My Project

[JDoors]

The thermostat's on the BACK side of the block? Reminds me why I no longer do my own work.

Your comment about the output of your heater reminds me of my Comanche pickup. That was based on the Cherokee, which is an SUV. Same engine, etc., same heater -- But it only had to heat the cab of a pickup. I could roast a turkey in that sucka. (Think I've mentioned that before ... ) My nephew borrowed the pickup for some chore and when he brought it back he said he had to open the windows because it got so hot (I didn't ask why he didn't just turn down the temp ... I already knew that some people never use the temp slide for some reason or other, the heat or air is either on, or off -- I know, I don't get it either).

[isteve]

The Cherokee has some good heat also. I bought it as a $3200 winter vehicle and like it a lot better then I thought I would. And the straight 6 makes some great torque.

I posting this pic of the jeep mainly because I wanted to see if my Microsoft live account will work as a easy picture server.

[Honda_Boy]

Musta gotten some bad gas again. On my way to work, my revs started to bounce around 1700 RPM's and it jerked real bad takin off at one point. Looks like I'm gonna be driving in lower gears until I get all that crap out of it and get the good stuff back in it. Last time it happened, I filled up at an Exxon. This time it was at a Shell but not one I had ever filled up at before. Usually I either go to the shell outside my neighborhood or I go to Texaco. Last time this problem happened, I put in Texaco and the problem disappeared.

Here's a video I took last time it happened:

[Honda_Boy]

Well, it only did the bouncing revs thing that one day. The next day I never went past 3rd gear trying to burn up that gas quicker. I was purposely doing jack rabbit starts and winding it out. I only did it one day but I certainly wasn't trying to save gas after that. I knocked my fuel mileage down from the typical 26-28 to 23 MPG. Filled it up with fresh Texaco Premium this time. That's what I did last time I had the bouncing revs. I'm sure filling up at my usual Shell would've been fine too but I figured I'd just repeat what I did last time.

[JDoors]

Is your engine so highly tuned that it's extremely particular about the gas you use, or do you think you got contaminated gas from the "bottom of the barrel?"

[Honda_Boy]

Probably just crap gas. My engine isn't tuned really. Just at it's factory 10.4:1 (or is it 10.6:1?) compression ratio with an intake and exhaust.

[isteve]

Sometimes the erratic idle like what happen can be caused by low fuel pressure, stuck injector or failing TPS and eventually set a trouble code. So you may want to check if it happens again. Bad gas usually causes problems that don't go away until the next fill up.

[Honda_Boy]

Well that's what happened last time. It kept happening till the next fill-up. Plus it wasn't erratic idle. It was bouncing while slightly opening the throttle. In the video you will see me getting out of the car and slightly pressing the throttle from under the hood making it do that. The idle was fine. But now it's not doing anymore so I don't care. I just assume it's bad gas cause both times it's happened, I filled up stations I've never filled up at before and the problem disappeared the first time after I filled back up at a usual station and it appears the same has happened again.

[Honda_Boy]

Well even after new gas, it's doing it again and it's spread to idle now. It does real mildly at idle then opening the throttle a little makes it worse until you go past a certain point then it revs fine. My boss and I were looking at it yesterday and his theory is something is wrong in the ignition. I think it's something wrong with the fuel delivery or the throttle. I think either a dirty fuel filter, clogged fuel line, dirty injectors, TPS is messed up, idle valve is messed or something is up with the throttle body. My plan is to change the fuel filter and give the car a tune-up and hope it goes away.

Thing is though, it only starts after the car's been running a while and doesn't always happen. Yesterday, it happened on the way to work but not on the way home. Then after work, I left home and went somewhere with a friend for a little bit. It started doing just as I almost got to where I was going. When I went back home, it didn't do it. What's also strange is, when it starts doing it, the throttle response is weird. Say I'm in gear going down the road, there's like a tiny dead space in the throttle that if I just barely let up on the gas, I lose all throttle and the car kinda jerks like the engine is cutting out. It's really weird and hard to explain.

