04 Honda Civic

iTrader: (2)

So I am just curious what exactly are the symptoms of a bad distributer? I have just replaced plugs wires cap and rotor on my 97 Mitsubishsi Galant and it is bogging out when the gas is snapped open. When I open it slowly it is good thoughout the range. So far I come to the conclusion:

-I checked vaccume lines and its not a vaccume leak.
-I can take the car really high in rpms if I go slow on the gas, so I assume its not a gas problem since it does not bog out in high rpms.
-I changed the tps thinking it could have been that and it wasnt.
-The problem got slightly better once I changed the plugs and wires, and I was told when distributers go bad you get this problem?

I am not really sure where to go from here, and a distributer is a really expensive part to take a gamble at, is there a way I can test the distributer?

On a side note I tried to adjust the distributer, but this car has a non adjustable distributer, it is computer controlled. But every time the car starts to die the computer adjusts itself so the car doesnt die, so I know the ECU is doing its job.

Any ideas?

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

have you checked the ignition timing? i know some auto stores have ignition coil testers, that would be the first and cheapest/free thing to try. not sure on the distributor. you may try looking for a spare on ebay or locally to try and swap in and see if anything changes (and reset the ignition timing ofcourse).

04 Honda Civic

iTrader: (2)

Ignition timing is controlled by the computer. Are you saying it could be that? All the spraks look bright blue, and are firing really nice. If they are firing at the right time I cant be sure. Does this rule out the distributer?

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

its computer controled on a distributor based ignition system? im not sure if its possible to test the distributor itself.

04 Honda Civic

iTrader: (2)

Well, I know it is adjusted by the computer, so I guess that means its computer controled.

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

okay i think there are machines out there to test distributors. its not something you can buy at the store, more like something a shop would have. you may want to call a few local garages and ask if they can do it. couldnt be that much for a test.

http://www.4king.com/01_english/d14.htm

blmyers85

hey gearbox, this is totally off-subject but i was reading a post from you a while back while surfing the web. I just bought a '02 civic ex with automatic tranmission. on my test drive i noticed a pretty loud clunk when i was taking off. it didn't even cross my mind for some reason. I told my salesman a few minutes what that noise was and he said he didn't hear anything. Do you think this may be something to do with the auto tranny? I've been reading more into it and realize now that they have tranny problems. Or do you think it could have been something else? It's been 2 days since i just bought it and i haven't heard it since. it was pretty cold outside and it was right when we took off out of the dealership for a test drive. any information would be greatly appreciated.

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

the trans does make a fair amount of strange noises, mostly normal. for example shifting to reverse you get a loud click sound, and also shifting into drive. just wait until the car catches into drive gear before stepping on the gas. the real issue to watch for on these trans is that the gears do not slip when the car is cold. most common problem due to a factory defect is the tendency of the secondary clutch pack carrier to wear down faster than normal and cause slipping. so shifting from second into third, you will feel like the car went into neutral for a second and the rpm will rev up by around 500-1000 rpms. if this is happening, the trans is on its way out and will require a rebuild in the future.

blmyers85

maybe it was just something with the brakes i heard. I just took it for a spin and it seemed to shift fine. Shifted into 2nd at 3500 rpm and 3rd gear at about 4700 rpm.. that seem about right? Speed continued to rise throughout the shifts.

One more question.. Are pretty much all the 01-02 civics experiencing auto tranny problems? Or just some? I'd like to get alot more miles on her.. shes got 102,000.

Thanks for all your help by the way.

04 Honda Civic

iTrader: (2)

lol you should have made a new thread, but since I got my answer anyway..Shift points on an automatic are not set points..your car can shift at different rpms in different gears, depending how hard your hitting the gas. However it depends on HOW the car shifts..does it rev up before shifting like gearbox said, or does it shift really hard like the car pulls and then jerks a bit once the car gets into gear? 01-02 were know I think they fixed thr problem in 03.. but definately in 04.