1998 Honda CRV Engine sputtering.

98CRV

MEMBER
1998 HONDA CRV
4 CYL
4WD
AUTOMATIC
147,442 MILES

Good Day. I have a 1998 Honda CRV 4WD and I recently had the timing belt/ water pump/ spark plugs/ distributor cap and rotor along with the cable changed. After I received the car back from the mechanic the engine laaaggggeeeedddd in performance. The pickup was soooooo sloooooow. So I went back to the mechanic and he had to take off valve cover and adjust the timing on the engine. After the adjustment was made to the engine it felt normal so I drove the car from NYC to Florida and during the drive the engine developed a sputtering or misfiring. The sputtering or misfiring happens at any speed and also even if the engine is cold or hot. The check engine light is on and I know that is because of the Cat converter not working correctly. Has anyone ever had a sputtering or misfiring problem with their car after doing such a tune up or do I have a bad mechanic? All assistance would sincerely be appreciated.

Many thanks
Tony.

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Sunday, August 9th, 2009 AT 4:25 PM

16 Replies

2CARPRO JACK

MECHANIC
11,533 POSTS

Could be in need of more adjusting, if he moved the distributor timing when the timing belt was off originally it could cause a slight misfire.I would start by having it scanned (check engine light) just to be sure it doesnt see anything else wrong besides the cats, which can cause driveability issues as well if partially plugged, especially on a long freewy drive. Take it back to him one last time to see if he can make it right, may not be his fault

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Monday, August 10th, 2009 AT 8:03 AM

98CRV

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Thank you for a quick response. The mechanic did move the distribute after he modified the timing belt. I noticed he did not use the timing gun that has the flickering light to perfect the timing so I will go back to him and hopefully resolve this sputtering issue. OK so here this get a little more complicate.I did not drive the CRV for one day and when I finally did the check engine light was gone. I've driven the car today for (15) miles and the slight sputter or hiccup is still there but the check engine light is off now. I haven't done anything to the engine in trying to remedy this engine problem so that's why it's weird. Am I crazy or is it the car? Pardon me for making life complicated.

Again thank you
Tony.

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Wednesday, August 12th, 2009 AT 9:25 AM

2CARPRO JACK

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Best bet would to be scanning the PCM to see why the light came on, this may lead to the cure

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Wednesday, August 12th, 2009 AT 12:01 PM

98CRV

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OK I will go to a local shop and have that done.

Thank you again for answering my question

tony.

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Thursday, August 13th, 2009 AT 7:52 AM

98CRV

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Good evening

I've finally got the chance to get a mechanic to scan the car computer and he got the following errors for the check engine light.

P0303
P0304
P0300
P0420

Pardon me for taking so long to get this info. Yep the car still fells as if it's missing or slightly off when the engine is on.

Many thanks again for all of the help. Also I think this website is a super fantastic resource.

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Saturday, November 21st, 2009 AT 9:41 PM

KHLOW2008

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P0300, P0303 an P0304 are all misfiring codes.

Test the spark plug cables, check the spark plugs, distributor rotor and caps. Any looseness or malfunctons of these items would cause the misfiring.

P0420 is a fault with the catalytic converter as you had mentioned.

The CEL would only come on after driving when the P0420 is detected. After leaving the vehicle parked, there is a possibility the ECU has not have the chance to detect the problem again.

Get the misfiring problem checked and clear the codes before performing the scanning again to check if the codes reappear.

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Sunday, November 22nd, 2009 AT 5:10 AM

98CRV

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8 POSTS

Good night.

