jcrist30

I have a '96 Civic EX, and I replaced the distributor three weeks ago. I also lightly cleaned the TB (with carb cleaner).

After replacing the distributor, the car ran great for about three days, then I noticed it had a really difficult (increasingly so) time finding its idle on ignition. If I feathered the gas, it would find its idle quickly. It then threw a CEL, Code P1381, which came back to an intermittent CYP sensor issue. I had a shop tell me their database suggested a new distributor fixed this issue approx. 86% of the time according to a database they use, so they suggested I got a bad part w/ the new distributor. I then replaced the original replacement distributor with a third distributor and had the same problem.

At one very brief point a few days later, my car started bucking and knocking in every gear, so I drove it straight to another shop. After test driving the car five or six times, they could notget that problem to replicate; the CEL was still on, however. When I picked it up, the car drove fine and did not exhibit the idle issue on startup.

I thought, hmmmm, maybe the carb cleaner was the issue the whole time, and it's worked itself out; so, I reset the ECU, CEL was gone. I still noticed a little trouble finding its idle on startup, but nothing like before.

Then today, CEL comes back on on startup. I've also noticed that the car will randomly start to overheat when sitting in traffic after driving a bit. I JUST replaced the cooling fan switch, which I verified was not working before replacing the switch. This has helped with a previous overheating issue, but I'm wondering if this new overheating issue is related to the weird idle issue at startup.

All in all, my symptons are as follows:

• CEL, presumably same code as before, P1381, since I'm having the same issue.

• Trouble finding idle on startup (mostly when starting cold engine); seems to find idle quicker when feathering the gas on startup.

• Slight overheating issue when sitting in traffic, though this is an intermittent issue.

• Idle seems to be higher than what it should be (~1500RPM at startup when cold, drops down to ~800RPM when warmed up); I know it will be higher when the engine is cold as it's trying to reach operating temp.

I'm suspecting something with the EGR system, but I am just not sure, and I am at my whit's end. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

mikey1

when you say you replaced the distributor, what exactly do you mean? the entire unit, or cap and rotor? are you replacing the rotor and cap together at the same time, or just one part?

did you use any dielectric grease?

did you move the distributor at all, possibly knocking the timing off?

head gasket blown?

jcrist30

I replaced the entire unit; not just cap and rotor. It was installed at the same location/timing as original distributor.

I also failed to mention that I replaced the radiator, as well. I am going to bleed the system and see if that helps at all.

I am suspicious of a blown head gasket, which may have happened a couple of years ago. However, my only symptoms that point to that are the intermittent overheating issues and something that may be oil (or simply residue) in coolant reservoir. I have no misfiring issues (other than the crazy idle), no white smoke, no coolant in oil, no loss of oil (I did have an oil leak where the original distributor connected to engine, but that has since been resolved), and no loss of coolant.

UPDATE: On my way home, it overheated at both cruising and at stand-still. When I pulled into my driveway, the temp was at normal operating temp. I sat and waited for cooling fan to come on. Immediately when the fan came on, the needle spiked to about 3/4 of the way up the gauge.

HondaMizzan

I hate to resurrect a year old thread

The problem is, I am having the exact same problem in my 2000 Honda Accord, and I was wondering what the fix is here, and rather than rehash the whole thing, I was wondering if anyone knows what's going on here.

jcrist30

No worries! I actually just got the car back out of the shop today. The overheating issue eventually worked it's way to destroying my head and motor, so I went ahead and forked out the money to have it replaced.

Comically, I still have the issue with the distributor (I told the shop not to worry with it right now since the car is driveable). I am suspecting that the issue is the distributor is not a genuine Honda distributor. I've heard and read that the wiring has to be just right, which it is with Honda and isn't with other aftermarket distributors (supposedly). I have purchased a used distributor off of another Honda. Once I get around to getting a cap and rotor, I am going to replace the whole assembly and see what happens.

HondaMizzan

Yea, I figure the overheating issue will probably eventually ruin my head, my main problem is that after doing what your distributor did for a while, my car will no longer start. I even replaced the distributor with a new one (albeit aftermarket and not Honda) yet the car will not start with the new distributor either. I checked the Main Relay, checked fuel pump, checked all relevant fuses. I have found nothing that is wrong, but still not getting any starting action from my car.

I even sprayed some starting fluid in the intake to try to see if it would start, no dice, so I don't know what to do at this point.

Wankenstein

Fuel pump okay?
Here: http://www.linnbenton.edu/auto/perform/no_start.html

ezone

Got spark??

Aftermarket distributors are CRAP.

HondaMizzan

It seems ok. It is initializing as far as I can tell, and after cranking for a while, it will smell like gas under the hood. I don't have a pressure gauge to test the fuel pressure.

HondaMizzan

I didn't pull a plug wire and check spark from the new dizzy that I put on, but I put the old one back on and checked spark at #1 wire, and I had spark there.

