Hey guys,
This is my first car so i don't really know much about them but from doing some research i think I'm starting to get this whole car thing lol.. I bought my 98 Accord coupe (ULEV-VTEC, 2.3L 4cyl) about 2 months ago. When I baught it seemed like there was nothing wrong with it... Now theres a few, and I cant really get a good diagnosis from ANY mechanic.

-When at an idol *usually* it will stall out. (auto transmission) Then when i go to accelerate... it chugs up until about 15-20 mph... kind of hard to describe on the computer but i guess you could say its like the car goes, stops for maybe .3 seconds, then goes (repeat this process about 50 times). It will accelerate during this process, and doesnt happen much if i hit the gas hard, but thats not really something I would be able to do safely while in traffic lol. I have also at certain points had to keep it in neutral in traffic and keep it revving so it would stall out because it was happening so much. I have also noticed this happens MUCH more frequently when my gas tank is LOW. under 1/8 of a tank. For about a month i was running the car low low low on gas, always UNDERNEATH "E" -- putting in $2, $4, $3, of gas at a time... just to keep it going. Maybe i destroyed something by doing this? Cuz when the gas was low it would happen ALWAYS, and now that I keep my tank fuller usually it doesnt seem to happen as much. But it's still there.

- My check engine light is on. I just recently had a new flex put on the front because the old one was frayed and destroyed. Also had a custom muffler installed. Thinking of buying an ODB2 connector for my laptop. Cheaper than mechanics...

About 3 weeks after something starts rattling in the back of my car. (I'm told its the catalytic converter box or something...) But maybe somebody has had this issue before and knows what I'm talking about.. When i turn the car on, something in the back rattles. When i start to go from a stop it rattles too but not so much when going faster. Catalytic converter??? Another things is that i can smell unburnt gas a lot when stopped or when turning car off and getting out. No gas leaks, however. Gas cap is also properly fastened. Gas mileage DECREASE since purchased.
EDIT: when I come to a stop (like RIGHT once the car has stopped) my RPMs drop to 0 or close... sometimes stall from there or kick back upp to 500-800rpm.
Any input/thought are greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

 

Welcome to the forums..

See if this link might help your problems...

http://www.honda-tech.com/showthread.php?t=2573619

 

Thank you for the response, however... the post you linked me too has no resolution and it appears their issue is still unresolved. The symptoms seem EXACT to mine. Anybody?????

 

let's start with the chk engine lite being on.........get the code and post it here/
as for the rattle from the rear of the car have you loked under the car for something loose?? exh rattle ?? muffler? ...

 

Ok. Thinking of getting an ODB connector my my laptop -- maybe even a bluetooth one that will connect to an app on my android phone. Anybody have any luck with these??

As far as the rattling, I am almost certain its not my muffler. Just had a new one installed, its well hung and welded... and I have put my head underneaath the car and had somebody start it and have ID'd the source of the rattling as coming from the cat. Only when engine turns on / turns off you can hear it bad. Another thing, when driving it sounds as if *don't quote me on this* that liquid is spattering around inside it or something??? While I'm driving... does this sounds like a normal CAT CONV issue? Thinking of picking up a magnaflow cat off ebay and having that put on there... perforamce, good sounds , and still will be able to pass emissions

 

Sounds to me like your catalytic converter is going bad. Your lack of power (chugging issues) could be attributed to this - as well as the gassy smell. The catalytic converter is a honeycomb material inside, and that is breaking up. This causes the rattle and poor exhaust flow. I'm betting there is a related code...

 

P1381. Only code returned.

Any thoughts?

 

P1381 = CYP sensor intermittent

That's one of the timing sensors inside the distributor. The factory story is they're not replacable - gotta buy a new distributor.

But first, look for dirty/loose/corroded connections where the wiring harness plugs into the distributor. If you're tempted to do any wire-splicing, be careful. I think some of those wires are shielded.

 

would this account for my issue? With the chugging/bogging? Also from 1st into 2nd gear im @ about 5-6k RPMs... only happens when car temp has not warmed up yet.

 

Not sure if it accounts for everything. The CYP sensor works together with the CKP & TDC sensors (at the crankshaft) to time the spark. If the signal is flaky, then I guess the spark timing could be all over the place.

The ULEV ECU is trying to operate within really tight limits to get lower emmissions from what's essentially the same engine. I suppose when it gets unreliable signals about the cylinder position, it can cause all kinds of flaky things. You might want to fix this before chasing your tail on the other stuff.

The transmission might be reacting to the unreliable (unsteady) power delivery?? The idle-control stuff is also trying to learn how to hold a steady idle in spite of unsteady spark timing.