I took my girl's car (1994 Accord EX 4cyl) this morning and noticed something very strange - at 80mph or above, the motor suddenly cuts out and feels like it's "stumbling" - loss of power, car feels sluggish, and basically forces you to decelerate. It goes away once the RPM/speed drops, but repeats again once it reaches 80. Also, while sitting at the light, it was idling very rough and felt like it's about to die completely.

By the time I got to work (10 miles), the CEL was on with the following codes:

4 CKP - crank position sensor
21 VTEC spool solenoid valve

I am trying to figure out whether one of the codes caused the other one - for example, failure of the VTEC solenoid somehow affecting the crank position sensor?

Strangely, the dealer was unable to locate that part (crank position sensor) for that specific car, even after asking me for the VIN. I found the VTEC solenoid valve at a junk yard for $100 (non-refundable), but no crank position sensor.

Can someone please give me an idea of what might be going on here, and whether these codes are somehow related? Also, I still cannot confrim that a crank positioning sensor actually exist - can someone confirm/deny that?

TIA

 

Up

 

the crank position sensor is in the distributor i believe. Pull the cap off and look for corrosion

 

Would this have caused the VTEC solenoid code as well?

Regarding the crank position sensor - I have looked on slhondaparts.com and majestic honda's, and still can't find anything!
Here is the diagram of the distributor - can you tell which one is the part?

http://www.slhondaparts.com/br...=true

 

The Vtec solenoid could be it but I don't suspect it's causing the high speed problem.
i checked my information and 100% it's in the distributor

 

Thank you - any chance you can point me to where this part can be found on the slhondaparts.com diagram:

http://www.slhondaparts.com/br...=true

 

#4 it's hard wired into the sub assembely.
My best advice is to get a new distributor from honda. please don't go aftermarket.

 

Yes, the timing sensors (CKP, CYP, & TDC) are down in the body of the distributor. They're magnetic sensors that work off little star-wheels on the distributor shaft. For some strange reason Honda made them so they can't be removed & replaced...

 

Great, I am going to look around for the distributor tomorrow.

Now, regarding the VTEC solenoid valve - is this something to worry about, or was it a by-product of the CPS failure?

 

Replace the dist first then see if the vtec code returns. The crank sensor communicates ignition firing to the ecu and may have caused the vtec code due to rpm etc. One thing to make sure of is that the vtec code isnt caused from low oil in the crankcase. Check the oil and make sure its within spec on the dipstick. hth

 

Update: since I posted this, I uplugged and plugged the vtec spool valve connections back in (looking for a loose wire). Since then the CEL went away by itself (both of them), and the car has been driving fine (I drove it at 85 for some time). Hopefully this keeps up because she is getting a new one next week and this one is going to my brother, so unfortunately it will remain my problem even after the car is gone.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by dynamo &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Great, I am going to look around for the distributor tomorrow.

Now, regarding the VTEC solenoid valve - is this something to worry about, or was it a by-product of the CPS failure?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Check this link below to see how it all interacts, I'd say replace the dist. then clear the codes. Problem should be fixed
http://members.troublecodes.net/hondadude/vtec.jpg

 

Where can I find the crank position sensor?

The crank position sensor can be found in the front of the crank on the engine block below or next to the water pump in many applications. It can also be located on the main crank pully or the flywheel. The orientation of each make and model's engine is different, so the position sensor could be near your fender or near your front bumper depending on the car. They are typically made of magnets and oil and work on the principles of the Hall Effect.

 

i have the same codes on my girlfriends Honda accord ex wagon. the only difference or extra thing is that in every gear, and in idle the car cant rev past 2900-3400 rpms(depending on gear) any ideas at all on how to remedy this, i have exausted all my options.

 

What are the exact diagnostics codes that you are seeing when you scan the ECU?

Did you fix the cell related codes? If not what have you done to test/troubleshoot the issues?

Did you test the CKP sensor or replace the distributor?

Did you test or replace the VTEC solenoid?

Giving us a bit more information about what options you have already exhausted would help narrow the issues down a bit. With CEL codes there are technical troubleshooting guides that you can follow that will help pinpoint what the problem(s) is(are).