I was fooling around last night with the car, and I'm not sure if I'm being paranoid or not, but I checked the connection to the CKP (the crank position sensor under the lower timing cover) and I think it might not have been secure while I put the new dizzy on. So now I'm wondering if it wasn't in completely and that's why it didn't start, but I don't want to re-buy the distributor (they took it back after I cleaned it up real good) and test it again, lest they not take it back again, and then I'm stuck with a $250.00 part that I don't need.

mikey1

this would indicate a spark or compression problem IMO

mikey1

but that doesnt mean its firing at the correct time,

timing off?

are the plug wires going to the correct cylinders?

HondaMizzan

I'm not sure if the timing is off, and I don't have the tools to check that.

The plug wires are in the right configuration, and I just changed the plugs and wires, cap and rotor a few weeks ago, so I doubt that it's any of those parts. I was thinking about checking to see if the plugs were fouled, see if they are sparking on turning it over.

I have a local mechanic coming to either pick it up, or take a look at it on Wednesday. I hate so much to pay someone to fix my car, but I'm at a loss here.

mikey1

if you have replaced the entire distributor then your timing is probably off,

try rotating the distributor in very small increments back and forth and try to start it every time you move it a bit, make sure to tighten it before you try to start it,

after you get it started you need to adjust and set the timing using a timing light

HondaMizzan

Ok, because I hate when people never give a conclusion to their ordeal, I'm going to post the remedy to the situation I had going on.

So, here's what happened...

I brought my car to a garage, after sitting there nearly all week, I went in this past Thursday and asked what was up. The guy didn't want to touch it because it had some electrical issues. :thud:

I convinced him, apart from the way the wiring harness looked, everything was running until it quit.

He hooked it up to the diagnostic computer on Friday, and looked at all the stored codes. He came back with a problem on the Main System Relay (gray box with brown plug on the left side of the steering column.)

So, I went down to Advance Auto and bought one. Their computer said it was an OE replacement part, whether or not, IDK. :hammer: So, I took it over to the garage this morning and plugged it in. So, I said a short prayer, :scared: turned the key... and still no spark.

Well, I had been feeling all morning like I should go to the junkyard and grab some parts. I had been praying last night, and just felt like that might be where God was leading me to go. I got there, found a new plug for the temp sensor (previous one was all goobered up by previous owner) on one car, but no distributor or vtec.

I kept walking around, found a vtec solenoid on the next one. Previous owner must have changed out the vtec solenoid on the motor for one that didn't have the oil pressure sensor built in, so, since I was getting that CEL 22 for the vtec, I unbolted it. Please note, for removal/installation of vtec solenoid, it is easiest to remove the distributor and the air intake hose There are 3 - 10mm bolts which hold it on, 2 are visible from the passenger's side, 1 in the top, 1 in the bottom. They take a wrench and a lot of time, there's no way to get a ratcheting wrench on them, and there's very little room to work, so you have to move the wrench about 1/8th of a turn at a time. The 3rd bolt is on the other side of the solenoid, directly under the fuel rail wiring. The easiest way to get at this one is to disconnect the wiring harness from its two mounting posts and move it up and back toward the intake plenum. Stick your wrench down in there and start turning it 1/8th of a turn at a time.

Once you get that off, and before you put the new one on (if it's used) check the little screen in there, make sure it's not full of junk. If it is, use the corner of a rag to clean out the majority, and then blow off the screen with some compressed air. Installation is reverse of removal.

I didn't find a distributor on this vehicle, in fact, I despaired of finding one, as this pull yard is well stocked with parts hawks as I call them. People who just go out and pull hard to find parts to sell on e-bay, making the parts even harder to find for weekend warriors like myself.

I guess the Lord was really looking out for me today, because after a bit more walking, I ran across another Accord, and lo and behold, there was the treasure of all treasures for Honda motors! A DISTRIBUTOR!

I quickly yanked it off... 2 - 12mm bolts on the bottom left and right corners of the distributor. Please Note: Oil will come out of the cam shaft orifice where the distributor bolts up, have a towel ready, or your motor is gonna get oily. I took it and bolted it up to my Honda after putting the vtec and temp sensor wiring harness in.

I got in, started kicking it over, it started sounding like it wanted to come to life for the first time in weeks. I kept cranking... and cranking... and cranking... and IT'S ALIVE!

I started panicking in a couple minutes as white smoke started pouring out, but then I realized that I had taken the IAC sensor/solenoid off earlier in a diagnostic procedure to make sure it wasn't sticking. Well, apparently, having never done it before, I was not aware that you're supposed to take the coolant lines off PRIOR to unbolting the IAC from the back of the plenum. So my intake had some coolant laying in it, after a few minutes of white smoke, it cleared up, and car is running like a champ.

If anyone has any other questions regarding this, please feel free to contact me through the board with a PM, and I'll do my best to walk you through EVERYTHING that I did to diagnose the problem.

There's a lot that I didn't cover that I did to diagnose the issue. It is my belief that the actual problem was the distributor all along, and that the one that I bought from Advance Auto was an aftermarket and not OE, and would not work with my car, because non-Honda ignition parts are junk. DO NOT BUY THEM IF YOU CAN AVOID IT, and just because you put on a non-Honda replacement ignition part and your Honda does not start, does not mean the part you put on is good.

I am fully convinced that the aftermarket distributor was faulty.