low RPM power loss

[vietNSeXy]

So~
The battery is all nice and clean. I took off the coil covers and discovered some thing strange. The rubber seals on them were on the bottom of each side. The one closest to the seats said RR with the seal close to the ground and the one close to the tail lights said FR with the seal on the bottom.

The coils also were strange. The ones closest to the seats said FR, FR, RR and the ones by the tail lights said RR, RR, FR.

The cross brace I think was on backwards too. It has an arrow on it with a FR and it was pointing to the tail lights.

Anyway, the coil on the tail lights side closest to the drivers rear tire looks all rusty and when I pulled it out it was damp! The spark plug was too! The others on the tail light side looked fine. As it stands right now they are all out.

So, how do I test the coils? Should I buy all new spark plugs? Should I let it sit and dry overnight then put it all back together?
Help! I want it to work today and parts is open until 4!!! :frown:


EDIT: Coils all read 1.4-1.6. Just bought all new sparks. ill let you know!!

 

[vietNSeXy]

OK! All new spark plugs and the coil is all clean and the water evaporated. Battery cleaned up and main relay replaced.
90% of the problem is gone.

At idle it seems to miss every now and again and under acceleration it cuts out and then back in really quickly. I am thinking the ignition switch or Fuel Resistor from reading this thread: http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=109987 or the O2's from reading this thread: http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=104320&highlight=02+sensors . Ideas?

 

[KooLaid]

Damn! You go girl! Hey, think you can change my plugs next??? lol Seriously I'm well overdue to have my plugs changed. They've been sitting in my trunk now for a LONG time. lol

As for the rusty coil, it always happens to the coils sitting on the side of the engine towards the back. Water gets in from the rear engine vent and sneaks past the plastic cover that goes over the coils because the foam around the plastic piece goes bad.

You should of swapped the parts out one at a time to diagnose it better. Takes alot longer but you make REALLY GOOD progress. I'm STILL dragging butt on fixing my bad ground connection. *sigh* find me your long lost twin so she can fix my nsx too! :biggrin:

BTW show is sunday, not today.

 

[davidf]

^^^^+1. This has got to be the coolest chick ever. It's sounds she enjoys working on it. I give the girl huge props.:wink:

 

[SexyRed]

You need to consider changing the rear (tail light) coil covers gasket. This is the cause of your damp coil. I always try to avoid showing the the rear window garnish when washing the car.

Danny

 

[KooLaid]

I always run my motor up to normal operating temps after I wash mine. Sometimes I take it out for a spin for a while after the wash too. Helps evaporate that water away with engine heat. I've never actually looked at my coils though, lol.

I also just noticed that it appears that your positive battery terminal has some RED paint on it. The typical one you buy from Kragen. Make sure that there is NO PAINT where the cable makes contact with the terminal and where it clamps onto the battery post. Sometimes those terminals are ENTIRELY painted red from the factory. Should be bare metal to bare metal, no plastic or metal in the way.

 

[vietNSeXy]

Car still has the problem, but I havent had a chance to do any of the other tests yet.
Were you in Modesto yesterday? I saw a red NSX parked off of Sisk Road.

 

[KooLaid]

Don't think you're asking me since my car is in my sig lol.

Ok so bring us back up to speed. What is it doing NOW and what have you done?

 

[Larry Bastanza]

http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=104320&highlight=02+sensors

Follow Post#5

Regards,
LarryB

 

[KooLaid]

How about this for ironic. My car started up drove GREAT this morning. It sat in the parking lot from 8am till 12:30pm. It developed a BAD miss sometime while it sat parked. It'd idle ok for 30 seconds or so then, POP!, idle, POP. When I drive it, it sounds like a different motor, like it's not firing on all cylinders, similiar to the WRX with an exhaust @ all rpms from idle to 4k and any gear(didn't take it any higher). Guess I'll be pulling my coils and plugs this evening :frown:

BTW, no CEL

 

[vietNSeXy]

http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=104320&highlight=02+sensors

