98 Civic Stumble, Hesitation when cold (only lasting 10-15 seconds)... help appreciated!

Hey guys
I have a 98 civic, lately ive been noticing when driving on a cold
engine, at some point within the first 5 minutes the car will stumble
or hesitate idle and almost die... this only seems to happen on a cold
engine, or if I let the car sit a few hours. This also only happens
for about 10-15 seconds and then the car seems fine afterwards. It
happens both on the fly or sometimes when I'm stopped.

Its almost like the car is misfiring or in some way not getting gas.
But it only happens at one time (so far anyways) when the car is cold
for a very short period.

I would like to fix this problem before it becomes worse...each day
seems to be getting a little worse.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

85miles > wrote in news:1190313579.046801.223120
@o80g2000hse.googlegroups.com:

> Hey guys
> I have a 98 civic, lately ive been noticing when driving on a cold
> engine, at some point within the first 5 minutes the car will stumble
> or hesitate idle and almost die... this only seems to happen on a cold
> engine, or if I let the car sit a few hours. This also only happens
> for about 10-15 seconds and then the car seems fine afterwards. It
> happens both on the fly or sometimes when I'm stopped.
>
> Its almost like the car is misfiring or in some way not getting gas.
> But it only happens at one time (so far anyways) when the car is cold
> for a very short period.
>
> I would like to fix this problem before it becomes worse...each day
> seems to be getting a little worse.
>
> Any help would be greatly appreciated.
>
>


Check head gasket.

--
Tegger

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

85miles wrote:
> Hey guys
> I have a 98 civic, lately ive been noticing when driving on a cold
> engine, at some point within the first 5 minutes the car will stumble
> or hesitate idle and almost die... this only seems to happen on a cold
> engine, or if I let the car sit a few hours. This also only happens
> for about 10-15 seconds and then the car seems fine afterwards. It
> happens both on the fly or sometimes when I'm stopped.
>
> Its almost like the car is misfiring or in some way not getting gas.
> But it only happens at one time (so far anyways) when the car is cold
> for a very short period.
>
> I would like to fix this problem before it becomes worse...each day
> seems to be getting a little worse.
>
> Any help would be greatly appreciated.
>
how long since the distributor cap was last replaced? i'd check that
and the ignition parts in general.

85miles wrote:
> Hey guys
> I have a 98 civic, lately ive been noticing when driving on a cold
> engine, at some point within the first 5 minutes the car will stumble
> or hesitate idle and almost die... this only seems to happen on a cold
> engine, or if I let the car sit a few hours. This also only happens
> for about 10-15 seconds and then the car seems fine afterwards. It
> happens both on the fly or sometimes when I'm stopped.
>
> Its almost like the car is misfiring or in some way not getting gas.
> But it only happens at one time (so far anyways) when the car is cold
> for a very short period.
>
> I would like to fix this problem before it becomes worse...each day
> seems to be getting a little worse.
>
> Any help would be greatly appreciated.
>
==================================

I'd fill the reservoir to the MAX mark and watch if for three days. If
it drops, fill it again until it stops. I think you have AIR in your
cooling system. If the symptom persists, get the valves adjusted.

Has it ever stalled at a stop light during the warm-up cycle?

'Curly'

marco > wrote in :


>
> Platinum plugs are meant to be used for like 3% or 4% of your car's
> life. They are good for cleaning the carbon out of cylinders.
>
> If the engine is already clean of carbon, then the platinum will cause
> pre-detonation.
>
> Platinum is a catalyst. In effect, it accelerates the burning of
> hydrocarbons. Carbon deposits on pistons and valves in the cylinder
> will be burned off by the platinum on Platinum plugs.
>
> When the engine is clean, the platinum becomes a demon.
>
> I learned this the hard way. Extra platinum leads to piston holes.
>



I have no idea where you got all this from, but it's all nonsense.

Platinum is used on spark plug electrodes primarily because it resists
erosion, thus leading to longer electrode life.

It is NOT used on plugs for the purposes of combusting hydrocarbons.

You are confusing the functions of platinum on spark plugs with the
platinum used in catalytic converters. Same metal, different operating
environment and different effects.

If you put holes in your pistons at some point, you had /major/
detonation problems that were due to excessively advanced ignition
timing, or a very lean mixture. The plugs had zero to do with it.

--
Tegger

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

Tegger wrote:
<snip crap>
>
> I have no idea where you got all this from, but it's all nonsense.
>
> Platinum is used on spark plug electrodes primarily because it resists
> erosion, thus leading to longer electrode life.
>
> It is NOT used on plugs for the purposes of combusting hydrocarbons.
>
> You are confusing the functions of platinum on spark plugs with the
> platinum used in catalytic converters. Same metal, different operating
> environment and different effects.
>
> If you put holes in your pistons at some point, you had /major/
> detonation problems that were due to excessively advanced ignition
> timing, or a very lean mixture. The plugs had zero to do with it.
>
why did you respond? that guy is either a fruit loop or a troll.
either way, he's beyond help and should only be ignored.

marco > wrote in :

>
> I got most of it from a mechanic who preached on about the hazards of
> using platinum plugs,



He's not too knowledgeable if he's preaching that.



> and the only reason I believed the guy is
> because he solved my problem by replacing my platinum plugs with OEM
> plugs.



Spark strength is a function of the coil, not of the platinum in the
plugs. Platinum plugs cannot make a big fat spark from a weak coil
signal.

If the platinum plugs were NOT of OEM specification, there arises the
possibility that they were of the wrong heat range. If they were too hot
for the combustion chamber's characteristics, they may begin to glow,
causing pre-ignition and excessive pressures.


>
> I had spent a couple hundred bucks replacing plug wires, distributor,
> etc.. to no avail. I even replaced the platinum plugs with new
> platinum plugs.
>
> Same symptoms as the OP, but in my case, the engine would occasionally
> stop so hard that I went through 2 timing belts, and the
> timing(distributor and belt) were exactly where they were supposed to
> be.. If the fuel mixture in the cylinder fires early, before the
> piston reaches the top... you tell me?



Timing was way off, I'll bet. Did you check the timing with a timing
light? A visual inspection of the distributor is not accurate enough.
Just a few degrees excessive advance can cause severe engine problems.



>
> So, I got fed up and took it to the mechanic..
>
>
> At any rate.. Even if I guilty of passing an urban myth,



You are, unfortunately. I could not let this nonsense pass, lest others
be tempted to believe it.



I do know
> that $4.50 worth of spark plugs (plus $25 labor) saved my engine and
> my sanity. Apparently, I don't know *exactly* why that is.
>


Likely because you replaced plugs that were the wrong heat range with
ones that were correct, plus the timing probably was reset properly with
a timing light.

--
Tegger

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

jim beam > wrote in
t:

> Tegger wrote:
> <snip crap>
>>
>> I have no idea where you got all this from, but it's all nonsense.
>>
>> Platinum is used on spark plug electrodes primarily because it resists
>> erosion, thus leading to longer electrode life.
>>
>> It is NOT used on plugs for the purposes of combusting hydrocarbons.
>>
>> You are confusing the functions of platinum on spark plugs with the
>> platinum used in catalytic converters. Same metal, different operating
>> environment and different effects.
>>
>> If you put holes in your pistons at some point, you had /major/
>> detonation problems that were due to excessively advanced ignition
>> timing, or a very lean mixture. The plugs had zero to do with it.
>>
> why did you respond? that guy is either a fruit loop or a troll.
> either way, he's beyond help and should only be ignored.


I responded in the hopes of preventing anybody from believing such
silliness.

--
Tegger

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/