My 99 Accord is sputtering at take-off, and when I go to pass someone. Help...

 

Pretty thin gruel for diagnostics. Additional info:

> Is this a 4-cyl or V6?
> Any recent tuneup work; plugs, wires, rotor, distributor cap?
> Does engine start easily and idle smoothly?
> Is Check Engine Light ever on? If yes, get the codes and post them.
> Any recent work of any nature under the hood?

good luck

 

4 cyl
tune up 2 yrs ago.
starts easily, but doesn't idle smoothly.
check engine light was on ever since i bought it 2 yrs ago. code said catalitic converter. check engine light went off about 2 months ago (do they just burn out? haha).
Hubby changed timing belt and water pump 3 mos ago.
was overheating few days ago. Hubby thought it was water pump, changed it, still overheated, changed thermostat, all is good with temp now. Now running rough.
Maybe hubby didn't get timing belt on exactly correct when replacing water pump? Wouldn't it run rough even going down highway? it doesn't run rough until accelerating.
What about temperature control sensor? if that's bad could it make it run bad?
It was idling rough before the overheating/water pump/ thermostat incident, but not this rough. Not sure if that problem just progressed that much (and it's not related to hubby working on it), or if timing is now off. ugh.
Not sure of which route to try first. Plug wires?
oh yah, also my brake light goes on and off and my brakes are fine. Maybe all of this is vacuum related?

 

p.s. Sorry for all of the dumb girl answers. lol

 

and also, pretty sure hubby put timing belt back on right. He's awesome mechanic. He works out of town all the time, so I'm trying to diagnose and fix it myself.

 

The check engine light should turn on for ~2 seconds when you first turn the key to the II position. It is the bulb check.

Air in the coolant system can cause idle problems if it wasn't bled out when filling the radiator. There is a bleed valve on the thermostat housing (#12) in the pic below. When filling up the radiator, that valve should be loosened. Keep the valve open until air stops spitting out, then shut off. Then top off the radiator. Do this when the engine is cold.

EDIT: Forgot to insert pic.

 

Did rough running start after overheating? This suggest possible head gasket leakage. Coolant in combustion chamber causing missing and rough running. If you're losing any coolant, this is likely. Smell your coolant reservoir for a gasoline smell. This indicates some combustion gases are leaking into coolant. Bubbles coming into the coolant reservoir is another indicator of bad head gasket.

I would check to comfirm crankshaft and camshaft timing are correct.

good luck