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Hey friends,Thank you,

Eager2Learn



http://imgur.com/B2MfQVo

 
Rep Power: 210

Doesn't mean that there isn't a head gasket breach. Daily for a week monitor coolant level in both the radiator and overflow tank (reservoire)
If you notice losing coolant in the radiator and gaining coolant in overflow then there is most likely a head gasket breach. Another way is to do a Block Test and/or Leakdown Test.

Using Blue Devil or any other type of HG sealer is at best a temporary band-aid and may end up clogging the radiator and/or heater core. Never use that garbage as there's no repair in a bottle magic. Only fix for blown head gasket is replacement.

If you were able to crank it then why would your replace the starter? Every combustion engine needs air, fuel and spark. So, if it's not running those three conditions need to be diagnosed. Sludge is a result of either poor maintenance (neglecting to change oil every 3 or 4k miles), majority of driving short distances, not running engine for long periods (months) or a combination of all. Change oil, filter and PCV valve. If, you end up doing a head gasket replacement you'll need to have the cylinder head resurfaced, checked for cracks, valve stem seals, valve lapp and clean the entire head..which should alleviate most of the sludge buildup.

 
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The circled item would leak ATF if it were to leak, so if you find engine oil there it must come from somewhere else above the circle. Distributor seal(s) would be a good guess, or you could do more sleuthing to pinpoint a source.

 
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Thank you for the advice, I will perform these tests to make sure my HG is up to par.



I agree with you 100%. Unfortunately, I cannot afford a proper HG repair so I am forced to use a band-aid. After doing extensive market research i.e. reading many forum reviews of the product, I decided to give it a shot and hopefully it will hold up until I can save up enough money for a proper fix.

It was cranking but not starting over. Then a check engine light came on. I was not 100% sure so I went out to replace the starter, everything cranks and starts fine now.
If I were to do a proper HG repair alongside having my cylinder head resurfaced, checked for cracks, valve stem seals, valve lapp, and cleaning the entire head, what is a reasonable price I should aim for when I shop for a mechanic?

 
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Get the code number and report back

 
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Hi ezone,

I went to an auto shop to have my codes checked for me.

The mechanic came back to me with 2 error codes:
P0300 & P0301 Misfires.

He said there was a misfire on cylinders 1 and suggested a tune up (Dist. Cap, Rotors, and Wires).

I went to my local auto shop and purchased those items along with some spark plug grommets because I noticed the grommets on cylinders 4 and 2 were compromised.

Alongside this tune up, I will be cleaning the throttle body and IACV valve.

If I have time, I will also do a compression test and check for vacuum leaks, but I have not researched how to do these tests yet. Hopefully I won't need to.

Thank you for your reply,

Eager2Learn

 
Rep Power: 517

Sounds like you have a plan. Let us know if the tune up parts solve the problem.

 
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Civic engines are pretty finicky when it comes to ignition parts. Hope you at least purchased these: NKG V-Power ZFR5F-11 spark plugs, NGK or Prestolite spark plug wires and preferrably purchased OEM distrubutor cap 30102-P54-006 and OEM rotor 30103-P08-003. I've used an aftermarket (duralast) cap and rotor and they worked fine but, the quality was not as good as Honda OE/OEM parts.Compression Test:

How To Perform a Compression Test - EricTheCarGuy - YouTube

 
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I have to disagree with Eric in the video.
At 3:22 he tells you to "do a five count" and I don't do it that way.

I keep the gauge positioned where I can see it from inside the car (or operate the starter from the engine compartment manually)

I crank the engine --and keep it cranking until the gauge quits climbing.....then let it "hit" a few more times just to make sure the gauge has reached its maximum.

With an accurate gauge, a strong battery and good cranking speed, all plugs removed and gas pedal held to the floor, my method will usually net me readings of 180 PSI or higher on these engines when all is well.

 
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Hey ezone,

Just finished up my tune up and thought I'd make an update with pictures.