Follow Post#5

Regards,
LarryB

I unplugged both strappy thingies you told me to from your post and drove the car and the engine check light came on straight away. I drove it but it is still doing the same thing! It feels like not all the cylinders are firing. It cuts in and out really quickly. I can hear a hiccup in the idle. It sounds the same as Koolaid above.
New plugs, checked the coils, replaced the main relay and cleaned the battery terminals.
HELP ME!!! :frown:

 

[damthatbeaver]

Take her in immediately!! My baby was miss-firing...I knew it was not running on all cylinders...ended up being 3 hung valves...maybe your valves need to be adjusted? These are strong engines...bad plugs cause problems...or plugs that are coming loose (yes...it happens - and one of mine was coming loose!) something is definately wrong...and it will be an easy cure...so take her to an NSX specialist!

Dam

 

[KooLaid]

I unplugged both strappy thingies you told me to from your post and drove the car and the engine check light came on straight away. I drove it but it is still doing the same thing! It feels like not all the cylinders are firing. It cuts in and out really quickly. I can hear a hiccup in the idle. It sounds the same as Koolaid above.
New plugs, checked the coils, replaced the main relay and cleaned the battery terminals.
HELP ME!!! :frown:

I couldn't unplug mine. The O2 sensor plugs were stuck pretty darn good.

I checked my coils, each one came out to 1.4 ohms. They all look clean and brand new, with the exception of the one in the rear cylinder head, right hand end/passenger side. That one looked kinda sooty, black moist residue. It also had the worst rust on the metal mounting holes of the coil. It still read 1.4 like the rest though. Upper gaskets were intact on the coil covers.

I haven't had a chance to pull the plugs since I don't have the proper size plug socket. I'm going to TRY to find time tomorrow to inspect and replace them.

I know I need to do the O2 sensor check still.

Craziness, we live 30 minutes apart in about the exact same climate and all of a sudden, within days apart, end up with the same problem. This backfiring is ANNOYING.

After I change plugs because I need to any how I'm going to:
1) Test run - if not solved
2) Disconnect 02 sensors
3) Test run - if not solved
4) Reconnect O2 sensors, check air filter, clean throttle body, and whatever that tube/pipe/passage is for idle
5) Test run - if not solved
6) CRY because I can't afford to bring it in

Please guide us Larry!

BTW, even with the problem:
idle is constant @ just a hair about 1k rpm, doesn't waver up and down, stays constant and then it goes pop! backfire
Oil on dipstick looks like oil, NOT mocha
Need to check coolant level still

 

[Larry Bastanza]

Sounds like it is time to find out which cylinder is missing. So one at a time disconnect the connector for each coil. If you disconnect a wire and nothing changes, that is the misfiring cylinder.

Once you find that swap the parts between cylinders and see how/if the symptom moves. If it does not move, compression test is in order.

HTH,
LarryB

 

[vietNSeXy]

Larry, do you think it could be one of 3 things that fail? I have been readign that the main relay, the other fuel thingy on the passenger side up against the glass and the ignition thing under the steering wheel all fail often. I have only replaced the main relay.
Some one else said the fuel pump too.

 

[KooLaid]

If you are seriously looking into checking your pressure gauge, this set should work:
B&M 46054 Fuel Pressure Gauge

Prime member Hugh has it on his nsx, and spent about $30 on it. Mounts directly on top of the fuel filter and to the right of the fuel "thingy" mounted on the brace against the passenger side firewall

As for the fuel "thingy", when that thing goes out, the whole car should simply just die. It'll crank but no run, no start, just no fuel at all. I used to disconnect mine when I parked in places that made me worry about my car.

 

[Larry Bastanza]

Larry, do you think it could be one of 3 things that fail? I have been readign that the main relay, the other fuel thingy on the passenger side up against the glass and the ignition thing under the steering wheel all fail often. I have only replaced the main relay.
Some one else said the fuel pump too.

I am just thinking if you have a consistent mis-fire, it is unlikely to be the fuel pump.

