Alright guys, just got this car a few weeks ago and it's been running like a champ since, even yesterday, but this morning I went out to start it and it started, idled normally for a couple minutes, then started surging lower, then back to normal, then just died. Since, I've been able to restart it, but after about 5 seconds of idle it will just die, and if I hit the gas at all it will die as well. I pulled the plugs and the right two cylinders have oil in the bottom by the spark plug, and on the plug wire, but the left two are clean. There's also this weird sweet smell, which leads me to believe it's partly a coolant issue, but it still starts so that gives me hope that its not the coolant system.

Anyone else had this problem? I can't for the life of me figure it out, and my service manual hasn't come in yet.

It's a '91 civic si hatch too by the way.

Thanks.

Oh, and I ran through all of the threads that I could think to search for, but I couldn't find too much help... most of them were pretty different directions.

 

the oil on the spark plug boot is no big deal, but i would maybe do a compression test to make sure you didnt blow the headgasket.

 

Do a compression test. Check your timing. And make sure you are getting spark/fuel at all cyls.

Let us know the results of those tests in your next response.

 

Alright, Autozone usually has compression testers they loan out, correct? What really bugs me is it ran perfectly fine last night, no issues at all, then this morning it just died.

I'll try again in the morning, thanks.

 

Go talk to your local body shop and be cool with the guy, that's what I do and if nothing is going on they'll usually test compression for free. Or your local highschool autoshop will do it free Just be friendly. I never pay for that kind of ****. Give the guy $10 on the side or something