Update post 26.....

I was at the exhaust shop getting my exhaust adjusted and the tech noticed a lot of black on my back bumper and said I am running rich.

I have no CEL's.

Am I running rich, if so how do I troubleshoot it?

 

Oh yeah. And if you haven't destroyed your cat you probably will soon.

 

What kind of exhaust do you have? Is it stock?

 

What does that have to do with it? This is a combustion issue we're talking about.

 

Stock cat with a dnx mid pipe, magnaflow muffler.

But is a combustion issue right?

What do I check if no Cel's?

 

If he doesn't have a cat there is a good chance the HCo's will build up on the bumper. Even if the engine is running normal.

 

Have a stock cat.

Is it possible the cat is bad?

I know there is a CEL code for a cat right?

 

Chances are it is.

 

Aim a temp gun at it while it is running. That will tell you if your cat is bad right away.

 

Does the CEL work?

Running rich has many causes. Start with a few common causes - engine misfire (e.g, tune up), misadjusted ignition ignition timing, and stuck open thermostat.

 

Cel does work, I turned the key this morning to check.

My plugs have maybe 60k miles, could it be that simple?

Car seems to run pretty good.

 

I don't have a cat and this is how my bumper looks. Does it look like that or is it dirtier?

 

Yes, but have not washed my car in awhile so it built up.

Car seems louder than normal, sign of a bad cat?

 

Your plugs are way too old. Do a full tune up and enjoy better performance and gas mileage.

 

I'm more worried about your heavily worn tires.

 

I never wash my car... Ever. It will be a LOT louder.

 

Sounds like my wife's hatch after she let a check engine light go for months (or longer) and didn't say anything to me. She doesn't wash her car either so when I started noticing the buildup on the bumper it was pretty much too late. Only when it started sounding like a Subaru and the CEL started flashing did she say something. Had to swap engine, cat, O2 sensors and do a full tune up. She still hasn't washed her car.

 

So now I am wondering if the Cel goes off with total failure.

So I should change out plugs at least. Wash Bumper lol and see how it looks?

If I pull plugs any signs of running rich I should look at on the plugs itself?

Guys I never know how tight should I make the new plugs with out a torque wrench.

 

Don't quote me but I am pretty sure the plugs are like 16ft lbs, not very much at all. You have to drive it around till everything gets up to temp to get accurate information from your plugs.

 

13-14 ft-lbs

 

Ron, how would I know if I distroyed my cat?

I know I passed NJ emissions last September.

As for plugs I think honda manual says 1/2 turn, so if you took a circle I would do say 3 o'clock to say 9 o'clock (180 degrees) that is half right?

As for the cap rotor and wires and air cleaner filter (stock) they are fairly new.

Plugs are due, but they are NGK irdiums and the NGK says can go up to 60k miles.

 

First things first. Before you worry about the cat, fix the running rich problem.

Inspect the cap and rotor and check the ignition timing.

It's time to replace the plugs. Install the basic NGK plugs recommended in your owner's manual.

Buy a torque wrench. You need one if you want to work on your car.

 

Here is a pic.

 

That's what the hatch looked like.

 

Yeah my bumper is got some permanent damage from running rich, i can scrub it and its still black, Mine came from a badly tuned ecu.