Hello all.

Here is the story:

Took my 99 Accord VTEC I4 in for oil change and to replace a ball joint. While I was there, dealer replaced ignition switch (recall). About 2 weeks later, outdoor temperature dropped below 0F for about a week (live in Canada eh...). Engine light came on - car started to hesitate on acceleration quite bad.

They pulled the codes from the car and had a misfire on each cylinder and fuel mixture lean, fuel mixture rich codes. They told me the bosch platinum plugs had some issues in cold weather with vtec's and suggested distributor cap, rotor and plugs. I bought the parts, installed them and the hesitation (or stumbling) was solved. The dealer indicated that the fuel pressure regulator may need to be replaced because of the fuel mixture codes, but told me to change the plugs, etc... first to see if that solved everything. Well, the engine light went off again with the same code. I replaced the fuel pressure regulator and the new tube kit and guess what:

1) Idles terrible when warm (rpm gage is bobbing from 500 - 900).
2) When starting out cold, the engine runs fine. When the engine hits operating temperature, its almost like it stalls (like the mixture is waaay to rich) for a split second. Once warm, the symptom does not come back until the next day.
3) Starts fine and drives fine, problem is idling and when taking out the clutch. When driving and depressing the clutch pedal, the rpm's fall to ~200 like it is going to stall, but bobs back up to ~650 ish..... If I blip the throttle and rev the engine, when it cycles back to idle, the same thing happens - drops to ~200 and almost stalls then back to idling between 500-900.
4) After the regulator was replaced I am getting this annoying vibration from behind the engine - can hear it in the car from around the driver side on the firewall - like a dull drum roll of pastic on plastic or something.

Anyone else with a similar experience and/or solution?

 

Welcome to the club.

Check the following threads:

https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=1141493

https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=1141040

sounds like epdemic....hmmmmm

 

BTW, how much did you pay for replacing ball joint ?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by eauto &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">BTW, how much did you pay for replacing ball joint ?</TD></TR></TABLE>


Left Ball Joint and Sway Bar Bushing, Oil and Filter, Tire rotation with tax was $220.00 Canadian. Dealer did the service.

The ball joint is 140.00 with tax and labour included.

 

eauto:

Did you try to clean the IACV? Clean the Throttle Body?

This happened once before on me when I first purchased the car. I took it to the dealer and they tried replacing the plugs. That didnt work, so they replaced the fuel injectors. It worked fine until just recently.

Fuel injectors were replaced around 15,000 km (9000 miles). Now it is acting up again @ 173,000 km (104,000 miles). At 15,000 clicks though, the idle was fine and there was no RPM hunting. It solved the hesitation when it reached operating temp. That was in 1999 so who knows if that was the fix.

 

It appears that I have solved **my** problem:

1) Cleaned the throttle body - did not fix the problem.
2) removed the fuel pressure regulator (the new one I put on). I was going to replace it with the old one.

Upon inspection, I realized that that I didnt see the O-ring on the fpr, but a plastic plug. I pulled the plug off and revealed the valve and the O-ring. Plug had no holes - it is there to protect the part while in the parts bag - DOH!! What an idiot . I pulled the plug off, replaced the regulator and voila - no hesitation, acceleration is fantastic again (cleaning throttle body didnt hurt), no hard idle, no bobbing rpm's, no funny noises .

Damn lucky I didnt burn out the fuel pump .

The TSB for the issue is here:

http://www.hondalac.com/servic...e.pdf

 

Ok. Now we are getting somewhere. You all experts know what is coming next !

1. How to order the kit ? just go to the parts counter and buy it ?

2. How easy is it to do the hard work (not like iACV valve stuff...impossible)

3. Throttle body cleaned with Carb cleaner

4. Does anyone know what the emmission warranty is for 98 accord 4cyl auto sedan

Many thanks to all here.



Modified by eauto at 9:04 PM 2/8/2005

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by achtung &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">eauto:

Did you try to clean the IACV?
</TD></TR></TABLE>

Well I tried to locate it could not find it...I was looking standing in front of the engine and figured, it is impossible job for me. Will take a look at it again over the weekend.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by eauto &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Ok. Now we are getting somewhere. You all experts know what is coming next !

