rob-2

So it seems that my motor has changed it's sound over the last 5-6k. It now sounds like a higher mileage motor when idling. On the highway or driving around this is not the case.

When in the car and idling the motor seems to be off balance. Like their is one cycl not firing properly. Because every so often the car feels a little rough, like the motor lightly jolts the car. It's really light, if I wasn't obsessed I wouldn't notice it and most people who I have sit in the car don't. You can't feel it when it's in gear.

Motor has 115k on it, new spark plugs and otherwise runs great.

Anything thoughts?

I'm thinking the high mileage idle sound is likely linked to the rougher then usual idle.

thisisnotdave

If its a tapping it could be that you need a valve adjustment. Theyre supposed to do it at 100k. Also you didnt mention you had your timing belt done yet. If not you should do that asap. Along with ur water pump and all other accesory belts. Doing it all together will save you some $ cuz the timing belt job requires most of the engine to be disassembled.

rob-2

Sorry, should have mentioned I had the 105K and 120k services done on the car. Including timing belt, water pump, valves, spark plugs, and have had the a/c belt replaced. Along with having the throttle body cleaned out last week.

No tapping noise. Almost feels like a highly tuned muscle car idle. You know where it's slightly rough but opens up great.

I suspect I might have one or more bad coils. But I don't know. They're $42/each so I'm not in a hurry to buy a bunch.

acutee

Check for anything that is abnormal. It could be somthing the mechanic didn't do it right. for 2nd gen engine, 105k is nothing unless you have 200k on it.

thisisnotdave

Lol what? How can you have 105k if you're up to 200k?

01tl4tl

Rough idle- I would suspect the EGR ports need cleaning- a normal thing for a TL with that mileage.
Remove intake manifold- clean out the 6 ports and wash out the inside of the manifold- reinstall
Total time 1.5 hours and a few cans of carb cleaner

If its a coil, they throw a misfire code- usually saying several coils are bad, when in fact its only 1.
You buy 1 coil and try it on each cylinder until prob fixed, again thats ONLY if you are getting a misfire code

And of course I have to say--- a Seafoam treatment will do wonders for engine performance and longevity. Having the internals clean is a baseline to start diagnosis and repair from

fsttyms1

A coil could be causing it, EGR blockage, and a motor mount could be causing it.

acutee

105k should still be as good as new, UNLESS you have 200k on the engine then maybe it starts showing its age...duh.

rob-2

Thanks, I'm going to look into cleaning the EGR ports. I don't see any mention of this in the service manual though. Wonder why Acura doesn't suggest cleaning?

BTW - is there any way to clean the EGR ports without doing work? Like an additive?

01tl4tl

No cleaners sorry- it requires removal of the intake manifold and some physical scrubbing of the ports/passages. We are talking CRUD not sludge
You find the procedure in the DIY Thermoblock install- egr cleaning
Acura does sugest it in the service bulletins, but not in the owner book
Normally the dealer would suggest this service at some point.
Its a good time to install a thermo spacer since the labor takes you right there!

rob-2

So I took it by my mechanic, who checked out the idle. He did notice that it was a little off but said it might be a clogged injector and did not recommend bothering with the EGR. He said the EGR is something you'd feel, say coming off teh freeway more then idling.

So I'm going to work on the car with a budy this weekend and get the EGR cleaned out ourselves.

Thoughts on this? Could my injectors be causing this?

FirePR2002

That's the spirit!

Seafoam in 1/4 tank of gas will clear that up in a hurry!

Can I get an "AMEN" from the crowd?

FirePR2002

injectors

01tl4tl

yep 1 can seafoam in the gas tank when its at about 4 gallons - the warning light comes on a 3 gallons-
You want super strength for this job
And do the intake manifold cleaning via vac port with seafoam too
THEN pull the manifold and clean the egr ports

Your guy is not a TL specialist-- not like the specific advice you can get here from TL owners.
The egr on our cars will be most noticable as a rough idle prob
Fix it, then go show him how well the car runs now~

01tl4tl

your guy is probably thinking egr valve failure which would be different that what really happens to us- crud buildup

rob-2

I dont mind putting the seafoam in the gas tank, I'm really uncomfortable with doing the vac port with seafoma. I know alot of people have good results, I'll just clean out the EGR port.

Am I just cleaning it with a rag and some carb cleaner?

fsttyms1

Id find a different mechanic. You will notice a EGR more at idle than coming off the hwy. Also its the EGR ports that need cleaning. There are TSBs on it at the dealer.

Try running injector cleaner for a few tanks. Also like i said, what you may be feeling may be caused by a bad motor mount. When was the last time they were replaced?

fsttyms1

no. you have to take the upper intake manifold off to clean every thing properly.

rob-2

I broke a mount about 30k ago, and the rough idle isn't the same feeling. I believe the mounts to be fine.

