About to go insane!

6533 Views 29 Replies 9 Participants Last post by higguns, Mar 15, 2007

WannaBe

Discussion Starter · Mar 10, 2007

Ok, I just had my engine replaced by a local guy that i know and i had him put in a new centerforce clutch when he installed my engine. I understand that there my be some smoke and junk at first while it gets broken in but i have a hard time reving the engine over 3000-4000 rpm, the car starts to jerk and shimmy a lot and then it almost dies before catching again and it will idle fine for a while and then almost die, rinse wash and repeat...and i have no idea why that would be...any ideas? Also just how much smoke is normal when you first swap out an engine?

A little background info on the engine: the engine is a newer import engine but the electrical wiring is from the original one. We took of the carb from the import and put on the PMFI that was on the older engine. The car had been sitting around for about two years when i bought it and it still has some of the same gas in the tank along with some fresh gas but should i just drain the tank anyway?

Baldy :help:

1 - 20 of 30 Posts

SETI20

· #2 · Mar 10, 2007

The engine should not smoke -at all-.
That could happen is that the exhaust is burning the old oil from the other engine....if it was smoking and leaking.

zulued

· #3 · Mar 11, 2007

what year and model is your car?

is the check engine light on, ecu red light flashing?

scarponze

WannaBe

Discussion Starter · #4 · Mar 11, 2007

it's an '88 DX and for the most part the lights are on only when i start it, not when I rev the engine...

Angry

· #5 · Mar 11, 2007

So the check engine light doesnt always stay on? Only when running the motor up?
Take a look at your ECU and see if the little window has a light blinking behind it.

90crxhf_w/ZC

· #6 · Mar 11, 2007

i just fixed that problem in my car, it is the ignitor in the dizzy. i have extras that are good

i went 4 months trying to figure out what that was. and is the ignitor i promice.

90crxhf_w/ZC

· #7 · Mar 11, 2007

the ignitor was the reving problem

i didnt specify in my first post

sorry!

WannaBe

Discussion Starter · #8 · Mar 13, 2007

The ECU is flashing but the check engine light is intermittent at best so I'm not sure exactly what it is trying to tell me...also when you pull back on the throttle hard by hand it revs well but I get a high pitched squeal to go along with it. I replaced the fuel filter and drained all of the gas but I am still running into the same issue...other than that everything seems to work fine, no problem...just happens to be that this is a huge problem for me!

An '88 Si with a 1.5L, PGM-FI - newer engine and old PGM-FI from previous engine. Not sure if it would be vacuume hose leaks or what...I will admit that I am totally lost! Not that that is new or anything!

Baldy

90crxhf_w/ZC

· #9 · Mar 13, 2007

ok do you have a intake cuz the squeel could be from the intake whistle. or a belt that is lose.

and ok when your ecu is flashing get down there and then turn on your key and count the flashes

then write them down.

go on to google and type in honda acura engine codes or somthing like that and you will be able to you what codes they are

if you already have counted the codes what are they i know alot of them so i will be able to help you out.

WannaBe

Discussion Starter · #10 · Mar 13, 2007

how quickly and how often do the codes repeat themselves? When i looked at it the first time i got confused because it looked like it was about to explode it was blinking so quickly and didn't seem to be stopping...maybe it was just running through every code in the book because it's all screwed up!!

90crxhf_w/ZC

· #11 · Mar 13, 2007

ok it will blink fast for one code then it will have a little pause between each code

like this -****--*****--**** then it will repeat its self

the stars are blinks of the ecu and that is code 4 and code 5 that you see

its easy just study it and it could blink up to like 18 times 15 times and over agian just study and figure it out its simple

WannaBe

Discussion Starter · #12 · Mar 13, 2007

Ok, in that case i'll look at it in about two hours and let you know what it is trying to tell me...thank you so much for your help, i really appreciate it!

Baldy

90crxhf_w/ZC

· #13 · Mar 13, 2007

yeah anytime man just let me know how its going

dohcrxl

· #14 · Mar 14, 2007

WannaBe said:
A little background info on the engine: the engine is a newer import engine but the electrical wiring is from the original one. We took of the carb from the import and put on the PMFI that was on the older engine.

WannaBe said:
it's an '88 DX and for the most part the lights are on only when i start it, not when I rev the engine...

WannaBe said:
An '88 Si with a 1.5L, PGM-FI - newer engine and old PGM-FI from previous engine.

Chances are we can probably figure out what's wrong with your car as long as we know what car and what fuel injection system we're dealing with.

First, can you tell us if you have 2 or 4 injectors?

Next, turn the key to the number 3 or "on" position and then count the flashes on the ECU. The codes (flashing sequences) repeat over and over so watch it over and over til you've confirmed a repeating pattern.
We'll go from there.

p.s. If your car wasn't jerking before the swap and you switched over all of the same ignition components from your old engine, do not have your sights set on the problem being the ignitor. I suppose it's possible that the ignitor was already on its last leg but most times when work is done to a car then all of a sudden there is a new problem, it is because the work wasn't done right.

WannaBe

Discussion Starter · #15 · Mar 14, 2007

The body is from an Si, i only found that out from the VIN. it has a 1.5L, PGM-FI in it...Does the engine have to be running for the ECU to flash it's codes? I tried to get it started up tonight but i couldn't even get it to go. It turns over pretty well, not super well and will almost catch and then not...I really do appreciate all of your help. This is our second car and it's going to get dicey once my wife gets a job so i do need to get it running and also to justify to my wife spending so much on it to get it up and usable...she is not too happy with the amount of dough put into it!!! thank you again all!!!

Baldy

jfrolang

· #16 · Mar 14, 2007

The engine doesn't have to be running to get codes but the key will need to be in the on position.

WannaBe

Discussion Starter · #17 · Mar 14, 2007

From what i remember there wasn't anything flashing but i will check again tomorrow, i thought that the engine had to running so i wasn't paying that much attention but i will get the codes tomorrow! thanks again!

Baldy

WannaBe

Discussion Starter · #18 · Mar 14, 2007

I went out this morning and turned it to the 'on' position but nothing came up on the ECU. It seems that when it is in the 'on' position everything seems fine, it is only when it is running that there is an issue. I will go home and video tape how it sounds and what the RPM gauge is doing and then throw a link in here to help you all understand my incoherent ramblings!

Baldy

90crxhf_w/ZC

· #19 · Mar 14, 2007

is the key turned far enough because it should be on to the point where all the lights come on on the dash like the check engine light, battery light ect.?

WannaBe

Discussion Starter · #20 · Mar 14, 2007

All the lights on the dash come on, it's one before ignition...here are two links that may help better to explain what is going on...

I just replaced the fuel filter and the washers that came with the new one are thicker than the old ones and i can't get the screw to go all the way down...and i think that is another issue....

1 - 20 of 30 Posts

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