I'm having a few troubles with my car, and I'm not as car savvy as I wish I was. I need help figuring out what is wrong so I can go from there.

It has a B20z and a transmission from an Acura GSR if I remember correctly.

In any case, when I got the car I wasn't aware that there was no water bypass on the cold air intake and we had a few really bad flash floods and the next thing I knew I had water sucked into my engine. Quite a bit of it.

After that happened I pulled out the spark plugs from the head and had water in the chamber of one of the spark plugs. I blew the water out with an air compressor and the car worked, but it clanks and sputters a little bit. I've driven the car for like a year since but now it seems to be getting worse and I need to fix it.

The car runs, but I need to know what is wrong with the engine so I don't ruin it further. I'd like to fix what ever I did, but I'm not sure what it is exactly that broke.


Also... this is probably related but...

When I turn on the AC, the rpm drops and idles at 500rpm as opposed to 1000rpm sometimes when i shift to neutral the rpm drops so fast it kills the car.

What is causing such a low rpm? The car has a normal RPM when the AC is off, and I know that AC puts more strain on the engine, but it dies alot when the AC is on.


If anyone can help with any of these problems, I feel at a complete loss. I like to work on my car as a hobby, but this is out of my hands.


I'm a graphic designer, not a mechanic :[


Thanks in advance.

 

the motor is water logged...by now most of your internals are probably rusted...your probably looking at a total rebuild

 

rusted?? nah.. a motor always has oil inside which makes it impossible to rust on the internals..

you probably bent a valve when u sucked up water and not getting it fixed probably made it worse bc the loss of compression..


Modified by chingpo05 at 12:53 AM 7/21/2008

 

a buddy of mine went through a big puddle and sucked up a lot of water...the car sat for a couple weeks and the top of the pistons were covered in rust...i dont know everything but im just going by what ive seen...sorry in advance if im wrong...ching dont be a dick about it just say im wrong


Modified by vtecb18c at 3:37 AM 7/21/2008

 

haha im sorry for being an *** bro .. but yea the only possible way there would be rust in the motor is if there was a huge amount of water sucked in to the motor and the water was still in the cylinders.. the only thing that would rust is the cylinder walls and valves itself.. bc everything else is cast..

 

its cool but i knew i wasnt goin crazy cause i saw the rust lol

 

Ching I am 95% that's what's wrong, because I've heard that before.

How do I fix it? What can I do to save money on this situation? I don't want to replace the engine if it's not necessary.

 

i would check your cap, rotor, spark plugs, and wires.. this problem you're having could just be a simple tune up to fix it.. you can diagnose the fireing system easily..

1. turn on the car and let it idle..
2. pull out the spark plug wires one at a time.. if the idle changes then that cylinder that had the wire pulled was doing its job.. if the idle does'nt change then you are missing in that cylinder..

running sluggish could also be your choice of fuel or it can also be a clogged fuel filter..


the worse that it could be is a valve that is bent and or valve adjustment is off.. i would need more details to let you know.. (does the motor tick) (are you throwing and engine codes)

btw i had a friend that had a b20z also that was making a ticking noise too. i recommended that he pull the motor out but he refused and took the car to another shop which did a valve adjustment. needless to say it was his rod bearing and he threw the rod later within the week ...

its all really hard for me to say.. there are so many different factors that come into play. and there are so many different sounds for each problem.. so check your firing system 1st and check for the noises and get back to us so that we can try to help

 

I use 93 octane and put in additives on occasion to clean the fuel injectors. However that may be the case that it's a bit clogged, because if I put anything lower it clogs very easily. It seems that everything is electrical related, I got the car back today from the mechanic and the thermostat was stuck and that's why the fan wasn't turning.


However now I have my SRS light stuck on which my AC doesnt turn on until the SRS light is off. Don't know why... it just does.


Also, is there a good website that you guys use to buy parts? I'm looking to browse for a new ECU that will allow my RPM to cap higher than 7,000 rpm ( I used to have one that capped it at 9,800 rpm but I switched it out when I drove through the puddle for longevity of the engine)


Bah, thanks for all the help guys, I'm going to see if I can work on getting the SRS to work correctly and then I can see what the AC is doing from there.

I think the compression thing isn't a factor as the car is running great now and probably just needs a tune up. The mechanic I took it to said it didn't seem like there was a compression issue.

 

tune up 1st thing to check.. change your fuel filter while ur at it.. and pls dont get another ecu to allow u to rev higher than 7.. a b20 should stay at 6k if you ask me.. stretched rods arent exactly what u want .. but in the case you would like to do it anyways phearable.net is a reputable company..

 

Well that at 7k but also because the ECU is acting a bit fritzy, but I'll have to check to see what's up. It could just be the wiring.

And what all goes into a tune up? Can I take it somewhere? How much does it run and what all am I paying for?

Thanks again ching.

 

you can do a tune up at home.. dizzy cap, rotor, spark plugs, wire set, fuel filter.. all of this can be done at home with just a 5/8th socket for the sparkplugs, 8mm, philips head screwdriver, 17 mm for the fuel bolt on top, and 14 mm wrench for the bottom.. i just recently did one for a friend and the parts costed 150-200ish with good parts and an oil change.. + freon for ac haha

 

Hey Ching,

My car is working now, but all the problems are new. My speedometer keeps just bouncing around randomly and it leads me to believe it's a loose wire, do you know where I could find the wire to check for connection?

