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Hey my name is Juan and I have been coming to your videos for help on my 1993 Honda Civic. Recently I have been having some issues with idling. I have checked for air in the cooling system and even cleaned the Idle Air Control Valve that is located directly under my throttle body. I also cleaned the throttle body with carb cleaner and screwed down the mechanism that lets the air in, all the way down but loosened it a bit and installed it back but my idle now seems to sit at 1000rpm-1200rpm. So when my idle jumps it goes from 1000rpm-1500rpm. Also when I give the car gas the rpm’s raise then drop below 1000rpm to almost sounding like the car will shut off like its choking or something. I just noticed that my muffler needs to be replaced for the reason that the pipping that connects to the muffler it self has cracks and can now move in and out of the muffler inlet. Would that cause my idle issues? I have not taken off the Fast Idle Air Control Valve that sits on the intake manifolds front towards the firewall. This is the valve that has the screen in it and only has two bolts that hold it in place. Should I take that off and clean that? What should I check and or do first? Thank You for your time and hope to hear back from you soon.
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I did mess with the base idle screw but it doesnt matter if i totally unscrew it the rpm’s stay at 1000rpm it isnt untill i apply pressure to the throttle body mechanism to give it more gas but i turn it to let less air in and that when the rpm’s drop. No check engine light. My coolant is full and no air. I guess the only thing left to do is a tune up, search for vacuum leaks, do a ecu idle learn reset, and well replace my muffler as mentioned previously. Do you think my muffler being shot would have anything to do with my idle? Before I messed with the screw on the idle air control valve that has the wax pellete my rpm’s were around 500-800rpm. What if I unscrew the wax pellete to about half way from fully tight to really loose? I understand the tighter means less air but its worth a shot.
^Perhaps I misunderstood. If the Idle Bypass Screw or the ‘base idle screw’ the one factory sealed, etc? That is the same one to me, AFAIK. If that was NOT ever touched, no don’t touch that. I’ll re-read some of your posts and update later.
Im going to picknpull soon to pull some parts for my car and autozone to pick up a throttle body gasket just in case because the one I have looks cheap and ugly now. @HBVX: R u sure im not supposed to adjust the air bypass screw (which is directly on the throttle body itself) along with disconnecting some connections like you said.
see if this link helps you get your base idle backC8-)
^What he said…in short.
Yes, follow THAT step by step procedure, but only IF you or anyone else has fooled with the screw before.
Yes I am sure you are not suppose to adjust the base idle screw.
By suggestion I’m going to post my idle speech along with a couple of video links that I hope will help if your having problems with your Honda’s idle. First I’ll give you the link to the Solving Honda Idle Problems video, please remember that adjusting the FITV is the LAST step in the process and you need to back it off at least 1/2 turn after it bottoms out or it will not start properly when cold.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L788jKEVblYThe Bleeding a Cooling System Videohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUp … =relmfuThe video response to the Honda Idle videohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMj … onseLastly here is the “Idle Speech”There are a lot of things that can contribute to an idle issue, in fact in the end it may still be there to some degree because of the nature of a 4 cylinder engine however here are some things to start with.First start with a good tune up, use NGK or Nippon Denso plugs, don’t change the wires if they are OE, if they aren’t OE you might consider NGK wires as they are very good and less expensive then OE. A quality cap and rotor should be good. A new air filter also helps.Don’t change the PCV valve, if you see an aftermarket PCV valve in there put a Honda in, believe it or not I’ve seen idle issues caused by aftermarket PCV valves, the OE’s last just about forever so you can easily justify the expense.Next a good valve adjustment, this goes a long way to smooth out the idle if done correctly, mess it up and things can get a lot worse though.While you have the valve cover off check the timing belt tension, if you feel a lot of slack this can cause the cam to ‘chunk’ as it spins causing a rough idle. If you think the belt has been on there for some time then you might consider changing it and resetting the tension properly, if it’s not ready for replacement you can reset the tension to take up the slack.DO NOT adjust the idle screw under any circumstances, it is set at the factory and that is the reason it was sealed in the first place. If you find that the seal has been broken and you have a low idle and you have done all of the above then you might turn the screw out a little to see if that helps the idle but only enough to try and bring it back to where it was before it was adjusted in the first place.Last clean the screen in the Idle Air Control valve, this can get clogged up with carbon over time and cause the flow through it to be restricted which can cause idle issues.If you still have a ‘rough’ idle after all of this THEN look to the engine mounts as you want to be sure the engine is running correctly before you go for those as the one in the back is a real pain to replace.I hope this info is helpful as I get a TON of questions about Honda idle problems, thanks for reading.Thanks guys for all your help so far. I looked at my base screw on the throttle body and it doesn’t have a seal or paint so I am assuming it was previously messed with from the previous owners. I just bought some NGK Platinum spark plugs and wireset because that wireset that is currently on my car arent lookin good. I also bought a thermostat, throttle body gasket. When i take off the throttle body to install the new gasket i will clean the throttle body again if it needs cleaning. If all of this still doesnt smooth out the throttle, then I guess I would be forced to mess with the throttle base screw to control the idle right? In the case that I need to do this to lower my rpm’s from about 1000rpm to about 7rpm or so does it affect my engine in any negative ways? Tightening the base screw means less air or what is its function? I am noobish so I dont want anyone to feel as if they arent giving me the correct advice or answers because I may simply have just not done everything correctly as far as like for example check absolutely all hoses for vacuum leaks. Thank you all for your input.