Here's the finished product, the reason I am posting this picture is because I would like to ask, are my wires suppose to be this long, the wires that were originally on were definitely shorter than these.


When I took off the Distributor Rotor, it would not come off easy, I had to hammer it out. It turned out there was some gunk keeping it stuck on, it had the consistency of wax. What is this stuff?




Here is the gunk on the Distributor Rotor connector. Do I need a new distributor?




My Dist. Leak Cover is broken. I hope my dealership has another one in stock. I am going to this one on for the time being, or should I just take it off?

Also would like to mention, when I took off my cap, there appeared to be an black, oily, residue around the cap. There wasn't much and it didn't look like engine oil.

I apologize for these questions, normally I would do my own research and would only ask as a last resort, but it's 10:00 P.M. here and I just got done doing the tune up and I am pretty tired. I am going to leave my battery unplugged overnight and in the morning I will reconnect the terminals and let my car idle for 10 minutes, hopefully this fixes things.

As for the IACV and Throttle Body, I forgot that I did indeed clean these two when I first got my car. It was idling wildly but everything is running fine now except when my car would crank over and die for a bit then charge back up.


Hey again, turd_ferguson,

I am actually with you 100% on using all OEM parts for my car, but right now, there are so many things going wrong that I am just going for budget parts trying to diagnose and get everything in working order. Once this is complete, I will slowly start replacing everything with OEM parts. Oil, coolant, spark plugs, everything. My plan is to keep this car running indefinitely.

Thank you for the video, I don't have the time to watch it right now as its currently 10 P.M. and I just got done with my tune up, but I will watch it the first chance I get.

Thanks again everybody!

Tomorrow I will reconnect my battery terminals and hope everything is square.

 
Rep Power: 517

Wire length is not real important, just tuck the excess out of the way so it doesn't get caught in anything. Aftermarket sets are often designed to fit more than just your specific application, thus extra length to accommodate various engines.

Goo under rotor, possibly old and hardened grease. Does it wipe off?
Not an issue IMO if the new rotor fits ok.

I would not worry about the small crack in the plastic shield (cover) either.


Black residue.......but you are replacing the parts with the residue, correct?


An OEM dist cap usually came with a new rubber O ring style gasket to go around the base, helps keep it water resistant. Did yours?

 
Rep Power: 210

You can buy OEM parts on Amazon, HondaPartsNow and other stores online for the near the same price as aftermarket parts at chain auto parts stores.
Parts store like Autozone, Advanced, O'Reiily's etc... package crap parts like Dorman under their own brand (ex: Duralast) and charge twice as much as those same parts sell for on Amazon or other sites.

 
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Quick update, I hooked my batteries back up and cranked my car over and it started up fine. Check engine light gone. Let it idle for 10 minutes then I drove it for 8 minutes, rested the car for 20 minutes and went to start it up again, this time, the car cranks over funny, it would start up below 1k RPM and it feels like its about to die for a second and charge back up to normal, its been doing this for about 2 more start ups. After, I let my car rest for 3.5 hours and cold started it again and it starts up normally, no dying and charging up. Weird. Seems like this only happens when my car is warmed up. I am going to try to replicate this tomorrow and catch it on video.

Yes, it came off easily but I picked away at it with a Flathead.


Yes and yes.

Anyways, I have to ask you, how do I operate the starter motor manually from the engine bay? I am going to be doing this compression test on my own, so it will probably be helpful.

Thank you, I was not aware of this. I'll definitely look into this. For now, I am forced to stick with cheap parts because my local store is 5 minutes away and I need parts quick and fast and I cannot wait for shipping because right now, this car is my main form of transportation. But thank you for the information, I was planning on buying everything from my local dealership, you are helping me save a lot of money, thanks again.

Hopefully, tomorrow, ill have time to do a compression test and I'll be back with an update.

Thank you so much for your help! I appreciate it!

 
Rep Power: 517

You need to get the engine all warmed up to operating temperature THEN let it idle for the 10 minutes to relearn idle.
I let them learn after I do my test drive.

Note: ALL electrical loads turned off for the learning period.