Regards,
LarryB

 

[davidf]

I stated fuel pump PSI related due to the fact it was bogging/power loss. The misfiring sorta changed the direction of things. Sorry.

 

[vietNSeXy]

ITS FIIIIIXED!!!!!! :biggrin: SO NICE to have my baby back! :tongue:

It was gas!
I drove it today just because I wanted to regardless of the issues and it started to get better and better as I drove it more! I called my husband and he mentioned a bad tank of gas and told me to drive it more to drain the rest of the tank and then go fill up with new gas.
So I merged onto the freeway and did a couple of third gear runs from 2K up through 8K and it began to go away even more. I drained the tank (only had about an 1/8th left) and filled it up and it runs puuuuurfect!

It still had a bad main relay, bad spark plugs and a wet coil but its fiiiixed!
I have never had a bad tank of gas before. I didnt even know gas could DO that?!

Now just to fix the horn problem and hatch light ...

 

[Larry Bastanza]

Congrats

You certainly worked for it.

Hey davidf,

Never be sorry about a suggestion to help

Regards,
LarryB

 

[KooLaid]

ITS FIIIIIXED!!!!!! :biggrin: SO NICE to have my baby back! :tongue:

It was gas!
I drove it today just because I wanted to regardless of the issues and it started to get better and better as I drove it more! I called my husband and he mentioned a bad tank of gas and told me to drive it more to drain the rest of the tank and then go fill up with new gas.
So I merged onto the freeway and did a couple of third gear runs from 2K up through 8K and it began to go away even more. I drained the tank (only had about an 1/8th left) and filled it up and it runs puuuuurfect!

It still had a bad main relay, bad spark plugs and a wet coil but its fiiiixed!
I have never had a bad tank of gas before. I didnt even know gas could DO that?!

Now just to fix the horn problem and hatch light ...

Where did you gas up at? I recently filled up at my local Chevron here in Merced when it was near fumes. However I only put in 10 bucks worth. That was the night before I had the problem. I went through more than 1/2 gallon from fill up to the start of my problems, 14 miles or so.

LUCKY! Damn, wish I'm as lucky.... But I did read on a post just a month or so old that it was the same issue but he leaves his car parked for a long time. I drive mine every 2 weeks or so and put on atleast 150 miles per trip out. I also never fill my tank so that I keep cycling fresh fuel through.

Tomorrow I continue tearing through my car. I hope it is nice weather.

 

[vietNSeXy]

Now that I think about it I filled at the Chevron off of Hatch Road. There was a Chevron Tanker there when I filled up.
Maybe they added some thing to the gas?

I dont know how gas can do that but whatever:biggrin:

 

[Big_D]

Now that I think about it I filled at the Chevron off of Hatch Road. There was a Chevron Tanker there when I filled up.
Maybe they added some thing to the gas?

I dont know how gas can do that but whatever:biggrin:

I have read that filling up when a tanker is filling the tanks is not a good thing. It stirs up all the junk in the tank and then it gets pumped into your tank. I would change the fuel filter when you get a chance.

 

[KooLaid]

Now that I think about it I filled at the Chevron off of Hatch Road. There was a Chevron Tanker there when I filled up.
Maybe they added some thing to the gas?

I dont know how gas can do that but whatever:biggrin:

Maybe we're going through another bad gas situation again. How long between the time or miles you added gas and when you had problems? It was about 14 miles for me, maybe more like <12 miles. To think of it, I probably had only between 1/2 to 1 gallon of old gas in there when i added more.........

Think I am going to send Chevron an email......

 

[davidf]

I never ever fill up while a tanker is unloading. Underground tanks can have substantial amounts of water and debris settled at the bottom {thats normal}. While unloading it can get stirred up. The pumps have large filters inside to eliminate it from getting into your vehicle, but I have delt with different stations in my line of work and you'd be shocked at how many smaller stations have "dummy" filters. Keep this in mind next time you drive up to a pump at a mom and pop drive in.