I need some help here. Does anyone else have this problem......when I am in 1st gear and hard accelerate (pedal to the floor) my car will wind up to about 2500, 3000 RPM and then it flutters (abnormal engine noise and seems to cut off) and then will wind normal for a second and then flutter again at around 4,000 to 5,000 RPM. I have a service rep telling me this is normal and that it is rev limiting 1st gear. I know it's BS, any help here? Thank you very much.

 

Are you doing this with the car in park?
Do you have an auto or manual?

 

No moving.......6 speed manual.

 

BS rofl i floor the auto and it breaks 3k sweatless... manual should be even better haha

 

That sounds like a problem. Do you use 89 or 91 octane?

 

Is the engine cold?

 

my accord used to do that when i was low on oil, seriously.

 

If you're not moving and are revving the engine, then the clutch must be in, which means the car is essentially in neutral. I know that in the automatic TSXs, there is a limiter that kicks in to stop the engine from reaching VTEC while the car is in park or neutral so perhaps it is the same for the MTs?

 

That was my first thought, but they I re-read his message and he stated "hard accelerate (pedal to the floor)". I interpet this as he's moving. If the service advisor can't find something wrong, I can only surmise that he's doing this with the engine cold. This is also the reason it works better later, it is now warmed up.....

Edit: now I re-re-read the other post and now see he's not moving.... ( how you can "accelerate" without moving, I don't know). If the MT has no "neutral limiter" like the auto, then I go back to the "cold engine" theory.

 

Could be cold engine, but I don't think a cold engine could cause "(abnormal engine noise and seems to cut off)" I just dont see that happening haha, but again I'm not a professional mechanic, I just read manuals and forums and stuff hehe aside from driving a tsx.
Whenever I drive with a cold engine (I RARELY DO except when going out half a mile to get a quick burger or something when I'm lazy at home) I can feel a bit of power loss, but no abnormal engine music or engine cutting down on me. It sounds more like bad gas than poor engine temperature.

 

He said it he was moving. And yes, MTs also have a 4500rpm limiter at 0mph and clutch in or neutral.

Check your oil level as 925tsx said. Sounds like the VTC was varying the cam phase and resulted in a low oil situation in your sump.

 

Yeah, then in post #3, he said he's not moving. There's definately a neutral rev limiter, and most likely it is this. The abnormal noise is from the engine cutting out.

Having said that, low oil is possible, and worth checking anyway, especially for someone who doesn't know what a rev limiter sounds like.

 

TSX536 asked him "Are you doing this with the car in park?", and he replied "No moving". Although he should have added a comma in between. Have to wait for him to reply to confirm if he was indeed moving or not.

 

I guess it depends on how you read it.... English is such a difficult language If only we could all express ourselves clearly, especially if you have a problem.

I still say cold engine. The Acura service advisor (who was BSing ) surely would have checked oil? If not he gets a double . If the engine is warm, (and it's repeatable), why would Acura say all is normal?

 

Even if it was cold, there is no limiter to cause revs to stop going up.

I've had something similar happen to me at about 2100-2300rpm in 2nd. I gave it throttle and the car accelrated and at around that point, the car speed and rpm started to fluctuate up and down for about 3 seconds. Very weird. It was an 86 degree summer day and I had put in some shitty 98 octane into the car (equivalent to your 91 octane).

 

Sounds like the "heat bog" S2000 owners complain about. The MAP sensor and IAT sensor get confused on really hot days, and screw up the air/fuel ratio. This causes bucking, that usually clears up if you push the clutch and start over. I've never had a TSX with the problem, maybe well see more as the cars age? If this is what we're running into, it would be VERY possible that the service advisor didn't know what to look for.

After all that, I bet he's reving a cold engine in neutral...

 

it could be a fuel pump. had the same exact problem with my GS-R a couple years ago and it went undiagnosed for a long time. finally, replaced the fuel pump after about 5 different mechs took a look at it and it was fixed.

 

His description makes me think that fuel is cut. Whether its due to a rev limiter or a faulty fuel pump is still debatable.

 

I am using 93 octane......car IS moving, lol. In neutral, yes it is rev limited at 4500. This is when I am in first gear and step on it hard. The engine will wind normal and then will flutter (cut out) usually around 2500 RPM. Sometimes it won't do it until 3500 (seems to be how hard you put the pedal down). It then will wind again normal for a few seconds and then will flutter again in the RPM range before redline. It will do it no matter if the engine is cold or hot, I only tried it once with a semi cold engine (for obvious reasons). This first happened last year in the summer, wasn't scroching hot and neither was the car. Now it still does it in the winter, BTW I live in NY. It's really frustrating and I appreciate all your replies, I just want to be able to tell the service rep THERE IS something wrong. I just checked my oil the other day, I will go do it again now though, THANK YOU very much for all your replies, keep 'em coming!

 

Do you have the VSA on?

This might just be the VSA cutting the throttle to prevent wheel spin?

 

You know.........I don't know, great thought. I don't recall if I took it off and tried that as of yet. I usually have it off, but I will definetly make sure it's off and give it a go.

 

Just tried it with the VSA off and still the same noise. I don't seem to lose much power, it does it quick, hard to tell, but there's definetly an abnormal noise from the motor. So basically no one else here that has an '04 has an issue with flooring it in 1st gear and hearing nothing but normal revving up to redline, correct? I checked the oil, that is fine also!

 

Are you sure it wasn't wheel hops during launch instead of engine cutting out?

 

Yeah, it is definetly not wheel hops, and the tires aren't spinning. I wish I could post up a clip of what it sounds like.........

 

If this is repeatable, you must not TELL your advisor, you need to SHOW him. I'm starting to think bad coils. Did the hook up the diag tool? What did they do to the car when it was in service. What did the invoice say?

 

yeah i thought it would be the VSA or wheel hops cuz i have an AT and it does that sometimes over the white cross walk pads if i get on it to hard

 

I thought of spark plug misfire. Under high load and fast revs, marginal plugs will misfire. Put some race gas in there (VP unleaded 105 of course ) and go blow it out on the highway.

 

Oh they had the car 3 times and couldn't "duplicate the problem." When they did this the last time, I demanded that I take him for a test drive and show him what it's doing. To which he heard it and said all Acura's are like that. I told him I had an Integra before that and it did nothing of the sort (MT also). He insisted MT and AT each gear has a rev limiter. He said you're not supposed to be go above 3500 in 1st gear. lol.

 

Either you're not describing it acurately (I know you're trying), or we're not hearing the whole story (not accusing you of anything, but maybe there's something you've left out), or you need a new dealer.

 

I would say he definitely needs a new dealer.

 

Second on the dealer thing.....they are not very bright.....I can tell you quite a list of dumb stuff they have done. Been a night ever since I signed the papers....

 

what dealer is this... please tell me its not paragon because im so sick of hearing this kind of shit from them... any noise that my car had was "normal" and my suspension being loose was also "normal" to them so if it is them go to a differnet dealer...

 

And I agree too that you need a new dealer. Most dealers will be happy to take you in because you will be bringing in service money to them

 

Feder's in Middletown.........DO NOT buy a car from them.