Replacement engine at 3,000 RPM's the car starts jumping and loses power

Tiny
LEEANN DUNGAN
  • MEMBER
  • 2004 HONDA CRV
  • 2.2L
  • 4 CYL
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 60,000 MILES
Original 2.4 vetch motor with 200,000 miles had a cylinder down. I replaced it with a 2.2 with only 55,000 miles on it and now the transmission leaks and the rest of the car seems to be falling apart and when I get to 3,000 rpm's the car starts jumping and loses power. Keeps giving a code p2646 and we replaced the solenoid it called for but no change. What happened? Anybody have any advice?
Thursday, December 19th, 2019 AT 3:16 PM

16 Replies

Tiny
STEVE W.
  • MECHANIC
  • 14,210 POSTS
P2646 can be the solenoid but it can also be the wiring circuit to it that causes the problem. For instance the position sensor could be bad and the ECU thinks the solenoid is bad because the position sensor reports it stuck off.
What did the 2.2 come out of? What other parts were changed to make it work and was it running okay and then this happened or did this start right after the swap?
With answers to those questions I may be able to give you a better answer.
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Friday, December 20th, 2019 AT 6:01 PM
Tiny
LEEANN DUNGAN
  • MEMBER
  • 12 POSTS
Nothing else but the alternator was changed when the motor was swapped. Its a Honda motor but it was ordered online and shipped. I was having random electrical problems already before the motor swap. Also never had a transmission leak until after the swap. And the vibrating the car does now is bad at stops unless I put it in neutral while I wait at lights.
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Tuesday, December 24th, 2019 AT 12:40 AM
Tiny
STEVE W.
  • MECHANIC
  • 14,210 POSTS
What were the random electrical issues you were having? It sounds like you had harness issues before but a description of what was happening may narrow down the area. I don't find a CR-V with a 2.2 other than a diesel. They do show a 2.0 in them. What did it come out of? Does it have V-Tec? I'm thinking your issue is that the programming is different for the two engines as they use very different versions of V-Tech inside and that is why it doesn't run correctly.
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Tuesday, December 24th, 2019 AT 2:21 PM
Tiny
LEEANN DUNGAN
  • MEMBER
  • 12 POSTS
Okay, 2.0 i'm sorry. As far as the dialectical problems I was having, it was mainly lights being dim on the dash or interior lights that works when they wanted to. And I had to replace headlights, maybe 3 or 4 times in less than a year if unless that's average; its been about 15 years since I owned a vehicle, so I am unsure anymore ! Also the passenger airbag light goes on and off and I recently had that repaired at Honda for a recall for passenger airbags, so that is not right either.
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Wednesday, December 25th, 2019 AT 10:31 PM
Tiny
STEVE W.
  • MECHANIC
  • 14,210 POSTS
The electrical problems sound like bad grounds. Not normal to replace headlights that often, I consider it excessive if I need to replace them in 2 years! Sounds like there are voltage spikes from a bad ground or two. For the airbag, a scan tool should be able to pull a code even if the light is off. However I believe the rpm issue is because the two engines use a different V-Tec system and the ECU cannot control the system the 2.0 uses correctly. You might be able to use the ECU from a CRV that came with a 2.0 in it. However it would depend on which vehicle your 2.0 came from. They built a performance 2.0 with both intake and exhaust V-tec and a base version that used only intake side changes, plus the cams have different lobes as well. If you have the performance version it is likely that the V-Tec activation is pushing the system to activate the system but yours is the wrong one. What you could try is to disconnect the V-Tec solenoid and see if the issue stops. If it does then that is likely the problem.
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Thursday, December 26th, 2019 AT 12:47 PM
Tiny
LEEANN DUNGAN
  • MEMBER
  • 12 POSTS
I was thinking along those lines myself, even if I am not very mechanically inclined. I have to say that what you are saying about the motor makes perfect sense to me.
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Friday, December 27th, 2019 AT 7:44 PM
Tiny
LEEANN DUNGAN
  • MEMBER
  • 12 POSTS
What If it is not the solenoid that you're talking about and I disconnect it and it stays the same? Should I just get another vehicle after all I have paid for so far, even though I have already spent at least $3,000.00 in repairs when the vehicle only cost me $3,000.00?
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Friday, December 27th, 2019 AT 7:48 PM
Tiny
STEVE W.
  • MECHANIC
  • 14,210 POSTS
The thing is that if unplugging the solenoid does make it better just confirms that the mismatch is the issue. It may make it into something you can at least drive without the bucking. From there it would depend on what you wanted to do. It might be possible to put a computer from a CRV that had the 2.0 in it and make it work.
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Saturday, December 28th, 2019 AT 8:15 AM
Tiny
LEEANN DUNGAN
  • MEMBER
  • 12 POSTS
Okay, you have really helped me feel better with your advice and your answers and it makes so much more sense to me now. I just know i'm not crazy or clueless. Thank you and expect to be hearing back from me very soon. So I can let you know how much you have really helped me with this.
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Saturday, December 28th, 2019 AT 6:13 PM
Tiny
LEEANN DUNGAN
  • MEMBER
  • 12 POSTS
I cannot drive it now anyway with the transmission leak and power steering leak and the alternator being bad only because I cannot afford all the fluid i'm needing to drive anywhere, lol. But again, thank you for your help!
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Saturday, December 28th, 2019 AT 6:16 PM
Tiny
LEEANN DUNGAN
  • MEMBER
  • 12 POSTS
I wish I could e paid you to fix this because I love my CRV.
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Saturday, December 28th, 2019 AT 6:17 PM
Tiny
STEVE W.
  • MECHANIC
  • 14,210 POSTS
Take a few pictures of the leaks and we can try to assist with those. I'm still waiting for either a star trek transporter or a robot mechanic that would allow someone to do mobile repair.
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Saturday, December 28th, 2019 AT 11:03 PM
Tiny
LEEANN DUNGAN
  • MEMBER
  • 12 POSTS
Lol, well it's actually at a shop 20 minutes from my house and been there through out the holiday stuff sitting until Monday when they start back to work. That's how it has been for me through this darn car situation. Like a bad omen.
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Sunday, December 29th, 2019 AT 3:22 AM
Tiny
LEEANN DUNGAN
  • MEMBER
  • 12 POSTS
Oh, and the guy who did the motor swap told me the alternator was not new it was the one already with my original motor.
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Sunday, December 29th, 2019 AT 3:24 AM
Tiny
STEVE W.
  • MECHANIC
  • 14,210 POSTS
The alternator shouldn't be an issue if it was working before. Yeah holidays can be a bear without a vehicle or when it's "in the spa". Been through similar things in the past.
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Sunday, December 29th, 2019 AT 6:35 PM
Tiny
LEEANN DUNGAN
  • MEMBER
  • 12 POSTS
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
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Monday, December 30th, 2019 AT 4:55 PM

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