89 4-Door "carbureted/ fuel-injected" 1.5 Automatic. Rough idle when @ idle until I get going but a tad on the sluggish side. While I'm at a stop it feels like a Swedish massage. Whududududududud... Failed the WA emissions in idle stage, passed in the 25mph stage.

Initially I thought it was missing but I used one of those HF spark testers that go between the wire and the spark plug and each one showed steady spark. Changed the plugs, checked the dizzy/rotor (looked good) getting spark to all cyl. I've got a timing gun and want to check timing but for the life of me cant find what the Haynes manual describes as the "yellow rubber cap" in the left rear engine bay that you use the short the timing adjustment sensor...



I also looked up one of the DIY links on timing adjustment

https://www.hondacivicforum.com/foru...ad.php?t=16210

but where it shows the blue connectors under the passenger side... I cant find em either... WTFart? Am I blind?





I've got a new fuel filter and plan on getting a new air filter, changing oil and pinching the pvc valve hose to check it as well. The shorting the sensor has got me confused. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks!

 

You are looking in the wrong place.

Sides of a car are always based on the "car's perspective", or your perspective when standing all the way behind the car, looking forward. Thus in the USA the "left" side is the driver's side. The connector should be near the strut tower or behind it. The yellow cap may be gone, look for a connector with two wires that doesn't go anywhere.

Rough idling could also be because the valves are out of adjustment (too tight, causing loss of compression).

By the way, get rid of that lousy aluminum R-134a adapter on the A/C line, or at least put a plastic dust/leakage cap on it.

 

mk378, thank you for clearing that up! That's a V8 juice moment. I'm gonna take a look at that shortly. I didn't even think or looking over on that side.

I'll take a look at adjusting the valves, i haven't that part of engine maintenance yet.

Thanks for the advice on the R-134a adapter, I'll stick a cap on it. Is there anything that I should be aware of before putting the cap on it?

Thanks again!

 

The connector's supposed to be loose, right? Not connected to anything?



One other thing that I noticed is that when I'm coasting in Drive, down a hill, the idle goes slightly up and down.