2001 Acura EL re-engine sluggish

Tiny
LAKAZO
  • MEMBER
  • 2001 ACURA EL
  • 4 CYL
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 140,000 MILES
The engine slows down like it wants to stop when it gets heated up most times when it is on a long traffic.. Also when it has stayed off for a long time maybe overnight, it jerks before it stabilises
Tuesday, August 4th, 2009 AT 11:13 AM

3 Replies

Tiny
KHLOW2008
  • MECHANIC
  • 41,814 POSTS
Hi lakazo,

Your description of the symptoms are not very clear so correct me if I am wrong.

You mean the engine surges at cold start?
Idling is very low after warming up?
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Tuesday, August 4th, 2009 AT 12:49 PM
Tiny
LAKAZO
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
Hi khlow,

initially it started with engine trying to stop on coldstart ( the dial tries to return to 0 and fluctuates) this picks up and stabilises after 3-4minutes and then runs normally thereafter
Now, the engine slows down and seeks to go off when it is hot maybe on traffic and more when on AC,
my mechanic is saying it should be one of the cylinder valves that needs re-grind or replacement. Please advise I have changed the fuel pump severally without any use
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Tuesday, August 4th, 2009 AT 5:18 PM
Tiny
KHLOW2008
  • MECHANIC
  • 41,814 POSTS
During cold start the idling speed should be above 1000 rpm and in your case it seems to be below that.

Replacing the fuel pump is not gong to help. The 2 possible causes are :
1. The idle control system is malfunctioning. It could be a faulty or clogged IAC and/or throttle body. If the Malfunction Indicator Light ( MIL) is not showing, it would most likely be clogging or a stuck IAC valve and this problem can be rectified by cleaning the throttle body and IAC.

2. Compression leak. This could be caused by valves or a bad head gasket. If it is a bad head gasket, it would normally be associated with coolant losses or overheating.

If it is valve leakages, a compression test should be able to show something. Chec the valve clearances to see if any are too tight.
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Wednesday, August 5th, 2009 AT 8:23 AM

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