Oh well, I'll just order a ton of parts after Christmas and get to work.

[JDoors]

Maybe Santa will bring you one of these for Christmas!

Best of luck finding the cause, it does sound like it could be several different things.

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Edited December 24, 2008 by JDoors

[isteve]

I think your looking in the right spot it defiantly sounds like a lean condition. These things are hard to diagnose until it triggers a trouble code "I'm sure it will eventually unless you find it first". Fuel filter is a good place to start at least to rule it out. There are so many tiny possible points of failure it's hard to know where to start especially when it doesn't happen all the time. Sounds like a busy christmas good luck.

[Honda_Boy]

I would have no clue if it's throwing a CEL code for something cause my CEL has been blazing from the day I bought the car cause of a Code 91 for a nonexistent FTP Sensor that 96-00 Hatchbacks lacked but 99-00 Si's had (motor/transmission/ECU is out of a 99 Si). I'd need a diagnostic tool to find out most likely.

My car is gonna take a trip to Jimmy's Automotive (Honda Specialist) after Christmas any way. Gonna save up some money, buy any parts I know I need, do what I can and let Jimmy finish the rest.

[Honda_Boy]

Well, i searched on Honda-Tech and found a recent posting with someone having the exact same problem out of a D16Y7 (1.6L SOHC non-VTEC, the engine that my car originally came with). I posted in it explaining that mine was a completely different engine doing the same thing and I posted the video of my B16A2 doing it (the OP also had vids of his D16 doing it). So far the responses have been mostly things that my boss and I had theorized.

[Honda_Boy]

Well, it got warmer and all signs of the problem disappeared. We'll see what happens when it gets colder again. I don't think it's really temp related though cause the first time it happened was in June 2007.

Anyway, since I'm gonna have a little extra cash, new rubber is going on. I debating between Yokohama S.Drives or Kumho Ecsta ASX's. The S.Drives have better traction in both wet and dry conditions but are summer tires with no mileage warranty and are more expesive, while the ASX's are all season (though most complain that the snow traction sucks anyway) and cheaper with a 40,000 mile warranty. Thing is I think I'd rather have the S.Drives for the sake of grip but the Kumho's are cheaper with a mileage warranty. I could care less about the snow traction cause there's barely any snow around here and even with my all season tires, I parked my car when it snowed.

I'd most likely get away with only spending about $300-350 or so installed with the Kumho's but closer to $400 with Yokohama's.

[isteve]

I had Sport Drives on my Rx7 a few years ago they were great tires in the summer. But in cold weather on wet roads they would get squirrelly.

[Honda_Boy]

I'm sure they can't get much squirrellier than worn out BF Goodrich Traction T/A's. I'll see if I can get the Kumhos at this one tire store. If not, then I'll most likely get the Yokohamas.

[Honda_Boy]

I think I'm just gonna call the place I got BF Goodrich tires from and see how much the Kumhos will cost from them (they are an authorized Kumho dealer as well) and then call another place that is a Yokohama dealer and maybe ask them about some Toyos too since that is their main brand.

Edited December 30, 2008 by Honda_Boy

[Honda_Boy]

Well, turns out my car is going to be riding on Falken Ziex ZE-912 tires. Called the tire places today, the one I went to last time was going to take too long to get the tires I wanted plus it was going to be too expensive for the tires. It was going to cost, if I bought from them, somewhere around $450 to buy, mount, and balance the KUMHOS. That's ridiculously high. I called another place that was listed as a Tire Rack recommended installer. They said if I bought from them instead of Tire Rack, I could get free rotation and balance and free flat repair AND they offered me a discount. The price with purchase, mount, and balance of the Falken's was $414. If I ordered the Kumho's from Tire Rack and had them installed at the same place it would be about $350 but I wouldn't get free rotation and balances or the free flat repair. They even said they'd fill the Falkens with Nitrogen. That's what the do for the Nissan GT-R! And to top it off, they said I could even return the tires if I didn't like them. Man, they sounded determined to get me to buy from them. Now, just gotta wait till Friday for when they come in.

