Hi Scotty, I wonder if you can help me fix this old 1996 Honda Accord EX2.2L VTECH that go from running fine to stalling. Running scan several time with cheap ELM bluetooth device, it doesn't show any engine fault code. Following is the detail of the stalling issue,
First time stalling, it was like engine misfired, and give it gas it was going but the tachometer kept bouncing up and down like it was about to stall. Stop at the parking lot and found that spark plug wire #1 to the distributor came off. Stuck it back into the distributor and it worked fine again, and occasionally, a misfire started to appear more and more. When on park, the engine will run fine for while and once it started to stall and give it some gas, it will run as long as you give it gas and rev it up -- tachometer jump sometimes about to stall -- and as long as you rev up the engine - it will be okay and back to normal again. Please help.
Thank you,
Tylor
I want to add a little history for that. Two weeks ago before that stalling happen, the battery was swapped. While the new battery was swapped, we accidentally short the positive and negative once, it created a quick spark. I wonder if that could have caused this stalling.
Oops, on the electrical issues. That well could it be, screwing up something in the ECM.
Having said that, it sounds like the car is running lean (hence the need for more gas). It could be a restricted fuel filter. It could be some sort of manifold or evap leak. It could be an issue with an electrical relay or a ground wire. It could be a bad O2 sensor. And so forth . . .
Before you throw parts at it, get it diagnosed at a shop that specializes in diagnostics. (A visual inspection plus running enhanced diagnostics and live data should be useful). You can decide what to do once you have an ACCURATE diagnosis.
How do you find such a shop, whether where you live or elsewhere? What will distinguish a strong "diagnostic" shop from a shop with a reputation for good mechanics or "they do good work"?
Generally, here are the differences between a shop with a diagnostic mentality as opposed to one with a merchant mentality. A shop with a diagnostic mentality won't have a price list, won't quote over the phone, will charge for diagnosis, and doesn't offer up unneeded services or push products. I'm in a semi-rural area, so I look closely at Google Reviews and Yelp. I look not for "nice guy" or "menu pricing" but things such as the stories people tell about how the mechanics go about their business. I try to stay away from shops that quote "book" prices (typical prices for work, regardless of how long it would take) and go to those that are strictly time-based. I'd stay away from those who merely are parts changers. And I'd want a guarantee that their solution will be the right one, the first time. (No maybes or guessing on my dime). Here's two articles from AgcoAuto, in Baton Rouge (which is where I'd go if I lived in Louisiana) on the subject:
http://www.agcoauto.com/content/news/p2_articleid/39
http://www.agcoauto.com/content/news/p2_articleid/310
