EK4 engine light problem/ stalls

[vuvu]

Hey guys
i got an ek4 and it sometimes stalls when i'm coasting in neutral but never under load.. but sometimes under load the car will jerk hard on and off.. like i am jumping on the clutch or something?
usually when this happens i step on the clutch and the jerking stops but it sometimes stalls and in some instances the engine check light has come on?
sometimes the car runs perfectly fine..
what possible reasons could there be..?
my car has a vafc installed.. but i don't think that would be it as it has been installed for awhile with no problems
also i have had a new clutch put in so no its not worn
sparkies are new...

has neone else had this problem? and if so wat was the actual problem?
cheers guys

[Civic Type R]

yes its happened to me on many occasions.
Im still trying to find why.

I fixed it by disconnecting the ECU and resetting it. Car runs perfectly fine after that

[vuvu]

yeah i've also done that
it fixed it for about 2-3 weeks then now its happening again so dunno wat to do
thanks for the response

[VT3C]

aharr.. it happened to me also and I was completely baffled as to what the hell was goin on as wasnt getting any check-engine lights etc.. but yeh was mega annoying

turned out it was the ECU BACK-UP fuse (under-hood) had blown.. try checking that..

[vuvu]

ahh will check right now
hopefully thats it

[vuvu]

nope not it
fuse is fine
its the 7.5a fuse yeah? with "back up" as description?

[90xsi]

same thing happened to me, and was throwing code 3, on and off.
- map sensor

check wiring of VAFC properly, run engine at idle and jiggle the wires to see
if there is anything loose. Make sure there soldered and put some heat shrink on em.

has your VAFC been tuned? or have you played around with the fuel settings?
if you have played with the settings return them to stock.

then see how it goes.

[Civic Type R]

check your oil levels

[HyperZ]

when was the last time your fuel filter was changed?

[2MPRSS]

check sensor or any electrical cables worn out

[VT3C]

nope not it
fuse is fine
its the 7.5a fuse yeah? with "back up" as description?


yeah that's the one.. bad luck then.. or hang on maybe it was the "ECM" fuse that was blown.. I remember it was weird cause wasnt throwing codes etc but it was doing this surging.. like when you take your foot off the gas-pedal.. but did that while you're driving..

just go through your under-hood fusebox and check all fuses..

it's not an oil or fuel delivery problem.. it's kinda hard to explain the feeling, but it's more an electrical / spark issue.. driven by the ECU :(

[vuvu]

do u guys think it could be an earthing problem?
vafc i resetted it and so basically is stock now
it feels like i've gone off the clutch and then jumped on it again..
i will probably get an ecu scan to see if theres any problems... anyway of doing this without taking it to honda?
cheers

[vti_ek9]

vuvu....red ek4?...

[Civic Type R]

it's not an oil or fuel delivery problem.. it's kinda hard to explain the feeling, but it's more an electrical / spark issue.. driven by the ECU :(

Bede, it was with my car. It was jumping and jerking on the freeway at 100km/h with the check engine light on. Turned out I had no oil left in the engine. I filled her up and the car ran fine after that ;)

[VT3C]

yeah I just re-read the initial posts..

but no-oil in motor will trhow a red oil-pressure warning indicater light, not your orange Malfunction Indicater Light.. the MIL wil lonly go on if the ECU is throwing a code.. it will only throw a code if a sensor is busted or a problem in wiring (ie. bad earth etc) or if a sensor is not operating in it's acceptable voltage range.

now driving with no oil may end up destroyin a sensor and therefore throwing a code.. what code did it throw Adam ?

[Civic Type R]

No oil light has ever come on.
Only the orange check engine light.

As weird as it is, thats what keeps happening.
I cbf'd checking the code.

[Benson]

have you done a diagnostic test yet? if not then i suggest u do that first.

[Civic Type R]

Last time I did that it threw out weird code numbers no one could match to any OBD1 or OBD2 chart.

[VT3C]

the diagnostic test is a series of tests performed using the stock sensors.. the code checking that us plebs can do isnt diagnosis really, it's just telling us if there's any problems with hardware. The diagnostic tests are like if X is between 1 and 4 then y = ? type tests to see how the actual engine is running.

try HONDACARE or your favourite HONDA dealership for this but is prob exp..

