This is driving me crazy!!!



Finally bought a Honda Civic to have something reliable and that won't give me a headache and just drive. Was lucky enough to find a Civic that hadn't been played with or ruined by a bunch of teenagers, stock auto Civic DX with only 1-2 owners. From what they said and the service records, they had alot of problems with the Cat Converter and oxygen sensor(s)(Cat changed twice), and the IACV was even changed out 3-4 years ago. Can't remember right now what else they did, but they took care of it reasonably well I guess.

When I got it, it didn't give me the mpg I was expecting from a car its size, only around 23mpg. That right there was a huge disappointment, so I -changed the plugs, threw in fuel and injector cleaner, 2 Seafoams total into the tank and right before an oil change, and then did a fuel injection cleaning at a shop. Now, I didn't notice it at the time, since I got that fuel cleaning, it would stall and almost die when stopped and idling like at a stoplight, or started up after being warm, and now will stutter and miss badly on the freeway. Has a worse problem on the freeway that's real windy. Won't go over 45-50mph on that freeway. But if it's on a city street, and I get even close to that speed, no problem. Also, the near dying or stalling while stopped and idling stops after flooring the gas.

So went ahead and changed the fuel filter. Thought it would be a fuel issue so I got a fuel-injection relay but haven't been able to get the old one off (pull it out, or loosen that top screw?). But the more I researched the problem online, the less I think it's the relay. I've read anything from a bad AC Fan to a busted camshaft tip, to a bad IACV (they go bad in only 3-4 years?), to plain old vacuum leaks. I first suspected vacuum leaks since the problem didn't exist before I got the fuel-system cleaning. But the line I think they used (brake booster to throttle body?) looks tight and snug, so what else would it be? I didn't go ahead and change the plug wires, dist cap & rotor, and everything else because the old owners got most work done at a dealership, and I figured OEM parts were as good as any and less likely to be the problem. Also don't want to just change them for cheapo Schucks or Autozone parts. It's premium aftermarket or OEM parts or nothing, but only when it's really needed. Problem is, that's the work I actually know how to do myself. Replacing or cleaning the IACV, AC Fan, or a camshaft, not so. Not on these cars.

So what say you, old wise men of Hondatech?????

 

What do your plugs look like?

 

Don't know yet, didn't bother checking them since I just changed them 6 months ago and figured they would be good. They're NGK's. It isn't a problem when I'm doing city driving, or even driving on other freeways without too much wind. But it's a couple of them that do get real windy when it is like that outside, and it bogs and misses then. Other places, nope.

 

You said the car ran ok before the the fuel injection cleaning? Who did the fuel injection cleaning?

Pull your plugs, sometimes they can get f ed up after a fuel injection service.

Also the seafoam treatment who did it, I am not crazy about seafoam treatments, like snake oil.

 

That's what I was getting at

 

The fuel injection cleaning service, through the vacuum lines, was done by a franchise shop. The Seafoam through the tank and some through the crankcase (NOT the vacuum lines), was by me myself. Can't remember now if I used 1 or 2 whole bottles. It actually took a while for it to stall or do this after the fuel cleaning, so that's why I didn't immediately go back there.

Originally went for the Seafoam and Fuel Cleaning because of the seemingly low mpg I was getting. It's gone up since then, to as high as 28. But the last tank, when this problem was at its worst, am now down to 25 again. I will pull a plug or 2 to see what they look like, have nothing to lose I guess.

Something else to add; The car has never had its timing belt done I don't think, and its at 125K. Also, it sounds like there might be a sound coming from a belt, especially when I rev it, but for not having one of these cars before, I don't know what's normal. The noise the belt makes just going in reverse normally makes me worry, but apparently there's nothing out of the ordinary with it. Or is there? Am I grinding out a cam lobe putting the timing belt job off? Is the timing off a bit, and causing this?