For the past year I noticed my idling has been very low at times and sometimes the engine will turn off. So I adjusted the idle a little higher and no change.

Changed the spark plugs too Bosch plat. Changed the the cap and rotor and still have this issue.

Then I noticed when I drive at night the interior gauge panel lights would flicker a little and then stop. Then flicker again and then stop. I believe all the lights are flickering slightly.

R both of these issues related and can someone please help me to get to the bottom of this issue.

 

I have the same problem, i hope someone can answer this.

 

The first thing to do is clean your IACV and the idle air passages in the throttle body.

Do not adjust the throttle plate stop screw trying to change idle speed. Adjust the air bleed screw instead. Realize that when the IACV is working properly, the actual idle speed is dictated by feedback from the ECU.

 

Played mechanic this past Sunday and cleaned the IACU with carb cleaner and the throttle body etc...I also went ahead and changed the Motor Mount near the firewall which was collecting dust for the past 2 years! Can't believe I let it go this long.

Washed the car and test drove it...What a difference, idles great with NO fluctuating up and down, shifts better!

But at night when driving, the lights, I can still see flickering on my dash panel, what could this be!

I do have a check engine light on but it is the A/C sensor that needs to be changed and I have NOT done this yet since the A/C runs ok! Don't think this is the issue since it only does the flickering off and on!

Thanks again for the support!

 

Well thats 1 issue solved, as for the dash lights flickering..do they only flicker while driving or at a stand still? If they flicker while driving & its only the dash lights flickering(as opposed to the dash & headlights), then it might be your light brightness control. I'm not sure what year civic you have, but in my 92 civic i had the same issue you had & it was my my light dimmer. I opened up the dimmer & there was a small battery-shaped component just barely hanging onto the solder board inside. Threw the dimmer out & got another one from the junkyard.

 

Mine did the exact same thing for about 2 years, finally had the battery checked and though it worked well enough to start the car (slower than what i would consider normal prob ) and was told the battery was not testing out right. Replaced the battery and no more flicker. Been over a year now.

 

Ok, I got to tell you BEFORE the IACU cleaning, the lights slightly flickered inside dash panel and outside lights.

After the IACU Cleaning the lights flickering is much faster!

I tested the battery which was bought 2 years ago with 8 years warranty, "BOSCH" Tested 12.71volts with engine running over 14volts. I also took it to Autozone and they tested the alternator and it is fine!

I played with the dimmer switch wiggling the wires and rolling the wheel back and forth. Still same.

I did notice that when I rev up the engine it does not flicker while in park. When the rpm's come down then it starts to flicker fast and bright. It Flickers much more now than it did before. When I drive the car at night or day it flickers 90% of the time, when I turn on my fog lamps separately or just the head lamps on any position. I just notice it more when it is dark.

So, I am stumped!.....Car seems to run great though

Tonight, taking a 2 hour trip to test out what kind of gas mileage I get and see how it performs around the mountains with the new magnaflow and IACU cleaned. Get back to you with the results!.......................................... .

Just got back from trip and the lights are flickering inside and out very noticeable. They flicker weather accelerating or not!
I drove around the mountains up and down hills and also was stuck in stop and go traffic for 35 minutes. The car started to idle down just a little, off and on again while sitting in stop and go traffic! Other than that the car drove great and shifted nicely, nice to hear that deep muffler sound.
MPG : on 87 miles was 27mpg. Stock wheels 14" Midnight driving 40-80mph

 

I just read this article from yahoo....

In many cars, a check engine light that flashes rhythmically -- not just flickers on and off -- indicates a severe problem that needs immediate attention, while a steadily illuminated light indicates a less serious problem.

check-engine-light-mystery-bankrate: Personal Finance News from Yahoo! Finance

 

Update...I removed the under hood radio fuse 7.5a for 5 minutes to reset ECU and plugged it back in.
I then checked it for codes and there was one only P0135 which I found out it was NOT the A/C BUT the 02 Heater Sensor .....so this makes a big difference in what some of my issues were and are at this time.
Can't believe the guy from half a year ago said it was A/C sensor!
No wonder my car burnt rich and my gas mileage was low, etc etc...daaaaaahhhhhhh!

 

Do the headlights, all lights on the car flicker or just the dash lights?

The 1996 to 2000 models are prone to the fuse 15 problem. You get inconsistent voltage on the whole system because the alternator doesn't power up properly and also O2 sensor heater codes because the sensors don't get power.