Tough discription - car sputteing, dying, cutting off, cluster jumping....
 

FIXXED!!! it was the ground on the t-stat housing


98 civic ex w/gsr on hondata S300

Basically my car is going haywire. It just randomly started cutting off sputtering dying whatever. The Rpm's and speedometer jump around while its cutting off. It will randomly throw a check engine light but it goes off as soon as i cut the car off. When the car starts acting up and does throw a code, hondata doesnt pick it up. Sorry if this seems vague but this is the only way i can really describe it.

Car has good Fuel psi
all sensors are plugged in.
I have made no recent changes
runs verry verry rich at idle, Im talking in the 9:1 to 10:1 range https://honda-tech.com/forums/images/smilies/emthup.gif https://honda-tech.com/forums/images/smilies/emthup.gif


Modified by EJ8chu at 2:48 PM 2/29/2008

Re: Tough discription - car sputteing, dying, cutting off, cluster jumping.... (EJ8chu)
 

When its acting up, i can cut it off and start it back up and its fine, sometimes a little hesitant though. When i hold the gas at say 2500 rpms it sounds like a heavy heavy misfire from time to time

sounds like its either the distributor or an alternator thats going bad. how long has it been doing this?

both things cab make your tach and speedo jump around, and the car run like crap.

Re: (2redstars)
 

it just happened like maybe an hour ago, i kinda want to say the igniter is bad but it could be the alternator. Are there any symptoms that one would have but not the other?

Re: Tough discription - car sputteing, dying, cutting off, cluster jumping.... (EJ8chu)
 

Im thinking dizzy kind of, but in electrical problems where things go crazy and since its more than just the tach, i want to say the ELD (electrical load detector). But dont hold me to it.

to check the alternator, start the car, then undo the negative cable on the battery, if there is a change or if the car shuts off, its your alternator. if it makes no change, its something else.

Re: (2redstars)
 

I have ELD disabled in hondata, and as for the alternator trick, i really dont think its totally dead cause its been charging my battery just fine.

Re: (EJ8chu)
 

I just put a used dizzy in a month ago cause the ICM in my old one went bad.

Re: (EJ8chu)
 

i just took it around the block, it seems like its becoming worse and worse by the minute

Re: (EJ8chu)
 

Thought about trying a stock ecu?

Re: (z6hatchboy)
 

yes i have, but ive had s300 for about a year with no issues or changes. Here is a big thing too: While the gauge cluster itself goes crazy, Hondata only shows the true readings of speed and rpm

Re: (EJ8chu)
 

well its diff. not the sensors then, tried a new cluster although i dont see how that would fix your engine?

Re: (z6hatchboy)
 

Im gonna throw in another alternator tomorrow, see what that does. Keep giving me suggestions cause with my luck, its not the alternator https://honda-tech.com/forums/images...s/emthdown.gif

do the trick i told you first. no need to go through all the work switching it unless you test it first.

Re: (2redstars)
 

my main relay is making a constant clicking noise with the ignition on