1. How to order the kit ? just go to the parts counter and buy it ?

2. How easy is it to do the hard work (not like iACV valve stuff...impossible)

3. Throttle body cleaned with Carb cleaner

4. Does anyone know what the emmission warranty is for 98 accord 4cyl auto sedan

Many thanks to all here.

Modified by eauto at 9:04 PM 2/8/2005</TD></TR></TABLE>


1. Yes - get the parts right at the service desk. New pressure regulator and the new tube kit.

2. Follow the instructions from Honda - EASY:
http://www.hondalac.com/servic...e.pdf

3. Throttle body cleaning - EASY - careful with TPS and MAP connectors. You do not need to unbolt the throttle body if you dont want to.
http://www.hondalac.com/servic...e.pdf

4. 160,000 km or 6 years??? Not sure what it is in the US.

I bought Kleen throttle body cleaner from Napa. When I sprayed the throttle body I also sprayed into the IACV port. Cant miss the port when you get access to the throttle body.

Hope that helps.

 

Replacement of Fuel Pressure Regulator is not straight forward. Anyone knwo the steps ? Thanks

 

I haven't done the '98, but other FPR's were pretty easy. One vacuum hose. One fuel-return hose (it'll spill gasoline). Two bolts & an O-ring against the rail (more spilled gasoline).

My '98 has 80k miles / 8 yrs for the following specific things:
- catalytic converter
- warmup catalytic converter
- engine control module
- powertrain control module

 

Thanks Jim.

I just checked and located the fuel pressure regulator. Here is what I plan to do, with engine shut off.

1. Remove the vacumm hoses from fpr.
2. remove fpr and the "o" ring from the fuel rail
3. perform the steps as indicate in the TSB
4. start the engine.

Total cost for parts: $30.00 bucks

Does that sound alright to all ?

 

Sounds about right. You can relieve the fuel pressure so you dont have any spilled gasoline, but it involves unplugging the fuel pump power connector in the trunk. Otherwise:

1) Remove vacuum hose from top of FPR
2) pinch the hose running into the FPR with a pair of vise grips.
3) Unbolt the FPR (10mm socket)
4) Take a pair of wide mount plyers and slide the retaining clip on the bottom hose beyond the FPR inlet pipe.
5) TWIST the hose off DO NOT PULL. May need to use your plyers to get it started.
6) Replace FPR in the reverse order. DONT LOSE THAT O-RING Put a touch of oil with your finger on the O-ring.

Thats it. Dont drop those bolts

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by eauto &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Well I tried to locate it could not find it...I was looking standing in front of the engine and figured, it is impossible job for me. Will take a look at it again over the weekend.</TD></TR></TABLE>

the IACV is on the back of the intake manifold next to the throttle position sensor. It's a pain in the *** to take out, your best bet is to remove the air intake tube and work from there. 2 10mm bolts, 2 coolant lines, and a vacuum line. Clean it out with seafoam or carb cleaner.

 

I am seeing about 390 miles per tankful, abotu 85% city driving and 15% highway.

Can someone comment if this is good, bad or average. I have not replaced the fuel pressure regulator or cleaned/repalce IACV. I wanted to wait for the results to see how I was doing mileage wise.

 

98 4-cyl auto, my daughter gets about 23 mpg running to school & around town. We can get maybe 31 mpg on a pure highway trip. What's the tank, 17 gallons? So I guess that's about right.

 

Thats about right. In the winter right now I am averaging 630 klicks/tank highway mileage (~410 miles). Before I tuned up and replaced the fuel pressure regulator I was around 550 km/tank.

In the summer it peaks around 750+ klicks / tank (~450 miles). And that is 90% highway, 10% city. I travel 250 km round trip daily. I imagine if I slowed down and drove 120 km/hr (~70 miles/hr) I would improve my mileage. I average around 135 km/hr on the highway (82 miles/hr). After all, automobile advertised fuel economy ratings are based on the automobile travelling at 90 km/hr (~52 mph) under normal load.

I have driven through some pretty slow highways in the US and I remember travelling around 45 - 50 mph in Vermont on the way to Montreal from Boston about a year ago and maxed out at 950 km (~580 miles) on a tank of gas.