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When I shift out of 1st into second at about 4000 rpm's or 2nd to 3rd at about the same, it feels like someone cut the ignition for a split second then it jumps up and goes. It also sputters a little at about 2000 rpm if I'm just crusing along and mash the petal to the floor. It started happening not much longer after I put my exhaust on and that was 30,000 miles ago.

The problem hasn't gotten much worse over the time but it keeps annoying me. The dealers said they had no way of knowing if the check engine light didn't come on. I've got an air/fuel gauge and it stays lean for the split second. Would this be my fuel filter? After the pause it accelerates as fast as it ever has. The exhaust and a short ram intake are the only mods. Anyone know what could be causing this???

 
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I'd suggest that it's either your fuel filter, fuel pump or fuel pressure regulator. Other than that, the only thing it could possibly be is one/both of your O2 sensor(s).

If you've got the shop manual and an ohm meter, you should be able to check the fuel pump and regulator without much of an issue, and probably the O2 sensors as well. A *potential* issue is a partial blockage inside your fuel rail. I'd run a tank of Lucas Fuel System cleaner and see if that changes anything.

Just some back-story: The fuel pressure regulator has a function that was occupied by the "acceleration bowl" in carburators. When you step on it, the engine momentairly gets more fuel than normal to make up for the instant demand and to counteract the non-atomization of the charge due to the throttle opening abruptly and dumping turbulent air into the intake manifold. If your pressure regulator is acting up and not providing that extra fuel, that would explain it.

The dealer could find out, it would just cost you a limb or two for the hourly rate. I'd make your fuel system "known good" beforehand.

Another POSSIBLE issue is that of your catalytic converter. What year/model do you have, how many miles does it have, how many O2 sensors does it have, and is one of these located after your cat? If the cat is plugged/colapsed then it can/will cause erronious readings to the computer which may not allow the "accleration bowl" function of the fuel regulator.

Just lemme know

 
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My car is a 02 civic ex. The car had about 40,000 miles on the motor when the exhaust was installed and the problem started about 2 weeks after that. Now the car has 75,000 miles but the problem hasn't increased but slightly. I know it has one O2 sensor on the header, and I think it has another at the cat but I'm not for sure. How much of a colapse on the cat would cause a problem because its taken a few beatings since I lowered the car but it doesn't seem like it is too bad.
I also noticed that when I'm idling the air/fuel mixture runs to the lean side and will stick for sometimes up to about 10 seconds. It will then shoot over to the rich side and stay for a few seconds before going back to fluctuating normally. It doesn't do this if I'm riding down the road only idling. It seems like it idles a little rough too when this is happening.
Thanks for all the info. Hope some of that extra helps too.

 
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If the bolts around the cat aren't too rusted, I'd unbolt the thing and have a look-see inside. Ya just never know when you're cat goes bye-bye, and they are fairly fragile things, once they get any crack in them at all, they will fall apart at a much-accelerated rate over what they would have usually. Inside your cat should look like a small honeycomb. If you take it off and look through it you should be able to see, with some moving around of your head, light through the entire area, there should be no blockages or breakups. Other than that, call the folks at the Honda place or Autozone (if your lucky :P) and ask about how to test your O2 sensor.

Keep me posted

 
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I've got like two more weeks of class left and then I'll start to see what I can do about it. What about checking the fuel pressure regulator how do you do that or do you have to have special equipment? It seems like the way it stalls on the first hit of the gas that the regulator is slow to start with getting gas in. If thats possible. Thanks for the tips I'll let you know what I find

 
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You should be able to check the electrical side of the regulator with an ohm meter and the car's manual. Other that that about all you could do would be to install a fuel-rail pressure gauge and do some research to find said rail pressure; That route is probably a little more costly and time consuming. I don't know what the price of a new regulator is, buying one might be a bit cheaper than buying the manual... It would also be a chance to upgrade..

 
Rep Power: 287

also id check you grounds from the battery. my ground (after relocating to the trunk) going to the tranny broke yesterday and i got the same results.

 
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hello, i´m new here, i`m from caracas venezuela, I read this and it´s the same problem I have. My car is a civic sedan 98 d16y8 manual transmision it only have 70000 km. I send to clean the inyectors, eliminate the catalytic converter, change my fuel filter, air filter, spark plug and spark cable are new. check engine light off. only do it sometimes like a cut the ignition for a split second. at 2000 rpm or less. please someone help me and give some advice to do and check.

thank´s a lot.

sorry for my english. :-)