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1999 Honda Accord Problems

9K views 6 replies 3 participants last post by  Scrumble 
#1 ·
Recently my car has started acting up. When i drive it starts to act like it can't sense my foot on the gas and then all of a sudden it does and jumps. This can happen from a stop or while going 60 down the highway and it can last only a couple seconds to a few minutes. Everything else runs perfect and idles perfect....well maybe a tad high but its old.

The check engine light is on and i got it checked before it started having these problems and they told me it was emissions but without it doing anything they counldn't narrow it down to where it is. Now that its acting up i can't get my dealership to answer their phone and they are about 70 miles from where i live so i don't feel like driving there to find that they closed.
 
#2 ·
Next time you get your check engine light looked at, ask for the CEL codes. It is usually a letter followed by 4 numbers, e.g. P0421. This code is related to what is going on and help you diagnose what is the possible root cause of the problem or problems.

So you are experiencing "surging".
There are a couple basic things you can check/do.

1. Spark plugs. When was the last time you checked them. Are they clean when you look at all of them? Are they gapped properly? Are they wet with oil? A lot of carbon deposits/black tip?
2. Distributor cap and rotor? When was the last time you changed these items?
3. Air filter? When was the last time you replaced/cleaned your air filter? A dirty air filter forces your car to inject more gas, and thus decreased fuel efficiency, but not surging.
4. Idle control screw. Does your model Accord have an idle screw on the throttle body that can be turned to adjust the idle? Adjusting this may or may not help the surging issue. This sets where the throttle is going to sit at idle. The higher you set it at, the higher the RPMs the engine will run at idle.
5. O2 sensors. When was the last time you replaced these? They get O2 readings up stream at the exhaust manifold and downstream after the first catalytic converter. If an O2 sensor gets really dirty, it will result in decreased fuel efficiency, but not engine surging.
6. Fuel filter. When was the last time you replaced this? A dirty fuel filter will affect the smooth flow of gas to the engine.
7. Engine oil level. Pull out the dipstick and check if it is between the max and min lines. When was the last time you changed the oil.
8. EGR valve. Is this clean? Check it. Clean it with carb cleaner.
9. IACV, idle air control valve. Is this clean. This will affect how smoothly your car idles, but not be the source of engine surging.
10. Check the air intake connections, i.e. air intake tube, make sure there are no cracks that have developed between the air filter housing and the intake manifold.
11. PCV valve. This is a valve that goes into the valve cover and controls pressure in the cylinder head. The other end has a rubber vacuum hose. Not a cause of surging but an easy thing to replace/check.
12. If your engine is sluggish, you may have a clogged catalytic converter. Not the source of engine surging though, since the powerband will be slow across the board.

There's other stuff but I can't really know without knowing the CEL code that is thrown.
 
#3 ·
Thank you so much!

I'll drop by Auto Zone or one of the car part shops around that give free scannings out so i don't have to go back to the dealership.

Air Filter - Clean/new
Oil - a little low but i need to change it this week
Spark plugs - haven't checked but they were "replaced" when i bought my car and I've only put like 5k miles on it. I'll check them but i gave them the benefit of the doubt since the other items they said had been replaced were.
Distributor cap and rotor - not sure what a rotor is but after i bought the car it died on the road and it wouldn't start and it ended up being a cracked Distributor cap.
I also got the ignition changed at Honda due to the recall for that year (got it done for free)

I'll check into those others you suggested and replace them if they are broke/dirty.

Someone tried telling me it was my fuel pump but wouldn't it be consistent and not every other time or so i drive it if it was? (the surging)
 
#7 ·
Thank you both. I'm going to drop by and see if one of the auto stores rents our a fuel pressure gauge and test it.

I did a little google on the sending unit and it sounds like my gas gauge on my dash would be acting up and showing false readings? Again it was google and can/is often wrong.

I haven't had time to make it into town but my gas gauge works fine and my car runs like a camp and i haven't paid attention to my mpg but i don't feel like i have been filling up more.

Only signs i notice anything wrong are

1. When i start my car my rpm's go up to about 1500 rpm's and stay there for awhile
2. The slight chugging/no response to my foot on the gas and then surging.
3. Tranny doesn't always feel right. Its not slipping from what i can tell but shifts at a little higher rpms then what I've seen most cars shift at (3100 rpms is what its shifting at or the last time i checked)
4. Engine light is on and I've checked it at a couple auto stores/shops and they all say small emissions leak. They all tell me to replace my gas cap but i ordered a new one awhile ago and it still does it. I don't think it was a official honda cap as my dealer ordered it but still could be it.
I'm thinking it might be a bad Charchal canister (the emissions leak?) I'm moving out west and might wait until i get out there to have a shop look at it since there really isn't anyone around here that specializes in Hondas.

My first thing is to grab the gauge and test then replace Pump/Filter if needed and if its giving the right pressure then I'm left not knowing where to look next lol.
 
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