Head gasket, timing belt, water pump and throttle cable were all replaced on my B16 hatch last week. I got the correct parts numbers off of Honda-Tech. On Friday my mechanic was putting the car back together for me to pick up Friday evening.

Also, when they took the head off, he noticed it was warped so it was sent to a machine shop and milled down. Anyway, he said the gasket fits fine now and when it was put back together, the car started up fine but would't go over 3K RPMs.

I just got off the phone with him 30 seconds ago, and I'm obviously a little agitated. I dropped the car off on Wednesday thinking I'd have it back Thurday evening. Here I am 6 days later and still no car. What are some reasons the cpu wouldn't allow the car to go over 3K RPMs? Are there just too many to list?

I'd appreciate some feedback from this forum because this place has been a godsend for me in diagnosing what's wrong with my hybrid.

 

Is the ecu throwing any codes???

 

well that's the hard part because I'm at work and my mechanic had just started looking at the car when I called.

 

That sounds like it's in limp mode, you probably have multiple engine codes.
Make sure he hooked everything back up, assuming that it was running well before you took it in.

 

if it wont go past 3k then it sounds like you have a code 4 crank position sensor error.

maybe they put ur distributor back on wrong, or they dont have it timed properly

 

very possible that the cams are out of time

 

Yeah it revved all the way to 8200RPMs no problem when I brought it in. This is very frustrating, as I don't want to call too many times and be dick about it, but here we are at 2:00pm Monday and he hasn't called me back yet.

 

Looks like that mack didn't put on the DIzzy right check the firing order and the distributor most likly will cause the problem and also check if the valve adjustment was done right!!!

thanks good luck

 

Well he knew it ran good when you brought it in right?? Cuase as long as you can prove that I wouldnt worry about anything its all on the shops back now. I understand that you dont want to be a dick but they will understand if you do call since it is your car and your means of transportation. I would say I would go down there and just casually mention some things that might be the problems because you wouldnt want to come off like you know more than he does. I would say just work with him cause you never know what can happen in the long run.

Oh and I would definately make sure the timing is right.

 

I picked up the car at 5:00pm today and she started up, no problems. Then, as I'm pulling out the check engine light comes on! It's code 14 That is Idle Air Control or something like it. One long blink and four short ones.

The car held idle very well while I was still at the shop, but once I got out on the highway the revs just dropped straight down to zero when I released the accelerator. Dead stall everytime. To start the car back up I had to give it gas, then it would run great until I released the throttle again. Stall.

Ideas/suggestions/comments?

 

The harness plug on the EACV might be disconnected - perhaps it slipped off because it wasn't plugged in all the way.

 

here is what you do get a new sensor or clean that bitch.

I am thinking it needs cleaning or replace it. that should slove ur problem.

let us know what sloves the problem!!!

 

I picked up the car today, no engine codes and it started up good. Get out onto the highway and the ******* thing stalls exactly like yesterday. Its stalled 4 times before I got back to my mechanics shop. But once I pulled in, the car held idle no problem the entire time I talked to the guy.

It stalled once more on my way home, but it seems to be holding idle pretty well now. Is it possible the ECU just needs to learn where to keep the idle?

But the biggest problem is that the car is sputtering 50% of the time. This problem is not new. I thought it was headgasket related and would have been solved when I replaced the gasket last week. The head was also warped and I had it milled down at a machine shop. Vacuum tested the valve seals...etc. No cracks in the head.

It sputters then seems to pull itself through and revs fine all the way to 8200RPMs. I am going to replace my spark plugs and wires, could they be the problem? Could it be the distributor? Does anyone else have this problem with their B16?

My patience is wearing thin...

As I'm typing this the car began overheating again.... what the ****!?!?!

 

I just took it back to my mechanic, and I shut the car off 4 times on the way because it was overheating. The car was also sputtering badly. So when I get there, we pop off the radiator and start adding anti-freeze. Just like that the car doesn't overheat and the sputtering is minimal (still there sometimes but barely worth mentioning).

So I took the car out for a spin and went back to my house to find anti-freeze all over my driveway from when I posted my last message in this topice (20minutes ago).

