Im new here so lets see how this goes. I have a 1996 Civic Ex with a swapped B18 V tec not sure what year. When i start it in the morning the check engine light comes on and between 1500 and 2000 rpms it doesnt run right. This happens when im in neutral ( 5 speed GSR tranny). Once the motor temp gets to normal i can shut the car off and re start and everything works fine. Im not to sure on whats done to the car but i know it has a header, cam (Skunk?) stock exhaust. I had the car for a month before this started to happen. The guy i got the car from said he did the swap and it only ahd 1000 miles on it. I found that the coolant hose was off that goes to the resevoir. Is it possible air is causing this. Thanks for any help it really sucks in the morning waiting for it to warm up and i live in Florida

 

Have you checked what the code is for the check engine light (CEL)? Go to your local Autozone and have them pull the code for free.

 

The problem is that its so hard to drive while the light is on that i cant make it there. I have to rev over 4k to get it to shift with out it jerking around so bad

 

Okay. You can do it manually by using a paper clip and following these directions.
http://www.honda-tech.com/showthread.php?t=1901557 . Please post results. This will tell us a lot.

 

I'll check i ton lunch and get back to you. Does it matter that its not the stock computer or will it still read the same?

 

As long as its the right computer for that engine. Is it an aftermarket ECU that has tuning options?

Also, can you take a few pics of the setup and post them on here?

 

Im pretty sure its the right ECU. I drove it for a month with no problems. I assume it has tuning options.

 

I'm not 100% sure the code pull technique will work the same on an ECU like that, but I guess it's worth a shot.

 

motor

 

Wow, yeah having that hose off there could have caused some problems. You said you reattached it but did you also bleed the coolant system, refilling as necessary? It may have looked normal from a flat surface but there could still be air trapped in the system. Were you experiencing any overheating symptoms?