Hi everyone,

I have a 1997 Honda Civic DX that was just in an accident. The rear right fender was hit first then the car did a 180 spin and the rear left fender was hit. It started and ran fine back home then after several weeks of insurance disputes and being towed away then brought back again the engine will not start by it self. It only starts when it is jumped and once it is running it idles badly. I want to try to fix it and sell it as soon as possible. I tried to charge the battery but the car still didn't start by itself, only with a jump. I am not worried about the battery, chances are it needs a new one, but I don't know how to fix the bad idling. This is a youtube link to a short video I took to show you what I mean when I say that the it is idling badly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IO-0Nln3TDk

I am trying to sell it for $1,500 if anyone is interested let me know. It is located in Orlando Fl it has 120,000 miles and is automatic. It ran perfectly before the accident. My number is 7862859947

Any kind of advice on fixing the idle problem please let me know. I appreciate it.

 

Does it drive OK, just not idle smooth?

After the battery has run down completely, you may need to drive for a while for the ECU to recalibrate and remember the new settings. While it is out of calibration it may not idle properly.

Also check the coolant level in the radiator, low coolant is another cause of unsteady idling.

 

Check the Idle Air Control Valve. My car would idle just like that until I replaced it.

 

If you're going to sell it, troubleshoot and fix the starting problem. That is one of the few pre-sale repairs that pay for themselves. A car that can start by itself is always worth more than one that doesn't.

Confirm that the car is charging the battery by measuring the battery voltage with engine running and everything else electric turned off. It should be 14 volts or so. If the voltage is low, consider the "fuse 15 problem" a known bug with that model.

If charging OK, turn off and try to restart with the key. If battery voltage drops below 9 volts, battery is bad.

 

That's some crazy idle surge. I agree with mk378 though. Check coolant level. With it having been in an accident, you never know what might have been knocked loose. Then check battery voltage.

Since this started after the accident, I'm not so sure about the IACV. Does the idle surge go away once it's warmed up?

We usually don't allow threads outside of the classifieds section, but since you asked for help first, we can try to get you up to 25 posts through fixing these issues, then it can be reposted for sale there if you still want to sell.

 

Thanks everyone for your responses.

I am out of town until monday. When I come back I will look closer at the battery voltage and the coolant level. I doubt that the IACV is to blame though. Let me note though that the idle problems started only after it was brought back from being towed away for about a week. When I went to pick it up I needed to have it jumped, a lot of smoke came out from the exhaust for about ten minutes then I drove it for thirty minutes. It did not overheat, and while accelerating and coasting the engine ran absolutely fine but what can be seen in the video happens only when at a stand still.

Again thanks everybody and I will check it out on monday.