I need some good advise. I am an experience mechanic and I never came across an issue like this. It all started when I went to replace the head gasket due to a slight external oil leak. Once I had the head off I had it resurfaced about .004" and installed a new timing belt. The timing marks are quite difficult to understand due to having so many options. Once I got everything together and started the car up it ran fine. The car runs good when cold and it is at fast idle. As soon as it warms up and tries to idle down it starts to run terribly. Extremely rich and very low idle. At times it will load up and die. Assuming that I was 1 tooth off timing I changed the timing a tooth one way and then a tooth the other. It seems to run a little better in the middle. This car did run fine before I pulled the head off. I checked timing with a timing light and from what I can tell since the car runs so rough, it is fine. Vacuum seems to be good as well. Compression is at 150psi. across the board. I keep thinking that it has to be something that I did but I have been through the car. I have access to testing OBDII cars but nothing to test an 88 Honda. I need this car up and running and out of my garage as soon as possible. I have subscribed to this forum just for this issue because I heard that there is some real genious's on here. If anyone has any specs on where the coolant temp. sensor, map sensor, iac motor should be let me know so I can figure this thing out. Thanks to all who replies.


David

 

Sounds like the O2 sensor, but does the '88 even have one?

 

It does have an O2 sensor. But, I not so sure that the O2 sensor would have just went bad since I installed the head gasket.

Thanks,
David

 

Start by cleaning the EACV and adjusting the idle screw on the throttle body (see manual for details). Download 88' service manual here:

http://hondatech.info/downloads/Auto/Manuals/Civic/

Is the CEL ON? Does it work? Here's how to look for codes:

 

Make sure the MAP and other sensors have been properly reconnected after putting the head back on. Set the spark timing with a timing light. You need to jumper the two-wire connector near the ECU to put it in timing check mode. Like the manual Rom posted shows, codes are read out by watching the blinking light on the ECU itself. The ECU is under the carpet at the passenger's feet.

 

I have cleaned the EACV and checked if there is any codes. None of which helped. Everything appears to be connected correctly. I do not trust a timing light at the moment due to the engine running so poorly. I want to thank RonJ for the manual. I will look over the manual and hopefully it can help me out. Thanks to all the info everyone is giving me. I am sure with your help I can get this car back up and running.

 

Just to let everyone know what I have found that fixed my problem. It sounds kind of stupid but in my years of experience I have never came across this. The plug-ins for the injectors were crossed. I would have never guessed that the plugs would be identical, but they are. Thanks to all for the help.

 

Thank Youfor letting us know the answer.

This problem should go up on the problems solved page.
in myopinion.