[Civic Type R]

..you dont like Americans do you Bede

[VT3C]

..you dont like Americans do you Bede

what ?? where did THAT come from ??

FYI my best mate is Hawaiian so you cant make that generalization, but am not a fan of certain American personality traits ;)

[Civic Type R]

sorry my bad then.
Its the confusing way in which you wrote your last post ;)

I dont know what we did wrong when figuring out what codes my car was throwing. I wonder what Honda would charge to diagnose it ?

[VT3C]

nah nah.. u misunderstood and my little algebra explanation prob wasnt the bset haha

you know when Mr Honda plugs his diagnosis tools in where we use a pin to check codes ? well the proper HONDA software uses those 6-digit codes as their diagnosis.

so all your sensor's might be in perfect working condition, but the values sent from the sensors to your ECU might be not within certain parameters of the state of 'tune'.

so factors that may cause your motor to gradually deteriorate over time like for example your piston rings wearing out and increased friction from carbon-buildup etc. can create a 'different' atmosphere than your engine is tuned for.

so the diagnosis programs wil lactually assess the values returned from sensors and evaluates them both independantly and against each other to figure out if there may be a problem in the 'tune' of the car..

I'm pretty sure your Honda dealer wont charge much to diagnose it.. might even be free.. but then fixing whatever they diagnose..

hmm is an interesting dillema.. did you get this problem with your stock motor ? or just the swapped item ?

[vuvu]

vti ek9 quoi yeah?
well maybe i'll take it to honda.. but seriously i cbf so dunno..
i'll double check all the earth wires and the ecu wires and see wats goin on..
oil pressure is fine.. engine check light is wat goes on...
oh yeah and when it goes on the car starts idling at about 1300rpms... like it is on safe mode or somethin... i usually just turn it off and start it again and it goes away...

[VT3C]

when u describe it like that, sounds to me like a sensor connected to PGMFI has a loose earth.

the PGMFI system consists of MAP, TPS, IAT, IACV etc..

idling at 1500RPM indicates possibly in LIMP mode - does it VTEC ? if not, you're in LIMP mode.

[vuvu]

yeah safe/limp mode
PGMFI sensor can be found where? on the TB?
thanks man

[**Ghost**]

could it be ur ignition leads?

[Civic Type R]

and even spark plugs but most likely not. Have them regapped just in case.
Thats the MAP sensor on the TB.

[vti_ek9]

ahaha..yer it's me...
stop screwing with ur car...then it mite fix itself..ahah...:)

[VT3C]

nah this aint leads of plugs.. it's be hesitating and misfiring rather than surging..
is definately an electrical problem.

[vuvu]

lol yeah bloody honda pos so hard and usually costly to fix problems
i think its more of an electrical problem.. sensor i rekon due to the engine light occasionally going on...
funny how alot of people have had this problem but they all have different solutions?

[VT3C]

lol yeah bloody honda pos so hard and usually costly to fix problems
i think its more of an electrical problem.. sensor i rekon due to the engine light occasionally going on...
funny how alot of people have had this problem but they all have different solutions?

far out man check the code and tell us what number it is ? if you dont know how to check codes, do a search.. but honda EASY to fix and not expensive IMO.. try a european car !!

once again from that description being intermittent and throwing a code, it sounds like a loose earth. as I said before, the PGMFI system uses a common earth.. where it is I got no idea cause am looking for it myself, but find it and your problems are prob over..

[vuvu]

lol alrite man thanks for ur help
this isn't my first honda... for a jap car its pretty expensive.. and working on hondas is always a bitch... good and bad that honda is so thorough
anyway i wll try find the pgmfi and i'll try check out if its throwing any codes... get back to yall's

[vuvu]

more info:
i realise now it stalls when i come to a set of lights for example and take it out of gear and brake hardish...
also noticing now the car is very slow to rev down.. for example when changing gears it doesn't drop as fast as it use to even with the light flywheel
and now its jerking a fuken lot... cars fuked lol
still don't have time to organise something with honda.. will call today

btw its not the fuel filter.. just changed it