Thank you for the fast response to my questions. So I'm becoming desperate at this point. I just purchased a Camshaft Alignment Timing 4Cam Lock Holding Tool from eBay and am willing to try and adjust the timing belt on the CRV by my self. Is there any instructions with graphics... Anyone can email me on how to do so? Not to mention what additional tools I would be needed? I'm going to dissect this Check Engine problem by first making sure that the Camshafts markings are aligned correctly. My gut feeling is that it's still off. My mechanic on the second try to resolve the timing issue did not have a Camshaft Alignment tool. I have a 2001 CRV with the same mileage and its engine is so smooth in comparison to the 1998. If the Camshafts are aligned.I will go to AutoZone and have them warranty replace the Distributor caps / rooter /spark plugs and cables...I bought all of those parts from them. If that still does not remedy the check engine problem could there possibly be a vacuum leak that may cause this issue? If so does anyone have a CRV of this age and know of a common area that may have a vacuum leak? Finally my last question. When I reverse out of my driveway and lock the steering wheel hard clockwise I hear a loud thud in the back right side of the CRV as if something slid and hit something. The sound seems to be metal on metal. I've emptied out the entire trunk... No spare tire... No jacks... No table... No nothing is in the back of the CRV and if I reverse out I still get the noise. Also when I'm driving and making a sharp left turn I sometimes heat the noise. I've looked at the back right wheel area as the CRV is parked but can't seem to see any loose parts. Is there a known part that fails in the back of the CRV's I should look at?

Again your site is a tremendous help... I'm always appreciative for your responses. Pardon any typos.

Many Thanks

Tony.

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Friday, November 27th, 2009 AT 7:43 PM

KHLOW2008

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Hi Tony,

No special alignment tools are required for the CRV engine.

Here is a diagram of the timing marks that should line up when the belt is correctly installed.

Installation

1 . Ensure No. 1 cylinder is at TDC of compression stroke. Timing belt drive pulley TDC mark must align with pointer on oil pump housing. See Fig. 3 .

2 . Set intake and exhaust camshaft pulleys to TDC. The TDC marks should align with cylinder head surface with "UP" marks pointing up. See Fig. 3 .

3 . Install timing belt in this sequence: timing belt drive pulley, tension adjusting pulley, water pump pulley, exhaust camshaft pulley, and intake camshaft pulley. See Fig. 4 . DO NOT bend or twist belt excessively. Ensure arrow on used belt points in original rotation direction. Check that crankshaft and camshaft pulleys remained aligned with TDC marks.

4 . Loosen and retighten adjusting bolt to tension timing belt. Install lower and middle covers. Install crankshaft pulley. Tighten pulley bolt to specification. See TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS . Rotate crankshaft pulley 5 -6 turns counterclockwise so timing belt positions on pulley.

CAUTION: Always adjust timing belt tension with engine cold.

5 . To adjust timing belt tension, set No. 1 piston at TDC (White TDC mark on crankshaft pulley aligned with pointer on cover). See Fig. 1 . Loosen adjusting bolt 180 degrees. Rotate crankshaft counterclockwise 3 teeth on camshaft pulley. Tighten adjusting bolt. If necessary, retorque crankshaft pulley bolt.

6 . Ensure crankshaft and camshaft pulleys are still aligned at TDC. If not, timing belt will need to be removed and repositioned.

7 . To complete installation, reverse removal procedure. When installing cylinder head cover gasket, apply liquid gasket (Part No. 08718 - 0001 or -0003) to 8 corners where gasket meets camshafts. Tighten fasteners to specification. See TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS . Adjust drive belts to proper tension.

If your rear differential fluid had not been replaced for quite some time, do so and see if the problem is resolved.

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Saturday, November 28th, 2009 AT 5:42 AM

98CRV

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Can you make a recommendation a good mechanic in Queens NYC or the Pocono's PA for this job?

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Saturday, November 28th, 2009 AT 8:36 PM

KHLOW2008

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Sorry I do not have any recommendations for you.

Hope somebody else can if they reply to this post.

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Saturday, November 28th, 2009 AT 9:42 PM

98CRV

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Thank you again. One other question. When the CRV engine is warmed up once or twice a minutes its seems as if the engine misses. Would this be caused by the plugs /wires /Distributor cap or rooter? Also I've noticed that the engine pickup in first / second gear is strong but in third and fourth it seems as if the engine seems slightly sluggish. What would be your thoughts on these symptoms?

Thank you
Tony.

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Sunday, December 6th, 2009 AT 11:28 AM

KHLOW2008

MECHANIC
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Intermittent missing are usually caused by spark plug wires. Quite often the connections are loose or one of the plug wire is bad.

Sparks plugs seldom cause this unless they are bad and since you have sluggish power, they should be checked as well. Possibly the plugs are due for replacement.

