My accord has been idling low at times it will sit about 200 and sputter, other times it will die. today I let it sit in the drive for about five minutes while it idled at 200 then it died. I put injector cleaner in the other day and it ran fine yesterday no cel or anything; except that it wouldn't turn over for about 5 minutes last night. When I try to run the code my cel just stays solid, does this mean a bad ecu? When I take the short out the light goes off, I'm hoping it's just not storing the codes. Where should I be looking for the problem, I've been thinking it's a bad fuel filter but I'm not very good at trouble shooting. I check the manual and the filter was the only thing that matched up with the two problems. Has anyone had this problem or can help out? I will begin working on it tomorrow.

 

Has any work been done of the car?

If the check engine light stays lit, that means no code is stored. You may want to check that the 7.5 amp backup/radio fuse in the engine bay fuse box isn't blown. Also, there is an ECU fuse that is either in that same engine bay fuse box, or in the one under the driver's side dash. That is a 10 amp fuse.

I always suggest that you change the distributor cap, distributor rotor, and spark plugs if they are past due. I like the Honda cap Most parts stores will carry these.

You didn't say if this was an automatic or a manual transmission. Did the D4 light flash any codes?

In the common DIY thread on top of the gen tech help forum, there is a link to cleaning the IACV on your car. I would also clean both sides of the throttle plate and the inside of the throttle body. I would use throttle body cleaner on this.

 

it is a manual and by d4 do you mean the srs light if so then no it didn't blink anything.

 

I also left out another thing when i reach about 2750 rpm it seems to sputter or bog whatever you would like to call it this is the part thats confusing me

 

The D4 light is for automatic transmissions (P, R, N, D4, D3...). You car does not have a transmission computer. You are the brains of the transmission.

You might want to clean the egr ports. See common diy thread I mentioned in my first post. This probably won't fix the stalling/starting problem.

You said the car wouldn't turn over. Does that mean that the starter did not spin the engine? Or did the start spin the engine, but the engine didn't fire up?

What about the maintenance items I asked about?

 

I just recently bought the car I'm not sure what the owner did prior to me but I haven't done anything to it yet. By not turning over I mean it just clicks and there's no spin, there's times where it turns over but won't fire up, it won't spin or it just fires right up. In each situation though it eventually starts.

 

First, you can clean & tighten all the battery cables - both ends. Loose or dirty cable connections MIGHT explain some of it. And send you on wild-goose-chases even if they're not the REAL problem.

 

Idle problem sounds like a faulty idle air control valve.

The no start, do you hear the fuel pump prime when you turn the ignition to the II position?

 

yes the fuel pump does prime

 

+1. Does the prior owner have records of when the some of these items were changed? Have you check them?