Firstly I dunno what's going on, but I certainly do know that a CEL shouldn't come on EVERY single time I hit VTEC. It's been 4 months since I've had this car and I'm surprised that this is actually occurring, maybe I'm being pessimistic but w.e. But like I stated it really boggles my mind why the CEL comes on, sometimes it stays on for days and then others it just flashes then turns off. Once when it came on I went to my friends shop and we used his ODB(dunno if its I or II) scanner and saw that the code was a Cylinder 1 misfire - no clue what could cause that to happen but after it was cleared it didnt come back on until last month when I started driving the car again (bought it when it had 85,000 it has 869XX now).

Secondly whenever I drive in tip tronic if I shift down from 3rd into 2nd I get a really hard jerk to the point where it feels something like someone doing a neutral drop in a automatic car. Again dont know what gives.

Lastly, for the past week whenever i start the car it doesn't crank on the first try. The dash and lights and everything flicker on and off and the engine tries to turn over but nothing. So i shut it off, and then try again and it turns on as if nothing ever happened.

I'm not sure how Acura's warranty is (3 year 100,000?). It's a 2004 NBP with 87,000km and I really don't want to pay the stealership a lot to get it sorted out and my extended warranty works in a way such that they "reimburse" me for the repairs made IF they are covered - dont ask it sounds shady already I know.

 

I would avoid Vtec unless you really need it.(merging into the highway is a good time to use it, other than that, I don't see a reason why you should hit it so often. my way of taking your text is that you like to drive aggresively.) You shoudl try toning it down so the problem doesn't get even worse. Go get it checked out.

 

Do the following:
Check the battery, it is probably failing if it's an 04.
Check the engine Air Filter
Are you runing premium fuel?
Seafoam the car, it will help with 86K on it.
Also check the oil

 

TEST Battery condition- voltage- abilty to hold charge against load-
An 04 is due for a battery based on age. 3 years and they are history-
if yours is weak - it wont want to start and will run like crap

Misfire codes- if not false code from weak battery- are usually an ignition coil goes bad.
Driving it aggressivley ask more from those parts than normal
Your spark plugs are probably worn too
NGK Iridium is the stock plug, and the replacement of choice by many

 

at what rpm are you downshifting?-
thats reallllly hard on the KNOWN weak point in the trans.
An 04 is no better than a gen2 with its woes. Abusing it will only wear it out faster
The actual plates that make up the clutches- there is not enough room inside the trans case- to fit enough of them to handle the power these cars are getting more of each year!!

Driving Tips
BRAKES are for slowing the car- they are relativly cheap compared to a $4000 transmission failure, rebuild cost at trans shop $2800

Transmission downshifting is to be in the correct gear to accellerate off the corner at the apex -on the torque band and grabbing asphalt.

If that sentance doesnt make sense to you- stop downshifting!!!! until you learn about the car and its systems
The owner book list max upshift and downshift speeds, and done correctly requires a slight blip of the throttle to raise the revs-- to match the trans speed for smooth shift

 

always premium, i'll check the filters, oil was changed last month

downshift at about 2000-2500 rpm
upshift at 3000rpm

2nd gear under 104km/h which is the ballpark where I'm near -> roughly at 35km/h when shifting into 2nd

thanks i'll check those as well

 

I think you need to read this TSB for your check engine light problem.

http://www.in.honda.com/Rjanisis/pubs/SB/B03-033.PDF