Poonhero
New Member
Long time lurker 1st time poster. I've gotten a lot of info off of this forum and have always noticed that people with their problems never post the end result/fix. Since I've been through about every possible forum in the last week or so I thought I'd do a few people a favor and write up my story. Ok no more b.s....
I bought a 91 Integra ls from a friend of a friend. When/before I bought the car I noticed that It was running extremely rich and it had a nasty idle. I've been around motors all my life and consider myself fairly knowledgeable around them so the price was right, he was going to replace the clutch, and I needed a gasser.
Once the car was mine I started with the basics. I checked the spark plugs and noticed that the plug wires came off really easy. The plugs looked like they were in a tractor for the last 40 years and the car was struggling to run. I replaced the wires and plugs and noticed an immediate positive response. The car was running smooth and not running as rich as it was. I could still smell carbon burning do to the fact that the guy had the wrong plug wires on it for the last 6 months. Even though it was runnning better it still had a bouncy idle. It would almost stall at stoplights.
Not knowing when the oil was changed last I decided to do so. It smelled like gas and carbon and according to the window sticker it had been changed 1200 miles ago.
I decided to seafoam the car. I followed the directions and poured a 1/3 in the tank and sucked a 1/3 into the intake through the brake booster line. I let the car sit for 10 minutes and fired it up. It smoked like a 70 year old at a casino and ran even better, but it still had the idle trouble....
I started goggling my problem and stumbled upon a thread that had a great "how to" on cleaning/replacing the IACV found here. I did as the thread had said and in the process I sprayed some carb cleaner in the throttle body. I reattached the IACV and started the car and it ran like total ass. I took it around the block and the car died several times. It struggled to start and I limped it back home.
My original thought was that the I knocked a wire, vacuum line, or a connection off. This was not the case. The next day I started the car and it began to run worse by the minute. I assumed that the the IACV was shot and me messing with it had caused even more problems. I pulled it back off several times and finally put a volt meter on it and ruled it out. Then I started with the basics.
I rechecked the IACV, made sure the nut in the fast idle valve wasn't loose, and rechecked my tps. I was 89% sure that it was something to do with the IACV when I was taking it off and on. In doing so I had spilled some coolant. So me thinking I had an air bubble in my coolant I decided to try and bleed the system. The car ran worse and worse. I had to hold the throttle to keep it running. I was still stuck on the IACV being bad so I replaced the thermostat (which you need to be a left handed Chinese girl to do). At this point the car is fighting to run.
The next day the car will not start. I quadruple checked grounds, spark, modules, vacuum lines, and fuel. Everything seems ok. About half way though the day when I try and start the car it starts backfiring out of the INTAKE!!! I automatically assume timing, ignition, or broken belt. I check everything again still getting spark, gas, and all components look ok. I replaced the plugs, checked my dizzy cap, and rotor. Everything seemed ok. I pulled the timing cover off and made sure I had tension on the belt. I put the motor at TDC and made sure the rotor was pointing were in needed to be...phewwww!
I was on the verge of having it towed to a garage or dumping gas on it and having an early 4th of July. A mechanic friend of mine kept telling me ignition and timing. He sent me a "how to" check your coil found here. I didn't even think about the coil being bad due to the fact that I was getting spark. I was getting spark but I was getting "weak spark". If you don't have a volt meter go get one, check the dumb stuff, and always assume the the answer is silly. If your coil is bad/going bad it will still create spark but not enough to make your kitty purr.
It's 2:30 in the morning and I've had 9 or 10 Jim Beams and I'm done with my boring story. I found a lot of useful info on this forum and wanted to "pay it back". I hope that this helps someone out looking for answers. Goodnight!
I bought a 91 Integra ls from a friend of a friend. When/before I bought the car I noticed that It was running extremely rich and it had a nasty idle. I've been around motors all my life and consider myself fairly knowledgeable around them so the price was right, he was going to replace the clutch, and I needed a gasser.
Once the car was mine I started with the basics. I checked the spark plugs and noticed that the plug wires came off really easy. The plugs looked like they were in a tractor for the last 40 years and the car was struggling to run. I replaced the wires and plugs and noticed an immediate positive response. The car was running smooth and not running as rich as it was. I could still smell carbon burning do to the fact that the guy had the wrong plug wires on it for the last 6 months. Even though it was runnning better it still had a bouncy idle. It would almost stall at stoplights.
Not knowing when the oil was changed last I decided to do so. It smelled like gas and carbon and according to the window sticker it had been changed 1200 miles ago.
I decided to seafoam the car. I followed the directions and poured a 1/3 in the tank and sucked a 1/3 into the intake through the brake booster line. I let the car sit for 10 minutes and fired it up. It smoked like a 70 year old at a casino and ran even better, but it still had the idle trouble....
I started goggling my problem and stumbled upon a thread that had a great "how to" on cleaning/replacing the IACV found here. I did as the thread had said and in the process I sprayed some carb cleaner in the throttle body. I reattached the IACV and started the car and it ran like total ass. I took it around the block and the car died several times. It struggled to start and I limped it back home.
My original thought was that the I knocked a wire, vacuum line, or a connection off. This was not the case. The next day I started the car and it began to run worse by the minute. I assumed that the the IACV was shot and me messing with it had caused even more problems. I pulled it back off several times and finally put a volt meter on it and ruled it out. Then I started with the basics.
- Spark
I pulled a plug, stuck it in the wire and cranked the engine. I had spark! - Gas
I loosened the exit line off of the fuel filer and cranked the engine. Gas poured out...I got gas! - Vacuum lines/modules/grounds
I chased every wire, vacuum line, and ground wire in the whole car. I blew out lines, replaced hoses, and cleaned connections.
I rechecked the IACV, made sure the nut in the fast idle valve wasn't loose, and rechecked my tps. I was 89% sure that it was something to do with the IACV when I was taking it off and on. In doing so I had spilled some coolant. So me thinking I had an air bubble in my coolant I decided to try and bleed the system. The car ran worse and worse. I had to hold the throttle to keep it running. I was still stuck on the IACV being bad so I replaced the thermostat (which you need to be a left handed Chinese girl to do). At this point the car is fighting to run.
The next day the car will not start. I quadruple checked grounds, spark, modules, vacuum lines, and fuel. Everything seems ok. About half way though the day when I try and start the car it starts backfiring out of the INTAKE!!! I automatically assume timing, ignition, or broken belt. I check everything again still getting spark, gas, and all components look ok. I replaced the plugs, checked my dizzy cap, and rotor. Everything seemed ok. I pulled the timing cover off and made sure I had tension on the belt. I put the motor at TDC and made sure the rotor was pointing were in needed to be...phewwww!
I was on the verge of having it towed to a garage or dumping gas on it and having an early 4th of July. A mechanic friend of mine kept telling me ignition and timing. He sent me a "how to" check your coil found here. I didn't even think about the coil being bad due to the fact that I was getting spark. I was getting spark but I was getting "weak spark". If you don't have a volt meter go get one, check the dumb stuff, and always assume the the answer is silly. If your coil is bad/going bad it will still create spark but not enough to make your kitty purr.
It's 2:30 in the morning and I've had 9 or 10 Jim Beams and I'm done with my boring story. I found a lot of useful info on this forum and wanted to "pay it back". I hope that this helps someone out looking for answers. Goodnight!