hey guys i got a 96 accord v6 and it runs very bad! If i start the car cold or when its been sitting for 2 hours or more it runs great then when it gets to operating temp it sounds like its only running on 2cylinders. It will only idle and if you go to give it gas it will spudder and back fire and die like the timing is way off. I did pull 2 codes one was a p1361 and the other is a p1381so what i did is got the car to warm up so it would act up then once it ran like crap i checked for spark in all 6 cylinders and that was good,plugs and wires are good,i put a brand new distrubutor in it and nothing changed, i unplugged the alt and ran it cuz i was told the alt can short out causing it to run like crap. i checked all the wiring and plugs goin to the dis,crank sensor,ect and cant find anything. timing belt is good and where it should be Im really stummped here if anyone can give me some pointers i would really apprecatie it thanks in advance

 

P1361 refers to intermittent interruption of both the Crank Angle Sensor and the Camshaft TDC sensor.
Has the timing belt been changed recently?
Both are located under the T'belt cover and could have been damaged when that work was done.
I've seen both electrical failure and one actually broken off when the mounting tab had been previously cracked.

P1381 refers to Ignition coil issues. This I would look at first since I've seen Ignition Coils fail when they warm up.

I would still consider haveing the other two sensors addressed. They too would be contributing to your problems.

The alternator has it's own issues, but it isn't contributing to this.

P

 

Thanks for the reply. I will have to check out the crank sensor that was my next step the timing belt has not been changed and is prob due anyway. I just dont wanna rip all that apart and spend 150 on a crank sensor and have it not fix my prob. Is there any way to test the crank sensor? If you have a bad coil would it still spark but make the car run poorly? thanks for your time

 

I've actually had brand new vehicles (GM, but a worthy example for this discussion), right off the Anchor Motor Freight carrier run great and then cut right out and quit when they warmed up.
It was a condition referred to as "Thermal Intermittance" and can afflict electrical, electronic and electro-mechanical systems.
In the case of these coils, what was happening was this:
As the coil heated, the internals started to expand (as does everything when heated). This produced internal pressures which forced the coil windings to press tighter and tighter against each other. Combine this with a manufacturing error by the wire manufacturer (insufficient insulation) and you had an internal short which reduced the coil output to the point that it wouldn't support ignition. When they cooled off, they tested as good.
It drove the engineers nuts.

In the field, it's tough to spot something like this; but you can find hints.
When you test a coil; what you're looking for is this:
Bright white/blue spark with an air gap of at least 1/4 (0.250")
Testing a coil cold is easy; testing a coil hot can be a little more uncomfortable, but can be done.
Before you even start, procure a fresh spark plug.
Start the engine and let it fully warm up.
Shut it off
Seperate one spark plug wire from it's plug and insert the spare plug into the end. Rest it against the valve cover
Start the engine.
Slowly start seperating the spare plug from the valve cover and note when it stops sparking. Note the color. AND do not tough to plug, hold it by the wire. if you're not careful, it could give you quite a bite.
You're looking for a good healty blue/white spark at least 1/4 (0.250) to 3/8 (0.375) inches long.

Remember this: It's easier to ignite a rich mixture as compared to a lean one. Rich = Cold Engine. Lean = Hot Engine. A marginal coil may well fire a rich mixture, where it fails when hot. Sound Familiar?

Hope this helps
P

 

P Adams hit the nail right on the head. it is almost definately the coil that is making it run like crap. as its is warming up its producing weak spark. i had this happen to my supra and replaced the coild and it ran amazing after it


and probably the other codes as well but i would check the coil first.

 

thanks i appriciate it I will give it a shot and hope for the best.

 

well i installled brand new coil and nothing changed.I also pulled the egr off and cleaned it I am ready to roll this p.o.s off a cliff.

 

just put it into the garage and sort it out from there .