sangtae@gmail.com

Hi.
I have 1996 2.5 TL. It was no problem until two weeks ago.
When I filled fuel with regular(I used to get regular for it) two weeks ago, I dropped the gap cap.
And then, I could see check engine light and hear rough sound below 1000 rpm. and some vibration..
Check engin light comes on when starting and is blinking when driving.
Rpm is unstable at stop situation(P, D, N.. ), but during driving it looked fine.

Well, one of my friends said.. that situation might result from Gas Cap's problem.
I don't know..

When I searched this category, I found about Autozone's scan..
Is it free?? and available at all Autozone??

Please give me advices about this..
Thanks

Go90go

It's your gas cap. The internal valve is probably stuck open causing it (the ECU) to think that there isn't one there, and causing your fuel system to lose pressure. Borrow a friend's one, install it, disconnect your negative terminal for 30 seconds, and start to drive around. It should clear itself up, meaning your next purchase is a gas cap.

~Cheers~

P.S. Yes, OBDII scans at Kragen/AutoZone/Pep Boys is (or should) be free.

sangtae@gmail.com

Thanks... Your opinion is very helpful.
I'll try it !!!
Will see !!

Go90go

No problem, m8, and good luck!

~Cheers~

TexasHonda

Flashing CEL means something is seriously wrong and should be checked immediately otherwise damage to the catalytic converter can occur due to excessive engine miss. I'm pretty sure a missing gas cap would not cause an engine miss, but for sure replace the gas cap first.

Get the fault codes set by the ECU and post the codes to get a better idea of your problem.


good luck

sangtae@gmail.com

Unfortunatly,,, CEL is still on and blinking though I changed gas cap( non-locking pressure relief, CST?, red one).
OBDII scan said...

P0304

problem : missfire??

Please, follow this problem again. Thanks.

TexasHonda

P0304 is a miss on cylinder No. 4. Something specific to that cylinder is the cause. Most liikely roughly in order of probabilty are bad spark plug, bad spark plug wire, cracked distributor cap #4 tower, faulty #4 fuel injector, and faulty #$ fuel injector wiring (bad connection or damaged wiring). Much less likely but possible are bad #4 valve or loss of compression in #4.

Let us know what you find.

good luck

sangtae@gmail.com

Thanks,

Now, the thrilling situation is better than before changing gas cap. But, engine is still thrilling in D4-position more(N is better.)
And I checked cylinder 4(Is cylinder 4 4th cylinder from top(windshield side)?).

I pulled out wire(is it correct term?) and this wire is very loosely connected to spark plug(actually, I am worrying about wrong cennection between spark plug and this wire) because I couldn't feel the junction connection between this wire and spark plug. it can be out with very weak power.
However, cylinder 3 showed better tight connection and I could see some moisture in this cylinder 3's wire but I couldn't see any moisture in cylinder 4.

Which is normal condition?(moisture pattern?) (I have not used my car since last night.. alost 20 hours?_
If that cable's problem, can I change this wire or spark plug for cylinder 4 by myself?
Actually, my previous owner changed spark plugs and wire with high-performance products(I don't know, he said to me like that, my wires are red colored line and black connector(to spark plug) about 150-160k miles mileage.
So, I'd like to know if I can change only 1 cable wire for cylinder 4 or I should change all.

And,if you have, could you give me more detail method for replacing wires and plugs?

About a month ago, I got state inspection and everything were fine at that time. It was lucky to me... Hopely, I would figure it out as soon as possible.

Thanks..

TexasHonda

Cylinder 4 is 4th counting from front of engine to rear.

Sounds like someone put wrong wire set on your car. They should fit snugly and snap down into the valve cover well to seal and prevent any moisture entering the spark plug well. If they don't I would purchase a good quality set of wires made specifically for your model. If one has gone bad, others are likely to follow.

If you have to ask how to change plugs and wires, you should probably seek some assistance. You can cause a lot of problems w/ your engine attempting to install spark plugs w/ incorrect tools and technique. If you want to learn DIY, get a shop manual for your car and a general book on DiY auto repair and study a bit.

good luck

Go90go

I missed the whole flashing part completely, sorry guys.

~Cheers~

sangtae@gmail.com

Thanks guys.

I think I fixed this problem. When I checked the wires last night, the wire from cylinder 4 was not correctly connected to valve(bottom side of windshield?). So, I connected again and disconnect battery for a while to remove CEL.
After that, I could feel much more smooth engine sound. I have not tested yet(no drive yet.)..
I'll check soon.

Cylinder 2's wire is loosely connected compared to others.. But, it might be ok?
Well, I have to tune up next year for that...

Thanks.

cwrong

I would replace the spark plug wires with NGK or other performance brand (about $80/set) and purchase the correct NGK-r plugs (about $8.99/each). You might be suprised how much better the vehicle will run and respond to the accelerator.
Going cheap on the ignition is a quick way to wast gase and prematurely wear the engine.
I would also heed the warnings provided by TexasHonda, as it is quite easy to damage the threads on the cylinder heads of import cars when changing the plugs. Warm the engine just a little and be easy on the threads.

Go90go

Keep in mind that Nology Hot Wires are shitty and you'd be better off donating the money for the wires to charity. And NO Bosch Platinum +4.

~Cheers~