I just acquired an eg hatch with a b16a2. I don't know too much about cars but I think I have a really bad problem. If I don't launch at somewhere around 3k rpm the car starts to stutter and lurch all over. I'd liken it to bouncing of the redline. If I keep accelerating is goes away but only if I keep on the pedal and over somewhere around 3k. It can happen at low and high speeds but mostly below 40mph. I don't know much about the car except it has a skunk2 intake, cold air intake, headers, test pipe, and 2.5in exhaust all the way back. I really need a place to start as I can hardly drive it thru my city being that its 30mph all over. I have to accelerate then roll and repeat to get anywhere. Please help a budding tuner get safely around his town. Thanks and much appreciated!

 

do a tuneup first.

 

Ok thanks! Not trying to be a smartass or anything it's been a few years since I've laid hands on a car.What all should a tune up include? I changed the oil when I got home with it but that's as far as I went. Also the previous owner told me the timing was advanced a degree to make the vtech hit harder, I don't know if that's true at all. Should I retard it some? Also between idle and up to 3k rpm it seems to blurble I guess and sounds kinda like a cammed out muscle car.

 

Is the check engine light on?

Tune up would include at the least plugs, wires, cap, rotor, and a fuel filter wouldn't hurt. Adjust timing back to stock.

 

Yes the CEL is on. Car is low as hell and I don't have anyway to get under it at my house.but I was told it's an o2 sensor, but I can't see if my Megan exhaust has one or needs to be tapped or whatever. On a side note I've never had a car with coilovers, my eg has ksport ones... how the heck do I raise the darn thing up so I can get in my driveway? I see the adjustment for soft and hard but isn't it like on the coilover itself and don't I need a special tool ?

 

is anything stuck in your intake manifold? happened to me once. a piece of the filter was stuck in the manifold.

 

Put her in the shop today and I have the wrong ecu...p28 is for sohc not dual I guess...I was says "please put chip in" in faded sharpie on the back so who knows. Vacuum line missing on the back of my intake exhaust leak...needs a head gasket, timing is way advanced. Think I may eat a dick on this deal..

 

Didnt you test drive it first? Thats alot of problems for a car you just aquired.

 

Of course I drove it...but these things didn't surface until the next morning when I tried to drive to work in the city.Out where I drove originally was higher speed country roads.I didn't really pay much for the car so small things were not a concern but it only did it once while I was driving it the first time. However , for a grand total of 1100 including the car itself and the work I had done, by tomorrow or Monday, I will have an eg that goes like stink. Only thing left is to get new tires and figure out how to adjust all the suspension. Not sure what its called honestly but my rear tires lean in at the top, camber maybe ?

 

it was probably the missing vacuum line causing that surge at low rpms. p28 is a sohc vtec ecu but is commonly tuned for dohc vtec, but running a stock p28 on a dohc vtec probably wouldn't cause it to run as rough as you described. setting the timing back to factory spec will help too.

 

Thanks to you all for your help! She had a few small problems and I'll be picking her up tomorrow afternoon and find out exactly what the cause was.i'll keep y'all posted.Thanks again!