Hey guys, I did the search, came up w/ some possibilites, but still didn't find anything really matching my problem.
I drive an '89 CRX w/ a B16a ob0 swap.
Driving home from work today (45 minute drive on highway) I noticed that every once in a while my accelleration would take a 1-2 second pause, and cause the car to chug a little. I didn't think much of it until I got much closer to home where I noticed that it was much more frequent, and if at anytime I depressed the gas pedal all the way down I would experience an almost complete loss of power. Driving up hills I had to go into 2nd gear and keep the revs very low, or else I would lose all my power. even at idle if I stomp the gas pedal there is a delay and a little chugging before the rpms start to raise. keeping the engine at low throttle was the only was I could generate any power.

Is it possible that the distributor is the problem? My dizzy has been a point of question for a while...

Thanks a lot.
Matt

 

Are you throwing a Check ENgine Light? Is your ECU flashing a code. It sounds like you are in Limp Mode. My car is doing the same because the distributor bearing are gone. That causes it to overheat and it killed the TDC sensor.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Tippyman &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Are you throwing a Check ENgine Light? Is your ECU flashing a code. It sounds like you are in Limp Mode. My car is doing the same because the distributor bearing are gone. That causes it to overheat and it killed the TDC sensor.</TD></TR></TABLE>

No, no CELs, and everything else reads normal. I don't think that's it

 

limp mode

 

Does it only do it when it gets warm? Like driving it for 15 miles or so, then it starts to do it, but otherwise you can drive it a couple of blocks and it runs fine?

If so, you might want to take a good look at your cat.

You wont get a CEL, and the problem sounds exactly like what you are describing.

Sometimes you can bang on the cat. and hear stuff inside. If so, it is probably going bad and needs to be replaced. A plugged up exhaust will give you symptoms like you are bogging down and losing power for no other reason.

You may even be able to smell something that resembles rotten eggs near your exhaust pipe.

With no codes, I am betting on a bad catalytic converter.

 

I had a similar problem and it turned out to be the distributer.

 

i have that exact same problems, but i have a new dizzy, never got it fixed, at this moment im droppin in a b16a but i hope this problem dosnt keep happing, anyone have any suggestions wut it cuold be besides the dizzy and cat??and i will also update on this as soon as im done with the swap to see if it keeps happing

 

it could possibly be ur alternator

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Cuda70 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Does it only do it when it gets warm? Like driving it for 15 miles or so, then it starts to do it, but otherwise you can drive it a couple of blocks and it runs fine?

If so, you might want to take a good look at your cat.

You wont get a CEL, and the problem sounds exactly like what you are describing.

Sometimes you can bang on the cat. and hear stuff inside. If so, it is probably going bad and needs to be replaced. A plugged up exhaust will give you symptoms like you are bogging down and losing power for no other reason.

You may even be able to smell something that resembles rotten eggs near your exhaust pipe.

With no codes, I am betting on a bad catalytic converter.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I just started up my car for the first time today and it ran pretty well. I have yet to take it on a real drive because I'm afraid of not making it back. This sounds like a very strong possibility unless anyone else has some ideas. What you were saying about 15 miles about fits the time that I first started noticing problems.

 

Not to jack this but I have a similar problem, sometimes in 2nd gear its slugish when I accelerate, at the low rpms it just feels like im being held back. I have obd1 b16.

 

I'm experiencing the same problems with my '88 dx. Same syptoms, sluggish in second gear. It feels like it's holding back but only sometimes! Also, ever once in a while, the car will lurch forward in second gear and the engine light will come on... but the car still runs. Again, just feeling sluggish.

It seems to be a popular problem with these old ones... any ideas? Or more details on previously posted ideas?

Sorry for being such a noob, but what's a distributor? Thanks all!

 

Its the black cap that connects to the spark plugs.

 

Ok, update.
Today I started my car and it was fine at first, then after driving about 3 miles the problem started occuring again. I noticed my fuel pump (Walbro 255) started making various whines and also that if I turned on my headlights, heater, or other lights the fuel pump would make a different pitched whine. Now I'm thinking alternator or fuel pump?

Also I'm not even sure I have a Cat, it might be a resonator.

 

whats your fuel pressure at koeo and at idle? i should of asked you if you had a fuel pressure gauge first

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by uoy nwo I &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">whats your fuel pressure at koeo and at idle? i should of asked you if you had a fuel pressure gauge first </TD></TR></TABLE>

Yeah sorry, I don't have a fuel pressure gauge

 

I just got back from my mechanic [i have a very similar problem, different engine- d15b2] and he said to check my plug wires.....sure enough, one of of my plug wires was bad, causing me to basically be running on 3 cylinders on a 4 cylinder engine, that's where the bogging and power loss comes from.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by barely4dr &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I just got back from my mechanic [i have a very similar problem, different engine- d15b2] and he said to check my plug wires.....sure enough, one of of my plug wires was bad, causing me to basically be running on 3 cylinders on a 4 cylinder engine, that's where the bogging and power loss comes from.</TD></TR></TABLE>

When you had this problem, i'm guessing it was constant so as soon as you turned your car on you had low power? because for me it takes a few minutes before my power goes to hell.

 

Crank Angle Sensor

Top sensor in the dist. and is used for fuel control and misfire detection.

If the dist. base bearing starts failing, it will start heating the sensor(s) up, destroying the magnetism causing a code(s). It will lose 10% of it's strenght, each time it is heated up, to a 170 degrees plus.

In most cases, replacing the distributor is the only alternative. Especially if the bearing has failed.
Honda does don't stock the bearing itself, but other after-market compaines are said to have one.

If you have problems starting the engine, or drivability after the install check your cam aligment. The seizing bearing might have caused it to jump a tooth/notch or two. From the extra drag due to the bearing failing.

, i have the same problem thought it was the dis. cap, replaced it and still the same problem. car would drive fine till it warmed up and car wont pass 3k , still looking for a dist. for my DOHC ZC if anyone has one LMK

 

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

When you had this problem, i'm guessing it was constant so as soon as you turned your car on you had low power? because for me it takes a few minutes before my power goes to hell.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yea, exactly. And it's soo damn frustrating because right now I don't have the money for a set of plug wires from Honda, so my baby is parked!