Hey all

I have a 2004 TSX with 102000 miles on it. However I replaced the engine about 10,000 miles ago because the timing belt went and with it the engine. I bought this car from the original owner in 2008. The new engine had approximately 35,000 miles on it.

I recently had the engine light and maintenance required light activate. I ran the codes and they are all related to the oxygen sensor failing. I spoke to a mechanic friend who says that it does not ned to be replaced immediately and the only problem I may see is bad fuel economy.

So recently when at idle the engine has a shudder or shake which cause the rpm's to drop. It feels almost like the engine is on the verge of stall. I don't feel any problems when accelerating and I dont feel any shudders. When I get over 80 mph i feel a vibration in the steering wheel and seat but I think thats from an alignment issue.

This shaking and shuddering is getting more frequent and I'm hoping it's not a major issue. Thanks for any help.

Charles

 

You need to replace the O2 sensor. I don't know why your friend would tell you it's not necessary. It affects fuel economy and can make your car run like crap (as you are experiencing now). I would replace the sensor and see if that takes care of your problems.

Since you bought it used and don't know when an alignment was done last, I would do one, as well as change all the fluids in the car. Do you have maintenance records to see if it's been well-kept?

My car is in the shop now for a TSB relating to all 04s and some 05s and has to do with rear camber being out of spec, caused by a bent or broken rear upper control arm. My car was shaking a bit and pulling every which way because of this issue, most notably at about 70 mph and over. Maybe this is affecting your car as well. Getting an alignment will let you know if you have this problem. See my alignment thread a few lines down in this section for more info.

 

so the oxygen sensor malfunctioning would cause the car to shake sporadically while in drive and stopped?

sorry, i'm not to car savvy

 

Yes, it can.

Here's a nice read:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxygen_sensor

 

Yes, it can definitely cause shaking. The O2 sensor tells the car how much fuel to add to keep the air/fuel mixture ideal. This helps provide a smooth idle. Since your sensor is messed up the ECU is flying blind and just trying to add fuel based a bad or false reading. It may even put the ECU in limp mode.

If you're at a light and turn on the AC, you should notice a even worse idle. I would get it replaced. It's not cheap though, so if you car is throwing any check engine lights, then check the code and verify it first.

 

my car is doing the same exact thing but i never replaced my engine. im at 67k miles. any resolving of this issue???

 

Do you have a Check Engine Light on, or not warning/caution lights?

If CEL is on: Have the code(s) pulled with any OBD-II reader. Many auto places like Autozone or whatever, will do this free of charge. That code will tell you what is failing or throwing the code. Diagnose appropriately after you find this code.

If no CEL is on: Did it happen for consecutive gas fill-ups? (Could be bad gas). Have you changed the air filter in the past year or two? Have you noticed any degredation in performance or is it just an idle issue?

 

I have this problem too, but only when my engine is still below normal operating temperature. It shakes like a mofo when in drive and my foot on the brake. Once engine warms up, it improves.. but when the engine fan turns on, I can feel vibrations increase too.. could this be an O2 sensor problem too?

 

Did anyone ever manage to find a fix for this shaking at idle when car has electrical load?
Mine is shuddering and shaking but tach needle does not move. Its not th engine mounts.

 

I have a similar problem. While at a stop with the transmission in D, there is a shudder. Shift to neutral and it idles smooth. I change the tranny fluid with Honda Z1 and it helped some. No error codes to date. Has anyone tried Dr. Tranny additive? Could it be the air-fuel mixture (O2 sensor) when under a load?

 

Keep me posted on your solution, I will also.

My shake is floorpan and steering, if there is no electrical load on the car then its fine. From my experience ( little) since I am relatively new I have read that it would be best to use Honda Z1 with no additives, although I plan on replacing my ATF fluid with Redline D4 soon. Heard good things about it, also would help reduce the slight whine I get in mine.

 

Mines been doing the same things for years. It could be attributed to a failing A/C compressor or clutch within the ac system.... I think this should be an area of further research. Anyone agree?

 

Would that be true even with the AC off ? Meaning the shaking and vibrations caused by electrical load. I feel the car shudder even if I put on my high beams.
In most cars that I have owned in the past, I would get a slight shudder when putting on electrical loaded items, then it would within seconds settle down and stop shaking.

 

No in that case your AC system would not play a factor

 

I noticed this for the first time on my 05 6MT with 80,000 miles: just turning on the rear defroster induces some minor shudder.

Does this indicate that something's wrong with the alternator or that there's a grounding issue?

 

I have noticed a slight vibration that goes away when you shift to Neutral. I just did a basic tune up (K&N drop in, OEM Plugs, Belt) at 110k miles and it is significantly better. The idle is smoother and i am pretty sure i have not had the rough idle problem since my tune up. I'm sure there could be other causes such as temperature and load on the motor also, but If you haven't checked the basics you would be surprised what it can solve. I also cleaned the battery terminals and ground connections (Noticeable difference when starting the motor with clean connections!)

 

Could be a ball bearing in your transmission that is causing that vibration?

 

Hey guys.. I'm having this issue too. 04 TSX 5AT. I posted all about it here: https://www.ericthecarguy.com/forum/...smission#59277

And here-here:https://acurazine.com/forums/1g-tsx-2004-2008-124/04-tsx-rough-idle-transmisson-maybe-help-887366/

Did any of you ever get it fully resolved? My car is at 107K and I'm thinking its time for that big tune up.

 

I know this is a really old post, but I used your feedback here to try and figure out the problem with my girlfriend's car. She was experiencing the shudder (miss) at idle, especially with a load (a/c, in drive). If I shift to neutral and turn off the a/c it improves remarkably. Took it to O'Reillys and the code said "Cylinder 2 Misfire detected." It's the coil on cylinder 2 that failed. The 2.4L motor uses individual coils over the spark plugs. They're about $90-100 at local parts stores, $50-60 on eBay.

BTW the troubleshooting step to determine whether or not it was the coil was to switch coils between cylinders 1 & 2 and then unplug the injector in front of cylinder 1 (in my situation where 2 was bad and I switched it to 1). This way you don't have to reset the system to get a new fault code on the OBD-II sensor. When you unplug the injector in front of the cylinder that you suspect, there should be no change in the idle. If it's not the coil, the engine will idle noticeably worse when you cause an additional misfire. Make sense?

 

Try hitting the throttle. If the problem goes away with a bit of gas, my money is on a vacuum leak. Keep in mind vacuum is the highest while at idle.

 

My problem seemed to have fixed itself within a few days of making those threads. The roughness goes away when you revv the engine and turn off the AC, so I assumed it was a vacuum leak + the AC compressor. Everything is fine now. So glad it was a coil. haha.

 

Good to hear a happy ending. I have 254k miles on my RL.



How did the balance shaft change position? Belt skipped?