You have to remove the plate above the intake manifold to clean out the carbon buildup. I had this problem a couple years ago.

http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/egr-fix/index.html

no you dont have to use the enitre bottle just use about 1/2 cup is good
the egr will need actual cleaning.

ok as I stated the CEL is off, but the car is getting only about 250 miles per tank with roughtly 9 gallons per fill up, so about 27 mpg...that doesn't add up to me, it is all city driving, but it should still get into the mid 30mpg range with an hx am I wrong?

I wouuld say that is close to the right milage for all city driving but not sure. I also have a 98 HX and it gets mid to high 30 and I do about 50-50. The car in the picture is not the HX is it?

The car in your signature is not an HX

it's a 94 si, the car I'm referring to is my mother inlaws

yeah, every bit of the driving is 45 mph or below and never constant, always a stop and go....I'd like to see what it could do with a constant 65mph all highway driving that would tell me if something were off

hx that is the gas saver car right?

yes hx and vx are the high gas milage cars.

also i say that your getting around 32 mpg because it takes 9 gallons to completly fill up a empty tank and im pretty sure you aint driving til it runs outta gas so i figure you are using abou 8 gallons into 250 is 31.25
and also if you are driving with the a/c on it lowers your mpg alot.

I've got p1381 too on a 96dx,sohc,nonvtec, and the tests say ok for the distributor contacts, Are you saying the sea foam trick with the fuel pressure hose could help that?