1998 Accord LX w/2001 4 cyl engine.

Issue 1: On cold starts in <20F temps, the car needs to crank 5-9 times before it will catch and run. Battery was already replaced, it turns over pretty well, just needs time to catch.

Issue 2: While engine is still cold, it is susceptible to stalling when I lift throttle and clutch in. AC & HVAC fans are off to remove load, and it still occurs. It only happens about 5% of the time, and once the engine warms up, it does not seem to happen.

I suspect both are related. Plugs, wires, rotor/distr are all relatively new according to previous owner. The car runs normally, 99% of the time. No CEL. Steady idle (~750 rpms), smooth acceleration, and for the most part, once the engine is warmed up, the lift throttle condition will NOT induce the car to stall. At temps over 20F, the car turns over and starts normally. If the car has been parked for a short period of time in sub 20F weather, it will start right away. It usually takes a few hours (4+?) before the hard-to-start condition recurs. Number of cranks to start seems to be inversely proportional to temp. At 20F, it might take 5 cranks to catch. At 0F, it will take 9 cranks to start.

Okay, so I suspect the issue is either fuel related or air related. If I had to guess, I would pick the later...specifically the IAC valve. Is there any way to determine if this part is working correctly? Seems like it might be gummed up, and whatever is in there is freezing it up at low temps, preventing it from operating correctly? I really need to test is in 0F weather to see if it's functioning normally. I know nothing about it, except where it's located. Can it be cleaned?

If I can verify that the IAC valve is working correctly, then I'll consider fueling issues.

Any thoughts? This issue is way too intermittent to waste my money at a dealership. However it's still quite dangerous, as the car has stalled on me...luckily it usually happens as I'm stopping for a red light.

 

heh, had that problem before. i though it was the main relay but that problem occurs when its really warmth. here i checked my spark when it insisted on not started. no spark. so im guessing check out your ignition somewhere along the lines. my problem was the ignitor. very easy to change. good luck and hope its nothing. this weather does not help. brrr...

 

Are you using 5w30 engine oil? It is not recommended using 10w30 for temperatures <20 degrees. The IACV on your car does not have a screen and cannot be cleaned. I tried cleaning mine (98 accord 115k 4-cyl.) and it screwed it up worse. I had to put in a new one. What a bitch to replace because of location and costs 150 dollars from dealership. How many miles do you have on engine? Why did you replace the original one?

 

Good thought! Actually, the engine had 10W30 in it (mechanic dumped it in with the new motor), and the car sounded horrible with it when the temps started dropping. At the first oil change, I swapped in M1 0W20 (Honda specs 5W20 for the 2001 engine, but 0W20 works just fine). I noticed they used a $0.20 oil filter, which didn't appear to have an anti-drainback valve. I installed an OEM filter. The car turns over much easier now, and the engine doesn't sound rough when it's cold. So that's one problem solved...and unfortunately, it's not related to the issues above.

Interestingly enough, the old engine (with 72K miles on it) would also stall when I did the clutch in/lift throttle. Seemed somewhat random, and the temps never really got cold enough for the hard-to-start issue to crop up. When the engine was replaced, the block, head, intake mani, and exhaust mani were swapped in. Chances are all the other bits and pieces from the stock engine were transferred over. I know I asked them to swap over the plugs, dist., rotor, and wires, since they were all practically new. Incidentally, what's the ignitor? Same as the distributor?

Oh, BTW, the old engine was presumed to have a crack in the block. Oil was found in the cooling system, and after swapping out the head gasket, and pressure testing the head twice, I gave up and asking them to put a new motor in it.