Another thing to note, once it warms up if I let mine sit for a minute, the car's idle RPM's drop to about 350 or so, almost like it's trying to die but it doesn't. Does yours do this too Wdpfreak145?

Wdpfreak145

My car does idle what I feel is excessively low, but not below 500 rpm. On the stock tach there is a first hash mark for 500 and my needle doesn't fall below that ever.

trimnslim

I'm having the same problem. Idles extra low and will even die some times. Its real sluggish until 3500 rpm then is its like being shot out a cannon through out the revs. I have changed dizzy, fuel pump and filter, spark plugs and wires, map sensor. adjusted TPS, and even tried different ecu. My question is could a bad O2 sensor cause this and not throw a check engine light.

Wdpfreak145

While you all may experience similar symptoms to me, not all sound the same. I am confident that my issue is ignition-related (due to the lack of torque created at low RPM). Try to stick to the topic at hand. If you are worried about your car, create a thread with all the appropriate information.

Wdpfreak145

No suggestions guys? I'm working tomorrow at 5pm and would like to have some improvements before then.

While cleaning the cap and rotor the other day I noticed that the sping that goes from the coil (I think?) to the cap was missing. Could this cause problems? I may go ahead and replace the cap and rotor tomorrow before work. Cheap and easy step.

Wdpfreak145

Still looking for ideas here, fellas! I have not made any headway as I have been too busy with work. Today is my day off so I will look into replacing the cap and rotor.

I think it's also worth mentioning that the sputtering is also happening when I start the car after it's warmed up. Normally a quick push of the throttle cures it however.

MartyZ

Fixed my issue, but as you said it's probably not related, mine ended up being my ecu. Got another ecu. No more sputter up to 2500rpm. But you should have a spring from your coil to cap though. Atleast mine does.

Wdpfreak145

I'll have to look at some parts while I'm at the store today and see what I can find out.

Funny you mention swapping the ecu's cause I just picked up a chipped p06 w/ p28 basemap and have been running it for a week now with no new issues and no change in the ignition problem either.

MartyZ

Probably that spring then. It's probably sending a super weak spark to your cap.

Wdpfreak145

Did the cap and rotor today and making sure everything is sealed up good. Will wait until tomorrow to making any definitive statements.

Wdpfreak145

well for right now the problem seems to be mostly cured. Delivering today there were only one or two occasions when the car seemed to sputter on startup. Going to see if I can rob a spring from the parts store tomorrow somehow; I don't see much of another way to get one and I don't have any spare dizzy's laying around.

Wdpfreak145

Well guys, after replacing my cap and rotor, I wanted to replace the spring for the coil since it had been missing for god knows how long. I managed to track down a junked distributor at my moms house and it had the spring in tact in the coil! Score!!

So I went to replace the spring yesterday and I found this:


I replaced the coil as well, spring and all, but at one point last night after driving around town I went to start the car and it sputtered on startup until I fed it some gas. At this point I've replaced almost every ignition part. Plug wires aren't too terribly old. Could this be an injector issue possibly?

Former User

Test the igniter unit. How do the rest of the distributor internals look? Post pictures. Is the inner dust cover missing?

Have you done the ingiter unit input tests?

Wdpfreak145

This distributor is a reman and did NOT come with an internal dust cover. I will take pics of the distributor innards shortly. Can you link me to the igniter test procedure?

Former User

You'll find a diagram for the igniter tests in the FAQs sticky.

You need a dust cover to prevent spark from bouncing around inside the distributor. It's a critical part, not a decoration. Did you throw away the original distributor?

The aftermarket distributor is another concern. What brand?

Wdpfreak145

Okay. Pic update:

Here's the underside of the cap. Brand new component, less than a week old.


Here's the only part that caught my attention. This is the contact from the coil on the underside of the cap. This was a result of the coil damn near melting itself. I've cleaned it the best I can, but I do have another brand new cap to use if we feel it really will be a problem...


Here's the rotor, just a single contact mark in the center. Also less than a week old.


Now here's a wire that goes to the ICU that took some damage a few years ago. A loose rotor screw backed out and shredded the casing on the wire a little bit but I managed to catch it in time.


And here's an overhead view. Everything else looks fine inside.


I will track down a multimeter and run through the igniter test(s). The distributor is a remanufactured unit purchased from advance about 3 years ago (IIRC). They take the old unit as a core return, but the junk distributor I managed to dig up at my mother's house does have the dust cover on it. The only problem is I can't get the rotor screw out to get to it!

Former User

If the cap and rotor have lifetime warranties, then replace them. Otherwise, clean the crucial contact points - cap-rotor and coil-cap.

Replace the badly damaged Yel/Grn wire - cut, solder-splice, heat shrink insulate.

Install the inner cover. Just drill out the rotor screw.

Have AutoZone test the igniter unit.

Wdpfreak145

The cap and rotor are brand new. Aside from the corrosion you see where the cap meets the coil, there is no damage. I will swap out the cap with the spare I have laying around.

Funny thing: after taking these pics, I left to go handle some business with my girlfriend and the car died several times. First two times, after doing hard pulls, dying right in the middle of my shift. Refused to start for several minutes after. CEL was present but being in the hurry that I was, I did not have time to pull codes. Even when the car WOULD start, it would die immediately after. Eventually it ran long enough for me to drive it back to her apartment. We came back and I test drove it and it seemed to behave like normal again... Very suspicious.

Wdpfreak145

Also, spoke to my local autozone- they don't have the ability to test igniters. I will get a multimeter tomorrow and see about drilling this damn screw out to use the dust shield. I'm also gonna rob it to replace that damaged wire on the ICU on mine.

Former User

Good idea

Wdpfreak145

Okay, time for today's update. Managed to get the old distributor apart and swapped the dust shield over to the new one, and depinned the damaged wire and replaced it with the same wire from the old dizzy.

Checked the igniter with a multimeter as described in the FSM and it has voltage where appropriate with the key on. The only thing I haven't done are check for continuity on the ylw/grn wire from the dizzy to the ECU and the blu wire to the tach test plug. Ran out of time this evening to troubleshoot anymore.

Former User

Sounds good. But those tests are not for the ICM itself. They check that the coil and ICM receive voltage or that certain wires don't have a short or open.

Have AutoZone test the ICM.

Wdpfreak145

/reiterate

I was told they only test batteries, alternators, and starters. I will check those wires for opens like you mentioned tomorrow when I have some daylight. At this point I've replaced almost every component of the ignition system. Only things left are the ICM itself, plug wires, and well... the entire distributor.

Former User

Does your city have more than one AutoZone? If so, call another one. The AutoZone near me tests ICMs.