Also, do you know how to either get the SRS light to turn off or bypass it? Because my AC doesnt turn on unless the SRS light is off and I cant figure out why it's on.

I'm sorry I'm so terrible with cars. I'll make you a graphic or something for helping me out Ching.

 

bouncing odometer can be because of a loose ground or a faulty speed sensor.. the speed sensor is located on the transmission right next to your T bracket and rear motor mount.. the actual view may be blocked by your intake buts its there.. its the plug with 3 wires going into it and the only one of its kind on the whole entire engine harness.. check it to see if the plug is in all the way..

now if its the rpm that is jumping its a different story.. its the idle air control valve, or a vacumm leak.. lmk if this is it though before i get into details..

as for the srs light.. its probably the unit itself that has a problem.. some where in the car there is a main brain for it.. for 92-00 civics + 94-01 integras its right under the dash on the floor next to your gas pedal.. you cant miss it, the srs unit only has one color of wiring going into it (yellow).. you will need the torx tool to take it out.. as for reseting the srs light, to my understanding you must have a machine to do it.. ive personally illiminated all sources of srs bc of all my cars having an after market steering wheels.. and plus i always wear my seat belt taking out the srs may just be cheaper if it is your problem..

it seems your car has a minor electrical problem eh? i warn you now, electrical work is by far the most challenging task.

 

It is all electrical, and for now the odometer has stopped jumping around, so if it starts acting up again I'll give it a go. As for the SRS I'll look into that. And yes, this car has so many electrical problems and it's frustrating as all hell because I don't know where to begin.

You are the first person to actually be able to help me with anything so I'm asking lots of questions now while I still can


Hopefully after I fix these two things everything will be good! However there is one other thing overall....

Is it possible for my car to not have enough power? The battery is like... a 545 amp one and should do the trick, but it always seems when i roll down my windows or turn on my air vents the rpm drops a few hundred when idle.

And the same thing happens when I turn on my AC except much more so, dropping 500+ rpm and sometimes killing the car.


I don't know what causes that because I was just kind of hoping it would all stay idling at 1000~ and not be so unpredictable.

Also sometimes when I turn on my car it starts and then the rpm cant keep up and it dies, so i have to start it, rev the engine and then im good. it just needs like that little bit of revving to keep it from dying.

I dont know what it is, is it a bad battery?

 

it seems that your idle air control valve is a little dirty.. its on the back of your intake manifold.. but it can also be that you have a lightwieght flywheel that it is causing this problem too.. a lightwieght flywheel sometimes causes this problem because of the rotating assembly moving so fast that the idle air cant keep up.. you are suppost to have parasitic drag on the motor anytime you use and electrical device in the car, its just one of those bad things about 4 cylinders.. the ac will have the most affect on the car, using of anything else that causes a change in idle is normal for an old altenator i believe.. i would go to the nearest auto parts store for them to check it for free.. bad grounds would also cause this problem.. the only time you need your battery is when you start your car so i would highly doubt its the problem..

i like to help when i can its just i only like to respond to the ppl that really need the help other ppl on the forums only ask dumb questions.. ask as you pls bc i always check on the threads i respond on

 

I'll look into the idle air control, doesn't seem to be a problem right now.

I was able to reset the SRS light but the A/C still wont work. I don't know what to do there.

I reset the SRS by plugging in a loop circuit with a switch and following some sequence of pressing and lifting off of the switch.

In any case I need to figure out how to get the A/C Running, and the ECU might be dying because it's getting overheated (at least I think that's what the problem is) and then it makes my speedometer and stuff act up. I'm saying that because with the carpet pulled up theres no problem as long as it can breathe. But once the carpet is back over him it starts to act up again.

Not sure, I'll have the mechanic hook it up to his diagnostics machine tomorrow and let you know what they tell me.

 

Also,

On that phearable.net site.... Do I have to worry about relays or anything when I shift with the VTEC enabled or anything? I was told once upon a time that if I mis-shift without a relay that I'll blow something up. I don't know if he was telling me that so that I would worry, or what. Do you know what I would need to look out for with the below specifications on a chipped ECU?

Dyno proven custom timing & fuel maps.
Speed governor removed.
Check Engine Shift Light.
2 step (launch control)
Knock sensor removed.
Vtec speed limit removed.
4 pin datalogging header.


Thanks again!

 

there are no relays for chipping the ecu.. if you misshift its a game of luck you either drop a valve or not, plain and simple.. the only thing that you may need is a switch for your two step so that you can dissengage it when launching.. but other than that there are no other things involved.. the a/c is a pretty difficult thing to fix bc i have to be there to check the wires, fuses, fans, ect ect..

 

Can you explain to me what all those things are with the ECU?

What is this two step thing?

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...lated

this is basically two step aka launch control.. this is for those ppl that cant perfect their launches at the track or those with a high horsepower vehicle that cant be controled at launch.. there is a switch to disengage the two step so that you car can catch traction and launch you down the track..