Gotta understand how it works and what it takes to make it work first, in order to know what to do to make it work.
Basically, supplying battery power to the solenoid (terminal/wire/circuit) will cause the starter to operate.
There can be many different ways to accomplish this, each car and situation is different.

I usually go for the easiest and quickest way.

I might use a length of wire as a jumper,
I might use a real jumper wire,
I might use a screwdriver,
I might use a real actual tool designed for the purpose,
I might tap into a wiring harness in a more convenient location......
I might lay the gauge where I can watch it ---from the drivers seat or leaning in the window to twist the key.
You installed your tune up parts, you have driven the car,

your check engine light has not returned?

If it runs good and smooth now and the misfire problem is gone (assuming you could feel the problem before), I would just drive the car. IMO if a cylinder had low enough compression to be a significant problem, it would have caused a misfire code and check engine light by now.
It may be good practice for you to do the test anyway though.

------

Also....next time you have a check engine light and get codes read, try to obtain the "Freeze Frame Data" that goes along with the code. This is a small 'snapshot' of various basic operating data that can help identify running conditions when the code was set.
Example: A misfire that only happens at idle after a cold startup, and a misfire that only happens at steady speed on the road, will not normally have the same cause....but they both set the same misfire code. Freeze data can be helpful in figuring things out.

 
Rep Power: 210

WAG: maybe the Blue (spooge) Devil crap you poured in it messed up one of the ECT sensors?..(most likely the one near distributor that screws into cylinder head). Also, have you had the alternator and battery checked at Autozone or other parts store? Could be a failing ICM (ignition coil module) and/or igniter inside the distributor. Hopefully, Ezone or others will have some suggestion for you too.

You don't have to. Watch the video but, follow Ezone's suggestion.
If you ever want to bump a starter manually use a rubber handle screwdriver across both - and + starter solenoid studs. (you may or may not get jolted..lol)

Your welcome. We've all been there: "need part now" and that's the only advantage local stores have. Local dealership parts are usually overpriced but, depending on part can be very reasonable. You can ask the dealer for a discounted price and may get lucky.

 
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Hey all!

Just got done with my compression test, and I am excited to report my results.

But first things first...

...this stupid thing! I spent a long time in frustration trying to disconnect this harness. For anybody who happens upon this thread and is curious to how I did this. Facing the engine, there are two tabs, one of the right (green arrow) and one on the left (grey arrow).
1. Take a flat head and pull the tab on the right away from the harness. It should slide out freely.
2. Push on the tab on the left and disconnect the harness.
It's that easy.

Ok, now on to my findings.

According to a Honda service manual I found online. Minimum PSI reading for d16y7 is 135. Max variance is 28 PSI. Compression ratio would be 9:4.

Here are my results:
----------------------------------
Cylinder #| .1. | .2.. | . 3.. | . 4. |
----------------------------------
Dry Test | 170 | 170 | 165 | 165 |
----------------------------------
Wet Test | 190 | 205 | 190 | 205 |
----------------------------------

Pretty consistent if you ask me. According to my wet test, my piston rings are worn, but I'm still getting a pretty good compression, IMO, according to Ezone, his is 180. I am not far away from his PSI readings. Also should mention that my PSI was climbing in increments of 10 from what I could see from my driver seat. My variation is 15 for the wet test, half of max variation, pretty high if you ask me, so when I do a proper HG repair, I am probably going to go for a whole engine rebuild while I am at it.

Now, I am interested in finding my compression ratio. I'm aware I am suppose to find my bore size and headgasket thickness along with other measurements, but I don't have time to do that. I plan on buying a long flat head screwdriver and sticking it down my cylinder and turning my crankshaft pulley to find my TDC and BDC and doing a compression check on each to find my ratio. Would this result in an accurate reading or will I just be wasting my time?

Also would like to mention that when I started my carto back out of my garage, there was a BIG, thick, plume of white smoke exiting my exhaust. I had to leave my garage open to air it all out. Is his normal? Is this because I didn't disconnect my fuel injectors? I followed the video and pushed my gas pedal all the way down. Maybe I should've pulled out the fuel injector fuse and relay.

