wtf running rough

[Lantis]

damn.. My car started doing this shit earlier today.

I was sitting at a stop light and when I started to roll forward and got to the next light and stopped it started to vibrate really hard and the RPMs dropped down to almost 0 and the car started to stutter and I had to give it a little gas to get it up to around 1,000 RPMs.

Got it back to the house and let it cool down, checked the oil and added a little (it has a slight leak around the cam seal and was not full so I added some to see if it helped any). Then I turned it on and it was still vibrating hard, and in park the RPMs stay about 600 or so and it runs at normal temps but the engine sounds really rough and the exhaust has a slight put put put put sound to it. Dropped it into reverse and into drive (automatic) and both times the RPMs dropped almost to 0 then came back up to around 300 or so and the car sounded like it was just barely staying alive. and it vibrates horrible.

Asked my dad to come look at it and he says it may be the timing is off or possibly spark plug problem.

Anyone know what this problem is?

[NAiL05]

Tune up to as easy as cleaning the idle air control.

[GunRunner]

any CEL? also how long has it been since a tune-up (plugs, wires, cap, rotor, etc.)?

[Lantis]

no lights came on (unless the bulb is burned out which I doubt)

and I am not sure on the last tune up, I haven't had it done and I'm not sure about the previous owner. but I've only added about 1,000 miles since I got the car two years ago and it's only at 133,XXX miles total.

although now that you mention it, the previous owner probably never had it done. but I did just have the timing belt and shit like that done a couple months ago and have only added a couple hundred miles since having that done and it was running good after that. It also was running fine on friday and when I started it today it was running good up until it randomly started acting up while at that light.

[Stealthman80]

It sounds like maybe you only running on 2-3 cylinders. pull each plug wire off 1 at a time while its running

[NAiL05]

If you dont know when your last tune up was it would be a good tiem to start gathering parts and replacing them. I tell everyone I know you dont know when tune up was performed do it now.

[Lantis]

It sounds like maybe you only running on 2-3 cylinders. pull each plug wire off 1 at a time while its running

and what's the fix for that?



@nail -- yeah I am gonna call over to dealer alternative tuesday and see how much a tune up costs.

[Stealthman80]

the fix for that is to figure out why the cylinders aren't firing properly, usually spark related

[Lantis]

Yeah they said it's $85 to look at it, and if I get it repaired that will go towards the repair bill.

I only have about $300 at the moment hopefully it's something cheap cause I was hoping to buy a nintendo DS with that money and put the rest in savings. now it looks like I'm going to be broke again and have to keep waiting on that nintendo.. ;_;

[rickyduckworth]

It sounds like maybe you only running on 2-3 cylinders. pull each plug wire off 1 at a time while its running

and when it shocks the fuck out of you, ask yourself if this was the best idea....this will also ruin good plug wires conductivity and is pointless

if he's driven it 1000 miles in 2 years, then it would be smart to change the fuel filter, plugs/wires and dizzy cap and rotor. shit gets old, plastic and rubber breaks down and trash will accumulate in the tank and get sucked into the system.

a low idle situation like that (all of a sudden) is usually the computer trying to be as conservative as possible but the motor, not being in tip-top shape, drags it down more than usual and there is no mechanism to really combat that within the ECU. a lot of non-USDM civics and accords have a switch that will shut off the A/C while the rpm are below 1500rpm (something new to me as of last year) to avoid that shutter from low idle (and sometimes stalling).

it's not a USDM feature though. it's annoying in hot weather, but so is stalling

[NAiL05]

You can do the tune up yourself with basic tools...Just buy all the parts get you a manual you should be able to do them all yourself. Should barely spend a bill a lil over or not even that.

[rickyduckworth]

and what's the fix for that?



@nail -- yeah I am gonna call over to dealer alternative tuesday and see how much a tune up costs.

just do plugs and wires yourself ($40 for parts, 15 minutes worth of work, simple tools needed)

that could fix it all by itself

or find a shadetree mechanic with decent intelligence to do it for less than a dealer. it's so simple that i'd do it for free if you lived around here. i normally tune my hondas up in the morning on the way to work or something and it takes 5-10 minutes for the 4 cylinder civics and accords

wasting money at a dealership won't mean a better job though.

[jhondayaaj]

just do plugs and wires yourself ($40 for parts, 15 minutes worth of work, simple tools needed)

that could fix it all by itself

or find a shadetree mechanic with decent intelligence to do it for less than a dealer. it's so simple that i'd do it for free if you lived around here. i normally tune my hondas up in the morning on the way to work or something and it takes 5-10 minutes for the 4 cylinder civics and accords

wasting money at a dealership won't mean a better job though.

on the contrary, no! you know, working at the dealer ship for about 5 years now, we get the lowered honda's with a wierd problem after it's been around five local shops and probably a few uncles that think they can fix it. and guess what?? we find out what the problem is (at the dealer) and the customer says "nah!I'll buy the parts myself and have my mechanic fix it." your mechanic that couldn't figure out what was wrong with it?? not trying to start anything, but the dealership is all about QUALITY! Not quantity.

anyways........ I would suggest that you (the person with the idling issue) get a valve adjustment done first. take a look at your plugs, if it does look bad, replace it (with ngk or denso plugs. not bosch platinums.). good luck.

[Lantis]

well I am not actually taking it to a dealership. dealer alternative is a honda acura only shop that only deals in genuine honda parts (they don't do aftermarket). and they do just as good a job as the dealership (since some were dealership mechanics previously) at a lower price.

It's $85 to take it in and have it looked at and if I have it repaired the $85 will go towards the bill. This is at least what I was quoted on the phone. I've had it in there a couple times before for work and had pretty decent prices and pretty quick service. Usually I can drop the car off one morning and pick it up within a day or two for major things, and for small things maybe even same day.

I could probably just do the wires and plugs myself, but if it is something else I want to know and have it fixed right.

I doubt it's a fuel problem though, the gas is not old, I have run it down to half a tank and then filled it full at least 3 times in the past couple months.

I guess we will have to wait and see, probably taking it on thursday.

[jhondayaaj]

start off with a valve adjustment. with you taking it to a honda acura shop (not dealer), yes, they will do a good job.