Rep Power: 0

I have a 1998 Honda civic ex, automatic, coupe, 173k miles.

Picked it up dead.I replaced the battery and the alternator. The car then died shortly after, it would crank but not turn. I then replaced distributor, wireset, and spark plugs. The car drove,but it ran P0335.

To describe the specifics, it drives normally as you ease on the gas pedal,but it loses rpm power if you speed to fast or randomly. I then got the crank sensor and timing done. The issue did not go away. I found an ECU and replaced that. Still no fix,drove same as old ECU.

I've spent around 700$ getting all this done so far and I am trying to limit myself to 1000. It's pretty nice inside and out,so if I can find someone who may know what to do next,you would be a godsend!

I was thinking engine harness or maybe still bad distributor?

 
Rep Power: 0

Additional info: Before the timing was fixed the car accelerated smoothly until power loss.It was 10degrees off. When the timing was fixed,the car sputtered a LOT more.

I didnt do the timing work myself,although I did everything prior. I watched my mechanic run his diagnostics include whatever timing app he had on his tablet and a timing gun,which showed he did fix timing.

Its weird that acceleration got WORSE after timing was fixed. As of today,I can barely drive it because it sputters and loses power WAY too often.

 
Rep Power: 518

Aftermarket distributors are crap.

Know someone with an identical car with a known good distributor you can swap with just to make sure you got a junk distributor?

 
Rep Power: 0

I dont,but that sure as heck is a good idea!If anything,my current distributor has warranty from autozone. Do you think their tester can see whether something is off,rather than the whole unit failing? I feel like its doing some of its job by getting the car started but not maintaing.

Two other things: I dont know if the distributor I had before was aftermarket or not. Any good suggestion on where to find or how to identify original distributor? Ill look on google as well.

 
Rep Power: 222

could also get a used oem distributor from the junkyard, or a buy and sell group/page

 
Rep Power: 0

I wouldnt want that 200$ autozone distributor to go to waste,but Ill keep it in mind. I just did all that work 3 weeks ago.

 
Rep Power: 518

Code reader?
I kinda doubt they have a machine that can spin up a distributor and then check all the sensor outputs.
If it says HONDA on it somewhere and is just as dirty as the rest of the engine.....there's a good chance it's original. (IDK if they really say Honda on them or not)


If it's clean and shiny and the rest of the engine is not, it's likely been replaced.


Lifetime warranty?
Keep replacing until you get one that works.

Don't forget the O ring seal if it doesn't already have one.

 
Rep Power: 0

I will be receiving the next distributor from Autozone tomorrow morning. I will replace and update with results.

Another note for performance: The car is only now sputtering a lot more IF AND ONLY IF I turn the A/C on. From the moment I turn the A/C on,even if I put it off it continues to sputter until I restart the car. The sound I hear is as if the compressor constantly clicks on and off, which makes the rpms bounce and the car jerk.

 
Rep Power: 518

FYI if the idle speed is too low, the computer will shut the compressor off until the idle speed comes up....then it will turn it on again.

So if your idle speed drops below about 600 RPM, the compressor is turned off, then it kicks right back on again when the RPM comes up. Repeat endlessly on-off-on-off-on-off

 
Rep Power: 0

Thanks.Ill check out how to increase idle. I dont know if that will fix it indefinitely,since it also jerks while driving after the sputtering has begun.

 
Rep Power: 518

Fix the codes and get timing set correctly first. That might bring the idle up to normal again.

 
Rep Power: 0

IT WAS THE DISTRIBUTOR! Replaced the one from autozone with another by warranty, and the code is gone! Thw car accelerates fast,doesnt lose power,and the AC is fine! The only unfortunate profit loss was 40$ from the ECU, but all in all its good to go!

Thanks for the help everyone!

 
Rep Power: 518

You should have engraved BAD and CODE P0335 right into the side of the dist housing....so the next person that buys it can have a clue it's already junk.