The check engine light also came on. I suppose this is because I ran my car without my plugs and ignition system connected, so at least I know my CEL is working. I am going to leave my car's battery unhooked overnight and will idle my car for 10 minutes AFTER reaching normal operation temperature. Thanks Ezone.

Next, I am going to do a block test along with regular check up on my coolant level to see how my HG sealant is holding up.

In the meantime, I am going to keep driving to see if my idling problem comes back.

Well, like last time, its 10 PM. Sorry I can't respond to all your posts right now, I just skimmed through the posts real quick. I'll be sure to respond next time I have time.

Thanks again for everything!

Cheers!

 
Rep Power: 517

Not my engine, per se.
I meant I expect to see 180+ on just about any recent Honda engine I test....using MY test equipment and methods.

Anyway, your compression test results tell me that your #1 misfire code was not caused by a compression problem at this time. Further checking in this area was not necessary for the misfire code issue.

That's it, it's over. You're done, get on with life!Variation was only important in the dry test, that's only 5 psi. About 3% variation among all cylinders (at a glance math). Perfect.Dry vs wet is not important now.

Compression ratio is not important for diagnosis. You can't figure it that way anyway. You can google that if you really want to know a number. (D16Y7..... 9.4:1)
Normal and expected --- because you dumped a bunch of oil into the cylinders.

You're supposed to read the code first.
If it set misfire codes while trying to burn off all the oil you dumped in it, that would be expected. Get the oil burned out, erase codes and go on.
If you left some sensor disconnected, the code can lead you right to it.
Battery disconnect overnight to clear codes is also overkill, 5 or 10 minutes would suffice.




ZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 
Rep Power: 210

OP... at which engine temp did you perform the compresion test: Cold, Warm or at operating temp?

Quickest way to do an ECU reset is to unhook ground cable from battery and then turn headlights to bright while pressing the brake pedal a few times. Doing this drains any residual charge. Within a minute or two you can reconnect ground cable and start engine.

Even if CEL doesn't appear hook up your code reader, do a scan and report results.

 
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Hey all!

I hope you all had a great weekend. Mine was full of errands as usual but I do come bearing great news! My car is running superbly! No more CEL. Still a bit of a start up issue but definitely not nearly as bad as before. I'll look into the ignition components per turd_ferguson's advice. My next project is to do a block check to see how my sealant is holding up. Hopefully everything is good and I can focus on saving up dough to do a complete engine rebuild! Thank you so much for your help!

I tried to do my test right after I got home from running errands but found the engine to be too hot to the touch so I let my engine cooled down until it was cool to the touch then I made circles around my cul-de-sac until my engine reached normal operating temperature, that is when I performed my test. I hope did things correctly


I don't currently have a code reader at the moment, I had to use Jiffy Lube's free CEL program to get my codes checked.


You are scaring me now. lol

Interesting, I will look into this.

Thanks for all the solid advice. I would never have learned this in any of the Honda service manuals that I downloaded online.

Turd_ferguson, ezone, thank you guys from the bottom of my heart. You guys have gone above and beyond in helping me diagnose my problems starting from a simple valve cover oil leak, to a cylinder misfire code and beyond. Seriously, a thank you is not enough, I wish I can buy you guys a coke or something. Is there any possible way I can repay you guys for your expertise in helping me diagnose my engine woes?

-Eager2Learn

 
Rep Power: 517

You're welcome......
Post up your credit card information and we'll handle the rest LOL

 
Rep Power: 210

Yes. Have some young women call my phone: (555)the-turd.

 
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Haha, real funny, guys.

But it seems like I spoke to soon, gentlemen. The dreaded CEL has came back. I checked my coolant reservoir and it was empty, didn't check my radiator because my engine was still hot, I'll do it tomorrow morning. Everything seems to be running fine. Although my dashboard will sometimes rattle when I'm idling at a red light and sometimes it would not.

