For those of you who responded to "Knocking sound from engine block...Help!", I think I need your help again. Just recently (as of 3:00am) I drove my car (97 accord f22b2 w/ A/T) down to a local gas station for snacks. On the way down (after letting it warm up for 10 minutes), my car started missing in a rythmic fashion. It seemed to be directly related to engine rpm. It didn't matter if it was in or out of gear. The only hint I have to go on is a reddish residue that has accumulated under the distributor cap. I read the post about replacing an o-ring or gasket that leaked oil into the dizzy, but since mine was on the outside I didnt think much of it. Anyways, soon after it started acting up the CEL started blinking at me....which is something I have never seen before and totally freaked me out. I havent seen anything in my shop manual about this, and its too early to call a mechanic about it. I ask you guys for a lot of help, and I greatly appreciate it.

 

What shop manual do you own?

Both the Honda shop manual and the Haynes manuals have the procedure for self diagnostics. aka checking CEL/ECU codes. If your CEL is flashing it could be that there is an intermittent problem. The ECU should store the code and enable you to find out what may be casing your rough ride. Even though your car is OBD2 the OBD1 self diagnostic codes and procedures still apply for the 96-97 Accords.

Honda Shop Manual
Troubleshooting
Self Diagnostic Procedure 11-18

List of diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) - 11-20

Haynes Manual
Chapter 6 Emissions and engine control systems
6-4-3 Self diagnosis system - description and diagnostic trouble codes.

List of DTCs - 6-5

 

I always thought that the flashing CEL indicated a serious misfire that is damaging to the cat from excessive fuel being dumped in it. I've seen it happen, the cat turns all red and pretty

 

Correct. Blinking CEL = severe misfires in one or more cylinders. An OBD-2 scan will tell you which cylinder is misfiring.

Don't drive the car.