Vindicator9000

The wife's 99 automagic AWD CRV has developed a problem that keeps getting worse and worse. It currently has 108K on it.

It bogs BAD, mostly over 3K RPM in 3rd and 4th gears. It idles great, and will pull from a dead stop just fine, but accelerating up to highway speeds, it'll start to buck and stutter around 3K in 3rd gear, and it'll get worse as the RPMs go up.

It'll also stutter a bit when just maintaining speed above about 65. The problem has been there for 2 years, but very minor. Now it's bad enough to affect drivability.

So, I've been chasing this for awhile. So far I've replaced plugs, cap and rotor, and fuel filter... the fuel filter because it started stalling after the tank was run dry - filter fixed that problem. Plugs, cap and rotor didn't change the problem at all.

So far, I've never seen a CEL on it. I'm planning to hook up my scanner to it anyway, just to see if it's storing codes without a CEL, as it's bucking so bad now, I can't believe it hasn't thrown one yet. I think the bulb IS working, but it hasn't occurred to me to check it until now.

Any ideas? It's never had a valve adjustment, and I'm planning to do one, but it's been too stinking cold... I know B20s are supposed to be bad about needing valve adjustments, but I always thought that it affected idle more than load.

At this point, I'm also suspecting plug wires since I've changed everything else. It really seems like a misfire, which is why I replaced all the other stuff. I'd like to pinpoint it a little more before I start throwing parts at it. Is there a procedure to check wires with a multimeter? A specific resistance range that they're supposed to be in maybe?

Could timing be off maybe?

Ross 2.0

At night open the hood with the engine running. If the wires are bad you'll see a light show somewhere. If the wires are still factory leave them there. I doubt they're bad. What kind of plugs did you install and when was the timing belt replaced last?

Todd00

Just to be safe, I'd get a valve adjustment ASAP. As you said, those motors have a habit of doing bad things at that mileage if the valves have never been touched.

Also, aftermarket plug wires are cheap (even OEM aren't all that bad online). You should do those anyways.

Vindicator9000

Plugs were NGK OE replacements, and I gapped them to spec. Timing belt's never been changed, but I know it's due... just gotta find the time to do it when it warms up.

Looks like I'll be replacing wires and doing a valve adjustment this weekend if it's anywhere above 35 degrees.

Thanks guys.

Ross 2.0

If all that is good you probably have a bad distributor. Find another friend with an OBD2 b series and swap distributors

SpyLude92

Two questions came to mind. Will it rev over 3000 rpm in park for an extended period of time? Have you checked your exhaust? Might try taking it loose at the bottom of the manifold, to take out the possability of catalytic converter obstruction, or the old dog food in the muffler squirrel trick. Being that the tank has been run dry that really throws a red flag on the fuel pump also.

mormonboy

A common problem with CR-V's is the ignition coil inside the distributor. That is what may possibly be causing the bogging issue and stuttering above 3k.

You can have your ignition coil checked for proper voltage at any auto parts store for free. You just have to pull it out of the distributor.

DangBruhY

Did that ^ fix the problem?

I'm having the same issues.

Vindicator9000

sorry guys, forgot I created this thread.

I did a valve adjustment and changed plug wires, but it didn't fix the problem. It seemed like it got a little bit better, but my wife just texted me saying that it was stuttering bad today and wanting to stall again.

How hard is it to take the coil out of the dizzy? I've never taken one apart, and I'm not really sure what I'm looking at inside of one. I'd prefer not to replace the entire distributor if I can just change the coil.




When I had the VC off, I did find the head somewhat sludged up... much worse than any Honda I've ever seen. I've pulled the VC before from a 250K B20z that had been grossly neglected, and didn't see any sludge, so I don't know why mine's all crapped up. I have no idea why it would be, because I've always changed the oil every 3K and watched the levels. The only reason I can think of is that it's ALWAYS run a few degrees hotter than my B18C Civic... the CRV cruises around 190-200 rather than 175-185. I've always assumed that was just how they were.

Anyway, I cleaned the sludge out as best I could with the head still on, and I guess I'll see if it comes back.

Vindicator9000

Update:

Changed the coil today. It ran flawlessly and I drove it about 5 miles at speeds up to 75 mph with no problems.

Satisfied the problem was fixed, I turned around and took off. It got about 300 yards, sputtered and died. Would not start again.

Flatbed'ed it home and found that I was actually missing the electrode thingy for the cylinder 3 from inside the distributor cap. Swapped the distributor cap, and it fired right up. Shut it off, put the airbox back on, and now it won't start again.

So, I pulled airbox, goofed around with the cap again, no start. Swapped old coil back in, no start. Tried another cap I had sitting in the garage, no start.

When trying to start, I was smelling gas. Pulled a plug and it was wet. Checked spark, and I have none.

So, now I have a distributor on order. I can't think of anything else that would cause no spark. We'll see how that does.

jimlaw3

did you replace the igniter,its in the distributor,

Vindicator9000

didn't replace the igniter. At this point, I'm kinda ready to just throw a whole new distributor at it.

Vindicator9000

New distributor is on today, and it runs like a champ.

It IS all of a sudden throwing a P0131 code for primary O2. A little surprising that this car has never thrown a code before, and now suddenly showing O2, but I've got a new Denso on order for it. $75 from Amazon for direct OE replacement woot!

Todd00

Question--did you get an OEM Honda distributor and what did it cost you? My 99 has 120K miles on it and I was going to do cap/rotor, but at this point I might do the entire distriburor just because I know Honda's start to spit them out starting about this mileage.

Ross 2.0

It's not common for a Honda distributor to go out at any certain mileage.

Vindicator9000

I haven't really known them to go out at any specific mileage either. I know another guy who has a 2000 CRV that dumped a distributor at about 230K miles. Mine died at about 100K

However, my old y8 Civic engine is still on the original at 200K with no problems.

All that said, I didn't get an OEM distributor. I got a rebuilt one from O'Riley's with a lifetime warranty. I'm pretty sure that it was originally from Honda, just rebuilt. Cost me like $258 + a $75 core charge, which is refunded when you bring the old one back in.

Interesting followup: The CEL for the O2 sensor went away on its own before the new one I ordered showed up. It hasn't come back. I'm kinda thinking that the O2 may have been reading wrong because of all the nostart cranking I was doing on it, and then went away after a few drive cycles. So, now I got a NIB Denso direct fit O2 sensor sitting around.