neckman

I am having rough idle problems upon first starting car. It seems to be worse when A/C is on. I don't think the switch that raises the idle speed when A/C is on is working. Where is switch located and how do I check it?

Chynaman718

i seem to have this too

what is the oem idle speed?

when i first start my crv it idles between 1 and 1.5k then after i start driving it'll idle at 250-500

sorry for jacking your thread

CLICC916

have you adjusted your valves? could be that if its having problems during the warm up cycle of your car. adjust your valves to the loose side of the spec and you should be ok. check out http://home.earthlink.net/~michaelpkeefe/ and he'll show you how to do this...also, if its rough after the car warms up, could be a number of things, but i'd check the fuel filter first, then spark plug/wires, dist. cap and rotor...btw, you have any cel's coming on?

BSIXTEENSOFAST

I think hes right. My 98 used to idle low after I did the waterpump and timing belt, it never stalled out or anything though. Anyway I thought I had the timing off; I had the valves adjusted because it was due for it and it has idled great ever since. I would adjust the valves anyway, supposedly CR-Vs have a tendency to burn valves because they are often too tight. A bad idle may be a sign of them being too tight. It costs like 70 or 80 dollars at the dealer or you can do it yourself with some feeler guages, a 10 mil wrench and a screwdriver I believe. Get them adjusted and see if it helps. Youre supposed to adjust them every 30k or so Ive heard.

jdmitr

97's did not have the head issues with the tight valves. They should be adjusted at normal mileage, unless they are ticking.

If you are having the "miss" even when warm then you may want to inspect your cap/rotor/wires... especially if they are original (with higher miles) or if they are not OEM. We have soo many issues like this, and the cause is that cheap/warn parts are causing it to misfire.

BSIXTEENSOFAST

97's Had tight valve problems, so did 98s it the same motor. 99-00s had more cases of tight valves and burnt valves.

whosmatt

I was having the same problem. I had the valves adjusted about 2 months ago and apparently the guy who did it was incompetent. It ran poorly, and finally last week, stalled twice right after start up. I popped the valve cover and every single one of the valves was too tight. I adjusted the exhaust side to .008" and the intake to .005"
this is the loose side of the spec. I can hear them ticking now, which on these cars is a good thing. the car idles much better. before, with the AC on it would idle at 400 rpms after warming up. now it sits at 750-800 with the AC on or off. has also improved the AC effectiveness in stop and go driving. this is a '98 CRV LX, fyi.

hope this saves you some trouble.

matt

MaxJS1990

Ok i have a 97 CR-V almost at 170k on it. it suddenly started giving me problems with idle and when i give it gas. If i give too much gas it boggs out. after it warms up it'll idle funky as hell and even start stalling on me, but if i put into neutral and keep RPMs 1,200-1,500 it'll be fine. sometimes i can floor it and it'll pick up fine then sometimes/most of the ime it'll sound like misfire and bogs out or stalls completely.
New parts:
Fuel pump & filter
distributor wire and spark plugs

Now i can't find any vac leaks on any hoses. I took out the intake and cleaned it, PVC valve, idle speed control. Made sure no air in coolant system. idle is worsened when A/C is on. Alternator is new as t would drop out of spec but thats unrelated i believe just giving as much info as possible. I do have a access to a computer to check the car with graphs and check each sensor but not sure what to look for or how to test them with say giving gas adding starter fluid or some to see spikes in the sensor like checking if an O2 sensor is bad. I do work at a shop but dont know enough about honda's to figure this one out as they are way different than other cars with idle control. So anyone with specs or anything that'll help would be great thanks so vey much for taking the time and helping me out.

MaxJS1990

thanks everyone ended up being faulty new plugs

MaxJS1990

it can be a few things. have you dont any work to the coolant system? if so make sure you dont have any air in any of the lines. Also make sure its not your alternator going bad or battery.

1st Check the "fast idle control" it the idle that is only mechanical and none electronical controlled. Sometime the idle needs to be re-seated to bottom just snugged not over tightened since its a plastic and will brake very easy
2nd vac leak somewhere on a hose that is just big enough to cause probables when the extra load is applied. the PCV valves are known for this too. (if removed make sure you warm car up and rev engine up over 3500rpms a few time once hot to get any air bubbles out otherwise you will have more idle problem
3rd Check spark plugs and wires i would put in (NGK Iridium IX Spark Plug) they work the best with honda and dont go bad easily. plus they are rated to last 85k miles so dont get the cheao wire either so they last and also provide the most power to the plugs.
4th check/clean "Idle Air Control Valve" this will have to be cleaned with carb cleaner spray and let sit for 5-10mins then dump out and pray clean. even if not the problem good to do for number of reasons.
5th check your fuel pressure.

With the engines they used in the crv's the ring on the pistons can wear down loads and cause poor so when you do an oil change put "engine restorer" in the oil alone with lukus. the engine restorer will greatly help with compression thus helping gas MPG power etc. Also dont use FRAM filters they dont allow enough flow for oil.

kelsodeez

i know the issue has been resolved in this thread, but i thought id share the DIY i used to adjust the valves. great step by step process. just make sure you are aware of SAE and metric measurements on the feeler gauges.

How to adjust your valves, 97-01 CRV