I'm thinking my radiator is cracked

 

it could be the lower hose,

i had that problem, turns out when i "trimmed to fit" my hose it messed it up. try replacing the hoses first.

 

Out of the frying pan and... Ok, yes, I replaced a leaking hose, no more coolant leaking. Problem solved I sprayed my engine off with a hose to wash away the coolant that had sprayed on it and I also washed away the anti-freeze I spilled when filling up the radiator.

Now, my spark plug wires have big cracks in the rubber and they were sparking and the engine was dropping revs because the wires were wet. No big deal though, the car was running super on the ride home. None of the hesitation at all.

Then, I got a little cocky and took a turn too fast. I hit a bump and the entire car shut off! Nothing, no radio, no fan, no nothing. When I turn the key, the only thing that happens is the beeping. No lights, no nothing. Nada. I walked home.

My battery is not secured, so it must have bounced pretty hard when I hit that bump. Could that be the cause? It sure seems electrical since I have no radio or anything.

Should I let the car dry off then try to start it?


Modified by SeaBass at 10:28 PM 7/1/2003

 

Modified by SeaBass at 1:13 AM 7/2/2003

 

Okay, I just tried disconnecting the battery to reset the ecu. Connected it back up and tried to start it. Nothing. Still no radio on or anything.

Then I tried jumping it with my mom's Camry. That didn't work either. To check the battery I hooked my jumper cables up to the Civic and then took the two remaing prongs and tapped them together. They sparked, so there is a charge.

To summarize the situation: I sprayed the engine down with water, then took it for a ride, and hit a large bump at a high rate of speed. Huge impact, very intense. The car shut right off when I hit the bump and now won't start. Nothing happens when I turn the key, radio won't come on, no lights on the dash, nothing. Tried disconnecting the battery and jumping the car. Battery has a spark.

The battery is not secured down, so could it have bounced up and hit the hood. The engine was wet too


Modified by SeaBass at 1:15 AM 7/2/2003

 

don't want to discourage you but i have heard of one case of mr2 breaking rod as a result of hitting a bump at high speed. this was on a track so the mr2 i'm referring to may have been revving at near-rod breaking speeds.... but y'know.

sounds like you have stacks of problems. if i were you the first thing i'd check is the starter and it's wiring.

... it's all very puzzling, you said that the only reaction you get out of your car when you put the key in is the reminder buzzer... no dash lights? do the headlights turn on? brake lights? anything else? dome light?

if that's true that the reminder buzzer is the only thing getting juice, thennnnnnn.... i would -guess- that it's your ecu. if you have a buddy with the same ecu as your car see if you can plug his ecu into your car real quick to see if it works...

 

I just drove to my car to check the lights and they do in fact come on. Parking lights, headlights, dome light. They all come on. What does not come on is the stereo, it's a Sony Xplod and no lights come on at all but it will eject/accept CD's, but I think they're spring driven so...

Usually, when I turn the key in the ignition, the "Idiot Lights" come on, the oil light, the seatbelt light, the check engine light. They noramlly turn on for 10 seconds then go off. These lights are NOT coming on at all. The buzzer to remind you to not lock your keys in the car does come on. But the engine fan doesn't come on. Nothing happens when I turn the key. No clicking no nothing.

 

The only thing I can really think of is a blown fuse...

 

hmm must be one of the Main Fuses.

CHECK IT OUT!!!

 

I agree... a big, important electrical connection has been broken somewhere.

Hopefully it's not the ECU.

 

I almost have to laugh. That's one sorry sounding car. You need to fix that ish. Get some new plug wires and tie that battery down! Check your main fuses under the hood (the big ones that go in with screws). You should be happy with that car once you FIX all those little issues. Should be a nice ride so don't give up!

 

It's been a tough couple weeks. This is my daily driver as well as my baby. Lots of money invested so far...

Yes, it was the main fuse. I switched the lighting fuse over to the main engine fuse and TADA!!, it started right up. Of course, as my luck would have it, driving home at 10:00pm with no lights whatsoever and using a flashlight to see (no street lights), I wound up grounding out on someones granite walkway...

Not that I'm complaining, the problem is solved and tomorrow I buy a new fuse and a fastener for the battery and I'm done.

I guess the the battery bounced up and hit the hood, shorting out one of the fuses