Got a long week ahead of me so I am going to Jiffy Lube the next chance I get and use their free CEL program and try to obtain the freeze frame data while I'm at it, and buy them lunch for their troubles.

Also going to do my block test too to see what's going on with my HG.

Hopefully, I'll get this all done by Sunday and my car will last until then.

Wish me luck, boys,

Eager2Learn

 
Rep Power: 517

Maaaaybe it burped out trapped air?
Maaaaybe there's a coolant leak somewhere?

 
Rep Power: 210

Agreed. Hopefully, still burping out air.

Possibly a crack in reservoir tank?

Check the heater hose under the distributor..can develop a small slit near or under the clamp due to oil leaking on it from the distributor's O-ring leak (did you ever replace the O-ring?). Also, if you haven't replaced the radiator cap you might want to with a new OEM ($12-$18).

Check underneath the water-pump/ timing belt area visually and by hand, also by placing cardboard under it at idle and inspect for coolant leak...a completely failed water-pump would cause over-heating so, probably not your issue. However, a partially failed water-pump could leak yet not cause overheating.

Oh, and I prefer petite, sassy women with a sexy phone voice

 
Rep Power: 210

Duplicate post ..please delete

 
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Duplicate post..please delete

 
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I hope your right. Would this be the cause of my CEL?

Checked, checked, checked, everything up to par. I did replace the O-Ring.

Also, going to go off topic here. Majestic Honda and Honda Parts Now sell their radiator caps for $9 but their shipping is $11 bucks totalling $20 bucks. My local dealership sells theirs for $21 bucks. I think I can only save money buying parts online if I buy in bulk.

Anyways, I just did a block test, 3 actually. After driving home from runing errands, while the engine was still hot, I layed 2 layers of old t-shirts on and around my radiator cap and slowly opened it. I then drained fluid until the level reached the tip of the metal inside the radiator. The first test, I put the pump loosely on the radiator opening and I pumped for 5 minutes, no change. The second test, I replaced the blue tester fluid and this time I held the pump down firmly on the opening, to the point air had trouble going into the tube and pumped for 20 seconds, no change, I pumped some more but coolant was starting to flow into my tester. I then replaced the testing fluid, drain some more coolant out of my radiator, and repeated for a third time, holding firmly down. I pumped for about 20 seconds again, no change, and I pumped some more then coolant started flowing inside again.

My question is, is it necessary to hold the pump firmly on the radiator opening or is holding the pump loosely will provide an accurate enough response?

Nevertheless, from the method I used, my HG seems to be in working order.

The car runs fine, idles fines, starts up good enough but not brand-new-car fine.

CEL is still there, I purchased an OBD2 reader that reads P, B, C, & U error codes for 50 bucks + shipping. Not bad if you ask me. I signed up for free 2 day shipping so hopefully it'll get here by Friday and I can finally get down to what's going on.

Cheers!

Haha, I got you, bro.

 
Rep Power: 517

Got a little misfire there? LOL

 
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Not likely by itself. What's the code?


Local parts store. Brand name, like Stant.

 
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My CEL disappeared Sunday when I first started my car in the morning.

My OBD2 reader came in the mail so I decided to check my codes anyways.

P0300-302 Misfires.

My car still slightly stalls and bogs down on a warm engine start up and smooths out, though its less severe and less often.

I did a bit of research and will be doing these steps 1 by 1 moving on if the former step doesn't solve my issue:

1. My ECU is still relearning and is confused which causes my RPM to bog down, probably caused by the humidity and temperature difference from the seasonal transition from winter to spring. Will continue to let ECU relearn.

2. Could be dirty fuel injectors so I'll be using a bottle of Seafoam to see if that helps me out.

3. MAP sensor could be out of whack so I heard of a "MAP Whack" method that will help clear up some deposits. Will try.

4. Check ECT sensors, ICM ( ) and igniter inside the distributor.

5. Replace MAP sensor

6. Replace IAC monitor

7. Replace Engine