hey guys, i have a 90 Si with a pretty stock D16, and lately i have been having some problems. The car idles pretty high to begin with, but it goes down after running for a minute or so, it does this in both cold and hot weather conditions.
Once the car is running im driving around and all of the sudden the engine will shudder, and the rpms drop untill the motor dies. I have noticed this problem is perticularly bad when its wet outside. If i try to start the car right after it dies, it usually wont start, but if i wait like 5 minutes and keep on trying to start it, it finally comes back to life, and usually after that i can drive it for a while without any problems. I changed the cap, rotor, and coil but still nothing.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

main relay?

 

sounds like it could be your main realy.

but it also sounds like your fuel filter might be getting clogged.

 

try checkin ur spark plugs an spark plugs wire. mine was like that. LMAO.. change fuel filter, fuel pump.. dis, cap,rotor, etc... same problem . til i got new plugs an spark.

 

Actually, i carry around a spair main relay and sometimes using the spare works... ill look into this, thanks.

 

I took the cap off and cleaned out the inside of it, put it back on and it fired right up, has been running for about a week but now when the motor gets hot it idles at around 2000rpm, and surges between 900 and 1700 sometimes, and now the problem with the car shutting off is slowly returning....advice please!!!??

 

igniter?

 

Maybe the seal in the distributor cap is not sealing very well, and you are getting too much moisture in there. Just a thought.

 

i would say it could be ur dizzy....i had a similar problem with my rex....does ur tach bounce up n down without the car actually reving b 4 it shuts off??......try a different dizzy n see if dats it...

 

idling bad could be your ECU, causing your ecus choke to be stuck open? do you have bad gas mileage or is there a build up of soot on your exhaust pipe.
the idling could also be an EGR valve thats bad and is stuck open or shut, I don't know if that would cause your car to stall though.



Modified by ctruman at 11:57 PM 6/3/2007

 

High idle could be a vacuum leak or IACV issue. I would definitely guess that your cutoff problem is due to a failing main relay/ Any CELs?

 

iratic idle sounds like a IACV issue to me as well.
I had the same problem and cleaned mine and fixed my problem.
Do a search on iacv and youll find TON'S of info on it , this has been covered alot.
On a side note , after you re-install the iacv after cleaning or replacing , make SURE you bleed the air out of the coolant system via the bleeder screw .

 

Hmmm no smoke and i guess the motor actually runs pretty well considering. it does have really bad gas mileage for a civic though, its not normal thats for sure. Ill read up on the IACV, thanks!

 

I agree the IACV would be causing the bad idle, but doesn't the IACV only operate when the throttle is disengaged? basically when it's in park or neutral? If the car dies while he's driving wouldn't that be non related to the IACV? Could be combination of a bad main relay and IACV problem..

It may be bruning to rich, and that's why your having bad gas milage, why ia sked about the soot.