Hello all!
I've got a few questions concerning some trouble codes i've gotten on my car. Ok, first of all let me start from the beginning...i have a 1998 Honda Accord 4-door EX with a 2.3L and a manual tranny. I bought this car a year ago from a friend with 200,000 miles and it's been a fantastic car! Around 6 months ago the engine light would come on for a bit then go back off so i didn't worry too much about it but recently the engine light has started to stay on but switch between a steady light to a blinking light and you can tell that it's definitely missing so.... i have a trouble code reader that i hooked up. It's giving my the codes:
PO301
PO302
PO303
PO304
PO300
P1399

I know by doing a little research here on HAC that the PO301 through PO304 are cylinders 1 through 4 misfiring. The PO300 are "random cylinders misfiring" and the P1399 is "manufacturer control ignition or misfire" so...could this be the Ignition control module going bad?
Now when all this began, i replaced the plugs, wires, dist. cap and rotor button, all to no avail.
Now, when i pulled off the old cap there was a little oil inside but nowhere near the contacts, so what i'm thinking is maybe the distributor seal is leak through the relief hole in the distributor into the cap and the oil could be causing problems with the ignition control module? Is this a possibility?
I've also found, from a little reasearch here, that it could possibly be the EGR port/valve?
Ok, thanks everyone for reading and thanks in advance for any input!!

 

Yes the ICM could be the problem, whether or not its actually caused by the oil.

You can check your PCV valve too. If that's plugged up, it can cause increased pressure in the crankcase leading to more oil leakage.

What kind of spark plugs? People have reported misfiring with Bosch plugs. Get NGK or Denso. (But to be honest, I've used Bosch in a 95 Acura without problems so I can't promise this firsthand)

 

Thanks Jim Blake!
So...i googled trouble code 1399 and after about an hour of reading, i've determined it could be ANYTHING! We're talking from valves that need to be adjusted to blown head gasket to bad ICM to clogged/dirty fuel injectors!! Seems like alot of people are getting these same trouble codes and have thrown everything at it to no avail. I am at a loss as to what it is and it seems so is everyone else. This vehicle has 244,000 miles on it and i'm not sure if i want to throw a ton of money into something with this many miles on it! Any thoughts? I'm thinking, just go through and check every sensor for factory specs and adjust the valves. I have a fyunny feeling that they've never been adjusted...or at least not in a looong time!

 

W/ random misfire it's unlikely a head gasket (usually only affects 1-2 cylinders).

I've seen a lot of oil is spark plug well w/o missing, but it may be possible to cause shorting when boot is damaged.

Same for oil draining through distributor, nasty looking but doesn't seem to be root of problem. If oil doesn't drain from distributor, it can cause problems as it will get burnt by arcing at rotor and cause shorting of spark.

Were the codes in your post the only codes? W/ just these, the problem is likely spark, so could be weak coll or less likely ignitor. Ignitor is usually either working or not, but a coil can have an internal short that weakens spark leading to missing under load.

good luck

 

Thanks for your reply TexasHonda!
Ok...i've spent the day adjusting the valves. Most, if not all, were pretty darn close to specs so...i decided to pull the wires while the car was running. Cylinders 1 through 3 were working fine, as in, when i pulled the spark plug wire off it lugged and almost died. However, when i got to cylinder 4, there was no change in idle. I decided to change out #4 spark plug with #3 plug, just to be sure it wasn't a faulty plug but still no difference.
I then decided to do a compression check. Cylinder1 was 170 PSI, Cylinder 2 was also 160 PSI, Cylinder 3 was 170PSI and Cylinder 4 was only 60 PSI.
Which leads me to speculate a bent/ burnt/ sticking valve possibly? Maybe a broken ring? I don't think it could be a blown head gasket because theres no oil in the water and no water in the oil. However, the engine sure does go through alot of oil in a short period of time. As in 2 quarts every 2-3 weeks. It has a couple of minor leaks but i wouldn't imagine it would be enough to leak that much.
Any ideas?

 

Oh, I forgot to mention, after adjusting the valves i cleared the CEL. The CEL came back on within a few minutes with a PO304, PO302, PO300 and a P1399 DTC.

 

If #4 valve gap (exhaust is most likely to stick) was w/i spec, then stuck valve is not the problem. It could be a burnt valve, but leaking HG is a distinct possiblity.

Suggest a leak-down test where regulated pressure air is injected into cylinder similar to compression test and you listen for air in crankcase (oil filler for air bypassing rings), intake manifold at PCV port for intake valve leak, or exhaust pipe (tailpipe) for exhaust valve leak.

Have you been losing any coolant? A cold pressure test on cooling system might disclose a HG leak.

Has car recently overheated badly? If yes, this would make HG more likely.

good luck

 

Yep...a leak down test was kinda what i was thinking too. I'm hoping it's merely a HG. I suppose i'll try to find a leak-down test kit.
I checked the coolant in the radiator and overflow and it's still full. Haven't ever had it overheat but, now that you mention it, it seems like i may have smelled coolant before. Nothing major...just a whiff here and there. It also tends to blow white smoke in the a.m's but not anything noticible when it gets warmed up. Either way, i'll have someone local test the coolant system. Thanks!! I'll do that and repost the results