Just had the gas tank replaced & new fuel lines installed ( original fuel pump & sending unit re-used);

Initially car would be ok for 20 minutes/25 kmsapprox then would stall and shut down; then would start with hard cranking but would not idle well & would not go above 1700-2000 rpm without stalling.

Had car towed back to shop & the following checked:

- ensured that all lines installed correctly;
- tested fuel pressure & is ok (35-40 psi);
- checked all vaccum lines for cracks/plugging, all ok;
- EGR ports are clean (had then fully cleaned a week ago - all were plugged);
- no OBD codes are showing up in scanning;
- main relay for fuel pump tests ok;
- as fuel pressure is within spec up to and including when it stalls we think fuel pump is fine;

We have not yet changed the in-line fuel filter but as the fuel pressure does not drop prior to stalling, this does not seem to be plugged;

Anyone have any ideas as the tech that is working on it has 15+ years as a past Honda tech and he is pulling his hair out....?

Jim

1996 Honda Accord EX-R
2.2 VTECH / auto trans
380000 kms

 

I think you've ruled out fuel delivery as a problem. Problem is likely elsewhere.

A stuck-open EGR valve might cause the behavior, and might not cause a code to be set. You could probably confirm or rule this out by disabling the EGR vacuum supply, however this will definitely set a code. If problem does not return, you know the cause.

A second possibility is a stuck-open, idle air control valve. I don't think this would cause a code to be set, however I thought it would cause a high idle rather than rough engine and poor performance.

An intermittent coil fault might cause rough running (weak spark) and poor performance. This would not set a code either. A good possibility.

You won't like this one, but a leaking head gasket can cause this problem as water enters combustion chamber. Look for lots of very white smoke from the exhaust. Any recent overheating incidents would increase the chance of this being the problem.

Final thought is a bad fuel injector. This would have to be a mechanical problem, as electrical faults are detected by ECU. Very unlikely IMO, but possible.

This problem will be a tough one to solve. I would sure be interested in hearing the outcome. Please keep the forum posted on your findings.

Good Luck

 

Thanks, I'll get back to the forum once we solve this.

I was doing some more searching on here & found the reference to the Honda recall for the defective ignition switch. Would this cause my problem?

Sorry if I'm grasping for straws here. I am the 3rd owner of this car & do not know if this car was part of that recall.

Jim

 

UPDATE

Just got a call from the shop. It appears to be working ok now. They found that the intake ports throughout the intake manifold assy were badly carboned up. The intake was completly removed and fully cleaned. Also they cleaned all the vaccum lines with carbon remover as well. Ithe car was then taken out for an hour of driving and so far seems great. Perhaps some carbon had broke free somewhere and was obstructing something in an intermitant way...who knows... Anyway I'll have the car back later today and we'll go from there. Things that were checked prior to intake cleaning were:

- ignition spark was confirmed good on all cylinders;
- head gasket is fine;
- ignition coil checked & is fine;
- EGR valve is ok; and
- the idle air control valve checked ok;

The fuel filter was changed also as I do not know when it was changed last. The repair shop is a good one with techs I've found you can trust. As you can imagine I'm glad they think they've solved this hard to resolve problem. I'll come back to this thread again if anything new turns up. Cheers & thanks againfor the advice given previously.

Jim

 

Thanks for the update. Glad to hear it was successfully resolved.

regards