Sputtering engine at 4000 rpm

[Koop]

Ok, at first i thought maybe i was low on gas and that my fuel gauge was messed. I filled it and took in on the freeway and anytime i pushed it around 4000rpm it sputtered as if i was running on gas fumes. Any idea where i should start? Im a complete noob, my 98 civic is my first car so my learning curve is steep. Thanks for reading

-D.Koop

 

[AHHVTEC]

first do you have a check engine light that stays on ?...but just do your normal tune up new plugs and wires and fuel filter

 

[Koop]

no light

no engine light. but im not sure if i can trust my gauges, they arent stock and i didnt install them. if the problem persists ill see a specialist.

ps-im stoked on this forum

 

[LS_VTEC]

That sputtering could be caused by many things, but the most common causes are bad o2 sensor or ignition system. When was the last time plugs/wires/cap/rotor have been changed on your engine? Sounds like an engine peformance issue, but until proper tests are done to diagnose, noone will really know exactly. One can only "suggest".

 

[92civicb18b1]

 

[Koop]

thanks

thanks everyone

 

[projecteg]

its not an o2 sensor if there is no cel's...sounds like it though..make sure when you turn your key on that the light for the check engine light comes on then shuts off.. maybe the previouse owener unpluged the bulb for the cel.

 

[93civicracer]

If it's what I'm thinking then just forget it. Mine is bogging at 1490 rpms, and I've done EVERYTHING I can think of. New plugs/wires, ignition timing, cam timing, I got fed up and took it into a very reputable shop around here and they couldn't even figure it out. Only cel I have left since the swap is the IACV, and my car idle's fine right at 700, so that can't be it I really wish I knew what could be causing it. I only fill up with premium (92 octane) gas too since I wasn't sure about using a JDM motor with shitty gas, which I found out I can but I still prefer 92 octane.

99CIVICSI is having the same problem and he's way more experienced than I am and he can't even figure it out either. When you're in neutral, and you rev up to 4k, does it sound like it's hitting rev limiter? If so then that's the problem I'm talking about.

 

[Koop]

its not an o2 sensor if there is no cel's...sounds like it though..make sure when you turn your key on that the light for the check engine light comes on then shuts off.. maybe the previouse owener unpluged the bulb for the cel.

checkt that thanks to u!

 

[99sidude]

I'm having the same problem as civic racer said. A new dizzy went in today... fixed nothing. Basically the entire ignition system is new. The car runs like its misfiring. I was messing around, and when I pull a plug wire off the dizzy when it's running, the idle doesn't change at all. Strange...

Your problem could be the TPS sensor. (I replaced mine, didn't fix anything). When the TPS goes bad, the car won't like to run at constant throttle because the computer thinks the throttle is open a different amount than it is. Check that.

 

[93civicracer]

Yea 99sidude is what I meant to type, forgot your username lol. I think mine might be the TPS, because now it's not holding speed, I have to let off, nearly gun it, let off, nearly gun it. But it doesn't do this ALL the time either, usually it does it a lot after a redline pull and I've been doing redline pulls daily since I put in the vtec wires.

And when I put on my new chrome header, I found that my 4-wire o2 sensor was severely stripped, nothing would get it out. So I had to use the 1-wire o2 that came with my d15b vtec and I cut both sensor wires and spliced the 1-wire into the 4-wire harness and how lucky can you get the first wire I tried was the one . No o2 sensor code, but it sure smells a lot after I put in vtec maybe something to do with the sensor?

I'm just happy it does what I really want it to do, takes off and vtec engages .

 

[Koop]

i tried revving it in neutral and it didnt hold back at 4000 rpm. * i pist my friend off tho!

 

[Koop]

shity gas

ive narrowed MY issue down to this. when i buy premium shit runs smoothly, when i buy not premium shit is whack? make sense?

-d

 

[amadeuscr]

Ok, at first i thought maybe i was low on gas and that my fuel gauge was messed. I filled it and took in on the freeway and anytime i pushed it around 4000rpm it sputtered as if i was running on gas fumes. Any idea where i should start? Im a complete noob, my 98 civic is my first car so my learning curve is steep. Thanks for reading

-D.Koop

I would add to the subject checking the ECU, if you have a friend or a mechanic who can borrow you an ECU will be great , I have a friend who had similar problem and ECU for some reason was not working fine, he changed it and problem solved ! , granted , there is a lot of reasons for that situation also. Like TPS , MAP Sensor, bad ignition , Distributor with Oil ( retainer is letting pass oil to distributor and sensors and rotor are not functioning right )

 

[gsronroids]

hey guys i have the same problem with my gsr swapped eg.
check tis out the car was runnin good... went to the store to get some booze left the light first gear ran strong but as soon as i hit second she started sputterin and she would not rev past 3500
so i limped home and looked around. no mechanical faults no knocks from the motor .
changed plugs (ngk's of course) and still wont rev so i switched the ecu (p28) now se revs to redline but still sputters from idle to redline. WTF is up with this thing does anyone have an idea ????? tomorrow i plan on changing the ignition coil to see if that is my problem if not ( have a new dizzy on the way but it aint here yet) i will change the tps but i would rather not because it will be a pain in the A$$ to change in the snow.

 

[Luis998]

*raises hand* I encountered the same problem on Saturday when my new P28 was being installed. The car wreaked of gas and it wouldn't rev past 4,000rpm. I remember reading about this elsewhere and the person ended up having to switch out their ECU, as it was an automatic ECU, rather than a manual. As soon as I get my car from my mechanics, I'm going to try my virgin P28, since the other was chipped, and see if that will work. The other ECU was sent back to the tuner and I will try it when it gets back to me.

 

[gsronroids]

cool

yeah man let me know if it works bro and i will cop a virgin ecu on ebay

 

[gsronroids]

hey yall i finally got my eg fixed .... it turns out that my injectors were filthy and my #1 cylinder wasnt getting any fuel .... i guess thats what happens when you buy an engine from a pig.... anyways check and clean your injectors and double check your connections to see if that helps..... it worked for me

 

[Luis998]

hey yall i finally got my eg fixed .... it turns out that my injectors were filthy and my #1 cylinder wasnt getting any fuel .... i guess thats what happens when you buy an engine from a pig.... anyways check and clean your injectors and double check your connections to see if that helps..... it worked for me

I'll check my injectors then, though the person I bought my car is a very meticulous mechanic and I have yet to have any problems with it, except when installing the chipped P28. As soon as I pick up my car tomorrow, I am going to try both the chipped and virgin P28. If the chipped works, great. If not, that's why I have the back up virgin P28. We'll see what happens. I'm very happy that you got your problem solved.

 

[amadeuscr]

*raises hand* I encountered the same problem on Saturday when my new P28 was being installed. The car wreaked of gas and it wouldn't rev past 4,000rpm. I remember reading about this elsewhere and the person ended up having to switch out their ECU, as it was an automatic ECU, rather than a manual. As soon as I get my car from my mechanics, I'm going to try my virgin P28, since the other was chipped, and see if that will work. The other ECU was sent back to the tuner and I will try it when it gets back to me.

that's probably be cause there is a problem in the installation of the chip, take out J1 jumper so the ecu doesn't use the chip and it should work like a virgin one !