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Monday, December 7th, 2009 AT 6:13 AM

OKLACARCOLLECTOR

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I just went through this today. We tore it down four times today. We started with a CRV that ran perfect and after first time we had the sputtering issue. We scanned it and got the misfiring codes. We tore it down the second time and did it again, still same results. Third trip same results.

Fourth time I figured it out. The 5/32 alignment allen wrenches would allow the intake cam to set in two possible positions when you put the belt on the intake cam. The cam wants to go automaticly to the wrong cog on the gear. When you put the belt on the intake cam take a 12mm wrench and move the cam gear to put pressure agains the opposite side of the pin. Put on the timing belt. This step is after you have followed the other directions correctly.

Make sure pull both allen wrenches and do the counter clockwise directions 5 to 6 rounds to run in the timing belt. Then follow the rest of the detailed directions.

Mine runs perfect again. Thank GOD!

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Monday, December 21st, 2009 AT 7:42 PM

98CRV

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Thank you for your response. But here goes. I had another mechanic shop redo the timing belt all over from scratch. When I got the CRV back it felt the same. The engine lagged in power in all driving situations. The pickup was just not there at all.
So far I've had the timing belt water pump replaced by my first mechanic. Then he redid the timing belt for a second time with no improvement in the engine power. Distributor cap, rooter, cables, plugs all changed twice. And still the same performance on the engine. I then had a second mechanic shop redo the timing with the same results.
When I start the CRV the engine starts very prompt and as I drive there are no knocking or pinging noises from the engine. I don't get any check engine lights so I'm at a loss as to where the problem stems from.

As I mentioned earlier the engine starts on first crank but it feels rough. Even after the engine is warmed up and I drive off it feels under-power. An example is if I'm driving at 30mph and then step hard on the gas pedal most cars will shift to a lower gear very quickly and you will hear / see the engine RPM go higher. MY CAR IS SO SLOW TO SWITCH gears and the engine RPM goes high for a few seconds and then goes back down.

Also another example of what's going on is if the engine is warmed up and idling. In the parked gear. I will step on the gas and you will see that the rpm is not steady. It goes up and down by 150RPM in either direction plus you can add one or two sputters in-between.

If anyone can help I would greatly appreciate it. Before my original mechanic died he mentioned that the part of the engine that handles the engine idle may be bad.

Thank you all again.

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Sunday, January 17th, 2010 AT 3:45 PM

OKLACARCOLLECTOR

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You are still describing EXACTLY what my CRV kept doing until we tore it down and redid it the 4th time. I had a perfect running CRV until the timing belt was installed and I had no previous issues. I guess I missed the fact that yours was running poorly before your mechanic installed the new timing belt.

Maybe yours needs to go to the Honda Dealership to get fixed. Sometimes the dealer is the only one with the needed data base to fix some things. If you ever figure out what the problem is please be sure to post it along with the repair informtion here so maybe if someone else has your same problem might find it.

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Sunday, January 17th, 2010 AT 10:28 PM

KHLOW2008

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There are a few things that can possibly cause the sluggish timing. I did not go back through the history of your repairs so this might overlap what you have done.

I do not depend on the allen key or any other items to ensure the timing is correct. They are only a guide for you to install the belt and after installation, you need to turn the crankshaft 720 degrees and recheck to see if the marks are correct.

Sluggish performance can be due to improper ignition timing. Were the timing rechecked and confirmed to be within specs?

A weak ignition coil would cause inefficient sparks and so do the spark plug wires.

A partially clogged catalytic converter or exhaust system would result in lack of power.

A bad O2 sensor. I have ever come across O2 sensors that do not throw an error code though it is bad. Only compatible diagnostic equipments are able to detect the fault. This can cause performance losses or hesitation.

Throttle position sensor. This component seldom fails but when it fails, it might or might not trigger an error code. A DVOM to test the voltage at fully closed and transition to fully opened throttle would tell you if it is within specs.

Fuel pressure. If the fuel pressure is at the lower end of the scale due to leaks that might occur in the tank and not noticeable, the pergformance would be affected.

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Monday, January 18th, 2010 AT 7:23 AM