I just recently purchased a 1996 Civic LX with the 1.6 motor and 4 speed automatic transmission as a second car for my wife and I. The car has 97,000 miles and seems to be in really great shape. I am having an issue with the car and being new to Hondas I was hoping to get some help.

Sometimes when I pull out the car bogs. It feels like I push the throttle for split second, let the throttle up for a second and then hit the throttle again. Sometimes it will do this 2 or 3 times in a row before it will return to normal. Engine temperature, load, etc. do not seem to be a determining factor. The CEL is not on and I have no "pending" codes either.

I have given the car a complete tune up, spark plugs, wires, cap and rotor, and air filter. I cleaned the throttle body and replaced the PCV. The car also just had the timing belt and water pump replaced and the valves adjusted.

The car runs great otherwise. Idle is always silky smooth and steady. Car cruises fine and accelerates without any issues. I am getting around 30-32 miles per gallon.

Any ideas on where to start? The car did this before I replaced all of the above and still does it. I was thinking a sensor (MAP, TPS, O2) but I do not want to start just blindly throwing money at it. Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

You might start by doing a Seafoam treatment. Put some in the gas tank and also into the brake booster vacuum hose. You probably should replace the spark plugs after the treatment.

What brand spark plugs, wires, cap, and rotor did you install? It would be best to use OEM plugs and wires.

 

I used oem parts for everything. I did run Redline fuel system cleaner through it.

 

Are the plugs properly gapped?

Have you adjusted the ignition timing with a timing gun?

 

Plugs are properly gapped. I have not adjusted or checked the ignition timing. What is the SCS service connector in step 2 of the instructions you posted? If the timing was off would it cause the occasional bogging only when pulling out? Thanks fro your help!

 

 

I will check the ignition timing and make sure it's ok. Most of the bogging issues I have read about on this site are bogging at certain rpm ranges or on acceleration. I have not read one yet where is was just on initial pull out.

 

I will be double checking the timing this weekend. Any additional thoughts?

From what I have been reading it seems that a bogging issue is going to be caused by a fueling problem (i.e. fuel pump, filter, or a sensor controlling fueling). Because of the intermittant nature of my problem I am leaning towards a sensor starting to crap out. But the fact that it only does it during initial pull out and not during any acceleration has me somewhat confused.

 

The vast majority of hesitation and misfire problems are ignition system related, so it's important to start there when there are no CEL codes.

 

Ok, timing was checked today and it was right on at 12 degrees. Although they are new, I also double checked the cap and rotor, plug wires and plugs and everything looks ok. Took the car for a drive and it still does it occasionally. I will be replacing the fuel filter in a couple of days because it has never been changed. I do not think this will fix the problem but it needs done anyways.

Any more advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

probably icm inside the distributor, it sounds like a spark problem so it probably lies further beneath the typical cap,rotor and plug stuff.