Car stalls at startup
 

Now that the weather up here in Canada is getting colder my car has had a little problem. When I start it up in the morning and its a bit cold outside, the car will not even rev up to idel it will start try and stall, if I press the gas pedel and hold it at idel for a couple seconds it will be fine after that.

Any ideas? The car is a 1991 Honda civic, ZC SOHC motor.

RE: Car stalls at startup
 

DEFINETLY! take out your spark plug wires and clean your spark plugs or replace them. thats what casued mine to do that. MINE was even worse tho ALL the way up until it got warmed up it would run like ****, the acceleration would feel like its hesitating.... if urs is doing the same thing, PM ,i can help u out

RE: Car stalls at startup
 

You might also want to consider changeing the distributor cap androtor. Also it might not be getting enough fuel at idle so you could use some fuel injector cleaner (good stuff not the cheapo).

You might also consider using seafoam but there is a chance with your engine being as old as it is ( I'm asuming). It possibly can do more damage than good. It might loosen up gunk and deposit it elsewhere in the engine, and/or clog the cat/converter. If it's had many years without a good tune up.

RE: Car stalls at startup
 

I just did a full tune up, but the engine was not so nice when I got it as the oil was black, so I changed the oil let some new oil run through and out, put new oil in ran the car and again it was black. So I ran seafoam through the engine and did another oil change and thats fine now.
I did the plugs and wires, so maybe its the dissy cap and rotor? I will check it out when I have a chance, and the car isnt that bad, all it takes is a good little rev to about normal idle to kick it.

RE: Car stalls at startup
 

you should just do a whole winterizing process. but at least clean out around the spark plugs.

RE: Car stalls at startup
 

Yeah good idea, and I might as well give a little look at the spark plugs.

RE: Car stalls at startup
 

I own a 2000 Civic Si and it was also stalling on me...The problem was the Rotor inside the distrubator.. Buy an ORIGINAL rotor from the dealer or if you want to put an AFTERMARKET rotor make sure it's a NGK brand. Don't buy other garbage brands.

****Also Honda's ONLY use NGK sparkplugs those are the best plugs you can buy for your honda. DO not buyBOSH those are junk or other brands. Look under the hood it will say NGK sparkplugs...let me know?????

RE: Car stalls at startup
 

Yeah I never liked BOSCH, I use NGK only

RE: Car stalls at startup
 

I have bosch platinum 2's in mine... I wonder if they have anything to do with a little pinging problem I am having when I run regular in it, it's fine on 89, but on 87 it pings like hell??? I was also told that poorly adjusted valves could cause that... and bad timing of course, but it didn't do it prior to changing to bosch plugs, at least I don't remember it doing it... It's the worst with the A/C on and real hot out though...

And yeah sea foam can do some bad things to an old engine... we did my cousins car and to avoid plugging up the cat we pulled the exhaust of long enough to do it then put it back, we had one plug up, and this car was really bad, didn't want to take that chance with it... boy did that motor have some trash in it, and it sure runs better now... Gunk motor flush also works well, just don't leave it in, you put it in run the engine at idle a few minutes then change the oil...

RE: Car stalls at startup
 

Just use NGK sparkplugs.It will show under the hood ngk sparkplugs take a look at it..When i got my 1st car i was 19 yrs old and I still own it. It's a 94 Accord Ex. I put some bosh spark-plugs and boy my car was running like crap after a couple of months until I knew why it was the stupid plugs... Been having Ngk ever since. Now that i'm 25 I have learn alot about my 2 Honda cars..My accord and 00 Si.