I was reading some similar posts about roughly the same issue, but I thought maybe this issue might be different.

Lately I have been starting my car, in the morning, or roughly anytime of day. The car starts up fine, idles up then falls as normal, but the idle falls so much that the car starts to stutter as if it's going to die. I usualy just punch the gas a little to give it some fuel and get it back up to a normal idle, from then on it runs fine.

I haven't actualy let it die yet, but I know it's not normal. It should start, idle up and then slowly down as it warms up. Thats what it used to do anyway.

I was thinking maybe the fuel filter is dirty, or something similar. I can't really get under the hood and mess around much right now, i am in the middle of one hell of a work month.

Any ideas?

Edited to add some recent maint.

New plugs, 8k or so ago
New wires, same
Seafomed engine- 8k or so ago
Last fuel treatment was seafoam, roughly 8k ago
Oil is 3/4 dirty *2.7k*
Added twin loop muffler, 2k ago, cant really remember issues immediately after that install.
Added short ram, had no issues.



The one thing I can say is that the sound my engine made without the twin loop was somewhat "quicker" then the sound it makes now. now I know that sounds crazy, but it seemed like this muffler has put some backpressure on my engine, so it takes a little more time to wind down then it did with the standard crap muffler. I can't say that this would be affecting my idle on startup, but I thought I would throw it out there :-)

 

i think your problem is probably the fuelfilter but i am not sure. Because i had the same problem and i changed the fuel filter and now it idles normal. If not that then maybe your idle is set to low. But if you havent messed with it then it shouldnt be the problem

 

Thats kinda what i was thinking, but I am cheap so i didn't wanna blow 25 bucks on a filter if I didn't need it, ha ha.

it's been 30k since i owned the car, and it's never been changed, can't hurt I guess.

 

Well usually when the filter is bad, when you take it off it should be pretty heavy. At least alot heavier than it should be.

 

just quickly check the fuel filter then. if its not all clogged up then come back and tell us

 

Yeah I know it's been ages since I started this post, ha ha, but I am just now getting around to updating.

I have been in the Bahamas on my honeymoon, Yayness.. where surprisingly I saw several G'd up civics. Some actualy looked pretty good, others... not so hot.

Anyway, I bought a new fuel filter yesterday, after asking my wife if she suspected it had ever been changed. From the look of it, thats a negative. Probably once or twice by a dealer, it's got a honda oem filter on it. Anyway after getting the top hose off, and bleeding pressure and what not out of the tank and lines, i was stuck at the bottom "inlet" fuel coupling, which will not budge, comming from the tank.. I have tried a little WD40, and I am pretty sure I am turning it the right way. Seems like it would unwind to the left, so towards me if i am standing on the passanger side of the car.

I was pretty pissed when I got half of it apart and couldn't finish the job, almost stripped one side of the bolt trying to get it loose. Any suggestions on how to get that badboy off? I am gonna try again maybe today, but I think it's just old, and weather has sealed it on there.

 

Just keep dousing it with bolt lube it'll break free. Keep turning it back and forth so the stuff works it's way down. Just don't force it too much!

 

Are you using flare nut wrenches? Get some if you are not using them.

 

I had something similar happen to me too but changing the fuel filter didn't help.

I have yet to figure out the problem but when my car idles or in low RPM it would die on me. Usually when I'm at a stop sign, redlight, or stopped somewhere. I also had it die on me while I was driving when I take my foot off the gas. Sometimes when im on the highway i would not get any response on the gas...but the car doesn't die.. after a couple of seconds it works again. Also my check engine light is on. I brought it to a shop and they can't figure out what is wrong with it.. what I do notice is that in colder weather this doesn't happen as often.. but when it is warm then it happens alot. the car just stalls on me on low idle. It sputters, shakes and dies. Sometimes I don't even know it died on me.. I'm baffled

 

Thats a negative on the flare nut wrenches, spoke to a friend today he suggested i get a set as well. That will probably take care of that.

As for the similar issues, in cold weather, at least when you first start your civ, it idles up to warm up the engine, then falls again once it's at run temp. I also have a better time in the winter. I am pretty sure my idle is just a tad low, but my motor mounts are shot too, so I need to idle up about 100-200 rpm, and replace them and i hope the problem goes away.

I am gonna see if i cant find a set of wrenches tonight, but i will probably have to wait till next week. At least it's still running, ha ha. i am not much of an engine mechanic, but I am fiddling.