Have 2001 Civic LX Coupe. When I rev it up to 4000+rpm (drive it hard) the next day or several hours afterward the engine (while idling) will start to fluctuate. It will go back and forth between 0 and 1000 rpm. One more than 1 occasion the engine has shut off entirely. One time it did this in the freeway and I'm a bit freaked out about it.
The Good: I can prevent this easily by just not driving my car hard (keep it under 4000rpm). Of course this is no fun. Anyone have solution?
snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@g44g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:
Does the engine shake badly when it's at the low point of the idle fluctuation?
Check coolant level in rad (when cold)
Check cleanliness of throttle body and IAC
How old are the plugs/wires/cap/rotor?
"Does the engine shake badly when it's at the low point of the idle fluctuation?"
The engine shakes a little, not a lot when it is near zero rpms. The shake is more akin to the small vibrations typically felt when you shut off your engine.
"Check coolant level in rad (when cold)"
You mean the radiator? I checked that and the levels are good.
"Check cleanliness of throttle body and IAC"
I think I need a mechanic to check the cleanliness of the throttle body and IAC don't I? Isn't the throttle body inside the engine? Sorry for my noobness.
"How old are the plugs/wires/cap/rotor?"
The inside of the engine compartment looks very clean and I just had fluid levels checked by a mechanic 2 weeks ago. I bought the car this Feb second hand so I think everything is fairly new. I have only 65,000 miles on my Civic.
Thanks so much Tegger for your response. :)
snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:
Are you sure it's actually going down to zero? Or is it just going down to the last line BEFORE zero?
It's on the outside. It can get really dirty with neglect (and K&N filters) and affect the engine's ability to adjust its own idle. You need to have this checked.
If the intake hose is loose where it attaches to the throttle body, or a line has become dislodged, you'll suck a LOT of dirt into the throttle body.
If the PCV system is plugged, oil will get pumped into the throttle body, gumming it up.
Cleanliness tells you absolutely nothing. If the wires are still OEM, there will be a year printed on them. What is that year?
Also, one other thing that will cause this is a big air leak. A split or dislodged hose would typically be the culprit.
If certain intake parts are loose, this can also cause a large air leak and cycling idle.
Ok I just did a Google on throttle body and now I know what this part does (I actually know it by sight, just not by name). I guess the only way to check would be to remove the plastic housing around it.
Yesterday nite I was doing some research on "How to install an AEM CAI System". Some dude had pictures up in a step by step process so I do have an idea of what it looks like with the throttle body totally exposed and how to find it.
Steven
MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.