^Perhaps, as you have verified it could have been tampered with since the factory seal is already gone AND since you exhausted all other relative things, minus perhaps electrical or a strange issue that isn’t being talked about yet.
First, check the screen on the IACV, is it clean? Does tapping on the IACV with the end of a screwdriver while the idle is hanging at 1,000 RPM seem to change anything? Try checking the IACV out again in a similar fashion, see what the base idle is on the RPMs AFTER you reach operating temp; cooling fan comes on at least once etc, (FSM recommends a tachometer for accuracy) and then disconnect the IACV plug, shut off the car and then restart and hold RPMs at 1,000 ironically then slowly relax the throttle until it idles without stalling on it’s own. If it stalls, the fast idle valve isn’t controlling idle while at operating temperature if all other things are working(AFAIK, such as relative ambient and coolant temps, etc). If you stall or have the RPMs still hang high with the IACV’s electrical harness unplugged on the restart, you can ‘probably’ safely assume the base idle screw is maladjustment, GIVEN that you bled the system for air, check the IACV again, etc.
If you had an ohmmeter you might be able to check that your engine grounds at all reading close to 0(1 or more is a bad ground, AFAIK)?
I do know if you adjust the base idle screw you will NEED to follow the Factory Service Manual STEP BY STEP or it could be a pain. The link college man posted has the correct image from the FSM regarding the procedure for checking/resetting the base idle.
After that, if it still remains hanging up you can look elsewhere or if there is something else relative to this perhaps a more experience Honda tech can comment.
I guess in 1993 they were using OBD I. Did you check to see if there were any diagnostic codes that might point to a solution? The last idle problem I had was caused by a bad coolant temp sensor….
Does anyone know the spark plug firing order from the distributor? Pictures would be great thank you.
I’m fairly certain the firing order is 1-3-4-2. Picture from the FSM that covers 92-95, just find your distributor’s orientation relative to cylinder 1(that is the biggest thing) and remember the order starts from 1 and goes clockwise facing the cap/distributor itself (if you can identify which 1 is your longest wire to cylinder 1, cyl3 will be the 2nd shortest wire, cyl 4 will be the shortest, and finally 2 will be the next longest wire).
Well guys here is a list of what I recently checked for again on my car and new parts I put in and some I havent yet put in:
Checked Again
1. Vacuum Leaks
2.Air in the cooling system/coolant level
3. My timing
4.IACV screen is clean
5.All hoses are connectedNew Parts
1.Spark Plugs (My old spark plugs werent in bad shape at all but I figured id replace them anyways I didnt know what their health was because it was the previous owner who installed them).
2. Spark Plug wireset
3. Installed my new muffler and its sweet!!!!New Parts that have not been installed yet:
1.Throttle Body gasket
2. Spark Plug tube seals (for the reason that when I took out the old spark plugs they had a bit of oil on them which I know there not supposed to be but I am figuring its because my seals are weak??????
3. Thermostat/GasketResults as of today: Since my air bypass screw on the throttle body has been messed with previously (im guessing because there is no factory seal or paint) I turned the screw clock wise (to the right) and it calmed down my rpm’s (before doing this I followed the correct rules to set your idle: had to unplug an electrical connection to the IACV that is on the intake manifold and when rpm were good> shut off car> pulled ECU fuse out waited 5 min>reconnected the IACV connection and put the ECU fuse back in and well my car is runnin smooth as can be now) I also checked my timing with timing gun and adjusted via distributor. I am not saying that the scew was the problem or that its 100% totally fixed but as of now my car is running as it should. I appreciate all your guys input and help and hope this thread will help other people with the same issue. Thank You guys again. And if you have any comments,questions, concerns, or more advice feel free to post.
Awesome awesome awesome.
And Eric’s point is still valid, don’t touch a SEALED screw because of situations like this: having to re-find that factory default idle again later.
Post any updates, including good or bad!
By the way, was there oil on the spark plug THREADS into the engine or seated on top of the plugs by the spark plug wire boots to the plugs? If on top, then yes the tube seals need to be done, and you may choose to get a valve cover gasket job done at this time.
If I can choose, I prefer Fel-Pro’s offering for Civic valve cover gaskets(their kits with tube seals, all VCG seals). So, if it is leaking at all from the VCG, go ahead and get a kit. Should only be $20-$30, even for Fel Pro around $30, IIRC.
Thanks for the update. Now, if only I could fix my idle problem! ROFL!!!
The spark plugs were oily on top and bottom. But not like I pulled one out and it was dripping oil if that makes sense they had oil on them should of took a pic of them. But see this is the thing the head cover gasket I installed along with the tube seals have no more more than about 6 or 8 months. The VCG is perfectly fine no leaks but the seals suck…..And ill keep the Fel Pro in mind. My kit does come with a one year warranty so Ill just take em back to autozone and ill ask how much is the difference for fel pro. I put a bottle of CRC Guaranteed to Pass in my gas tank with a full tank of gas, im looking to get it smogged after I have to refill the tank and hopefully itll pass. Fingers crossed
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