I just bought a 1997 honda accord lx 4cyl, everything was fine when i drove it home 60 miles from where i bought it. but the next day when i stop at a redlight light it idols at 500 rpms and its a ruff idol, just about vibrates everything, and sometimes when you start from a dead stop it kind of stalls or hasitates for about 30 seconds then it starts going. I just replaced the fuel filter yesterday and that did'nt help none. my speed sensor needs replaced because of speedometer bounces up and down. when its cold everthings fine it just happens when it warms up. the coolint hand stays below the halfway mark and never get's hot. I bought the car for my wife cause she allways wanted a honda and i know they are real reliable cars. any help would be appriciated. oh and it has only 127,000 miles on the clock. thanks.

 

Kind of a hard one here, and you don't really know the history......

Tune up items would be first on the list, again you don't know when thery were done...at least set a base line.

Then since this only seems to be at idle, look into cleaning/adjusting the IAC/FITV. While there, go for a good cleaning of the TB.

 

There a good download manual from Online Manuals links in DiY forum. This will provide guidance on Vehicle Speed Sensor replacement. Check ebay for a good price on VSS.

Remove Idle Air Control Valve (IACV) and clean screen, valve movement, inlet/outlet ports in TB. Clean throttle plate on both sides and throttle bore around plate. Use throttle body cleaner for cleaning these components.

Is Check Engine Light on? If yes, see procedure in DIY forum for obtaining code/s.

good luck

 

Thanks, i tuned it up(plugs were shot)cleaned the TB. runs better but still doing every once in a while. i'm to clean the IAC/FITV next. now the ac went out, dang. I'm used to mustangs,nova's,chevelle's this is the first honda i bought, but i like the car it's fun to drive. thanks for all the help.
chris.

 

You may need to adjust idle speed w/ IACV disabled per those manuals you downloaded.

good luck

 

also here is a link to a video showing how to clean the egr passages. common problem that will arise in this engine

YouTube - ‪P0401 Honda Accord, Cleaning EGR Passages‬‏