I dont know what TSB's are.

Currently running techron in my tank, will try some injector additives once I go for another fill up.

Can I mix additives in my tank?

fsttyms1

I was saying there are TSBs on it at the dealer mostly because you asked why it wasnt in the manual to do. Its not something that normally should need to but the TL likes to plug them up.
TSBs are service bulletins for the dealer to help resolve known issues. This is a known issue.

You broke 1, there are 5. They dont have a long life and would cause what you feel as a rough idle.

rob-2

You might be right, what I do know is my throttle body was very dirty and I suspect from the sounds of it the EGR ports are likely as dirty. All appears to be connected.

01tl4tl

techroline in chevrons gas is good- but is a maitenance dose only
Wait till you have 1/4 tank of gas and run a can of seafoam or your preferred injector cleaner in the gas. You want strong dose to clean- read the can carefully
Even chevron says if running their gas to add a bottle of techroline once a month!

TLer trash

Let's revisit the part about finding a new mechanic. If he has proven himself in the past, this is not a good reason to dump him. I know I'm being a little sensitive about this matter, but as an independent mechanic and shop owner, I think I understand his guy's logic. I would not be looking for plugged egr ports to fix a rough idle problem because there is no egr flow at idle. One exception to this would be if the egr valve sticks open or is held open with carbon. This condition commonly becomes apparent when you come to a stop after a trip at higher speeds. My guess is that the mechanic would prefer to start with likelier areas. I agree with using a strong dose of in tank fuel cleaner. Do it more than once if necessary. Ask your mechanic about bg44k fuel system cleaner. It's one of the stronger cleaners, and is often recommended on technician forums. The next step might be having a professional do an injector cleaning with concentrated cleaner hooked up to the fuel rail. Do as much as you can with the seafoam and egr passage threads. Don't be afraid to show him this website either! I have found a lot of good info on this and other forums that I couldn't find even on technician websites. That said, if he seems unwilling to even keep an open mind and have a look, I'd dump him! lol

rob-2

I wont be finding a new mech, this guys is really good. Honest and fair.

The techron I have in the gas is the purchased additive, it's alot stronger then the amount in their gas. No problem mixing that and seafoam?

fsttyms1

The only reason i said that was because a stuck EGR like you said would cause a rough idle and it wouldnt have to come of the hwy to be most apparent. Ive seen plenty (especially GM vehicles) just get stuck. Hell i had a 95 S10 V6 that had a EGR that liked to stick in the city and at stop lights made it sound and idle like a 502 BB with a huge cam in it.
I also agree to look into other things. It could be fuel injector related but doubtful. My guess would be a coil not working at the same efficiency as the others, or a motor mount causing him to feel more of the idle than before.

01tl4tl

a good mechanic KNOWS about YOUR type car- find a HONDA specilty shop and have them take care of you

TLer trash

Kris, I'm not sure by the tone of your post if I offended you in any way. If not let me have another shot at it! Just kidding! I too have a lot of experience with 4.3 egr problems. If I had a dollar for every one I did..... aahhh who's kidding who, I think I got close to a hundred for most of them. Anyway, let me refine the part about "after highway driving". I've never had an egr stick on anything I owned, but have fixed many for customers. Many described the problem as first occuring after coming off the highway. I never put a lot of thought into it until i read your reply. I had always thought it was due to high speed or hard acceleration on a car that normally got putzed around town. I doubt you fit that profile. The more I thought about it, I got to wondering if it just happened randomly and only became noticeable at the first stop. And in the case of 4.3l gm every stop from then on. Anyway I had 1 honda and some other non hondas where the egr valve or solenoid would stick only after a steady cruise, idle like crap, then unstick in a few seconds or after it cooled down. Kinda like gm torque convertor clutch solenoids used to do. In conclusion, I was only trying to defend op's mechanic based on my own experience.

wind'on'the'road

Gentlemen, just curious. On the Seafoam website, it said not to use the products on vehicles over 150k miles, anything else you guys recommends?
Thanks

rob-2

So my motor appears to be fine. It's just my pickiness that caused me to detect a 'rough' idle. All is well motor wise.

Will try seafoaming it later, got 116k on it.

fsttyms1

No i wasnt mad or anything, I was just trying to tell my thoughts on it.

Im not sure why it happens. Only thing i can think of is it has something to do with the heat and the carbon deposits coming loose and building up and causing it to not be able to close all the way???

01tl4tl

wind on
the website is referring to old clucker engines held together by crud
If your oil looks normal when changed- seafoam will not result in any problems
Our car likes clean pistons and valves and injectors- seafoam does that- so do several other products with varying results and cost.