Oh, and the Falkens are V rated All-Season Performance Touring tires with a 40000 Mile warranty. Sweet.

Oh, here's the tire:

http://www.falkentire.com/tires.php?category=1&tire=3

Edited December 30, 2008 by Honda_Boy

[JDoors]

I could look it up, but might as well just ask: What's the advantage of Nitrogen in tires?

Larger molecules don't leak out as easily? Better heat tolerance? Far less moisture (less rim corrosion) & contamination (less rubber deterioration) since the Nitrogen is purified?

[Honda_Boy]

Oh man. Just got my new tires finally today along with an alignment. Got 4 brand new Falken Ziex ZE-912 tires, mounted and balanced, filled with nitrogen with free rotation, balance, flat repair, and nitrogen refill, AND an alignment for under $450. When I got those old BF Goodrichs at another place, it cost almost $500 for just the tires, mount, and balance.

I know it's kinda dumb but I need to do a few test launches and see how well it digs in cause my old tires had seriously lost their grip towards the end wet or dry. I had traction issues takin off kinda hard from a red light one day (runnin late for work) in dry weather.

Oh and to answer your question, Nitrogen is supposed to retain its pressure for longer, provide longer tire life, and improve fuel economy.

[isteve]

Up here in the northeast, well at least where I live we have had nitrogen available for many years. We go from 100° in the summer to -20° in the winter. I'm pretty sure all the major tire sellers also offer nitrogen.

[Bubba Bob]

All my tires are filled with nitrogen... 79% to be exact

[Honda_Boy]

I think this chain's been doin nitrogen for a while but I never heard of filling tires with nitrogen until I heard the GTR rolls out of the factory with nitrogen.

Also, I did mild launch on the way to work today and it dug in pretty well. I'm likin my new tires.

[Honda_Boy]

My right rear drum is going bad now too. I'm lookin to do a rear disc conversion. Luckily, my Civic can use rear brakes from any 92-00 Civic (and I mean ANY, I can even use 5 lug JDM Type R brakes), any 90-01 Integra, any RSX, I'm sure even 01+ Civic brakes work too. There's other honda brakes that also work I think.

I'll take care of the brakes next, then change the TPS. After that, I think I'll knock out the timing belt, water pump, and belt tensioner.

[Honda_Boy]

And I'm now pricing out a complete suspension overhaul to do after all the other stuff. I just want a new suspension bad. I did want another laptop real bad after I sold the one I didn't like but now that these little problems are popping up, my interest has switched out of computer mode and back into car mode and I'm gonna focus that laptop money into the suspension. Thing is, I still have a functioning laptop but my suspension is a bit of a mess. It's practically all stock with mild lowering springs and it's drivin me nuts that that's all it is. I want this stinkin car on a track and what I have now ain't gonna cut it.

So far:

KYB GR2 Shocks + Neuspeed Sport Spring Combo - $391

BLOX Rear Lower Control Arms - $115

BLOX Rear Sway Bar Kit - $160

Neuspeed Rear Lower Tie Bar - $117

Password JDM Front Strut Tower Bar $150

I'm gonna start it all off with just the Shock/Spring Combo. That'll do wonders by itself. I'm amazed at the combo price that InLineFour is offering on that considering separated, it'd be like $500+. I was amazed I could find this whole load of parts sub $1000. Problem is installation. I could either take it to Jimmy and have him charge me an arm and a leg for each part or buy a case of beer and ask some TennSpeed/Honda-Tech members to help me. Seriously, that's all it takes. Free beer. Sometimes pizza or soda. The reason why I'm considering this option is because it's been done before a lot with good results. People do that quite often on TennSpeed to get good but cheap work done. Also when I had Jimmy put my H&R Springs in, the installation cost more than the springs. He's an ASE Certified pro and runs a business though. He's also given me deals on work before that would have cost more at other shops and has given me parts before so it's a hard decision.