Ok so I have a 95 Honda dx and yesterday I decided to replace the heater core, when I installed everything back together my car didn't want to stay on. It would start right up and turn right back off.. So then I decided to take off the plastic holding the vents and cluster in and my car turned on and actually stayed on lol? But I drove it down the block and it lags after 2k rpm. I have absolutely no clue what went wrong and all my plugs are connected..

All help is appreciated thanx


Side note before I did this whole thing car ran smooth and every once in a while it would lag 2-3k rpm in 2nd and 3rd gear . But it drove good.

 

I swear if it ain't one thing it's another lol

 

Then you messed up something. What that could be? Don't know. better go back and recheck EVERYTHING you did. Start with all grounds.

 

There was only one ground that I saw and it was next to the cluster , and that I know is plugged in

 

All help is appreciated

 

You have cut or damaged something other than just the dash connections. I have drove my civic (temporarily around the shop) with no dash in and all related electrical connections disconnected..

Did the car have an alarm at some point? Check the steering column harness and plugs, only thing that would prevent it. Check ECU plugs if you removed that too.

 

I have a feeling its related to your cluster. Now it is possible you damaged your cluster if you plugged or unplugged it with the key on... for instance - if the speedometer cant communicate with the transmission speed sensor properly it can cause a "lag" - just a small possibility this is the case....
Like grumble said check those grounds! what i mean by that is disconnect them, inspect and clean them and reconnect them, even if they look fine...a good ground is a key factor
Double check the plugs on your cluster - unplug them and inspect them for any bent dirty or loose pins. make sure you have solid connections, do the same at your ECU...its possible something may have gotten knocked loose or a pinched wire etc...

Go over all of your work carefully - make sure you didnt pinch any wires along the way or accidentially knock something loose....check the main relay connector, the list goes on...

Good luck with it

 

Ditto all the above, most likely it is something you did or did not do when reinstalling the dash.

I would pull the dash again, inspect all the wiring and plugs, make sure a lead or part of a harness has not been "pinched off", inspect all plugs for damage or corrosion, also as mentioned check the grounds, your dash harness has more then one ground.

I don't see how the cluster would have anything to do with it, the car will run with out the cluster, unless leads of the cluster harness/plugs have been pinched off.

It is obvious that the problem is related to you pulling and reinstalling the dash or that you have made an existing problem, "once in a while it would lag 2-3k rpm in 2nd and 3rd gear" worse.

Pull the dash again and carefully go over everything as you reinstall it. 94