trouble starting in the morning??

[EK_99_BOI]

This is my problem that is really getting me frustrated at the moment..please help me out

i have a d16y8 .. recently this past week its had trouble starting in the morning. I go to put the key in, i turn it to where you can hear the fuel pump turn on, then i try to crank it over.. BUT it wont, it just cranks and cranks and cranks for a good 15 seconds struggling to start, then i let go of turning the key and it starts up and idles around like 500RPM's then bounces up to around 1000RPM's. i let it sit and warm up for like 2 or 3 min then take off. When i take off in first gear and get up to around 3k- 4k it cuts out BAD, the sound that it makes is if i had 3-step.. like ba ba ba ba ba ....i shift to second and everything is fine. and i have also noticed on the highway around 65-70mph the car cuts out for literally 2 seconds then goes back to normal and everything is fine.

The only thing i could think of is that my secondary 02 sensor that hooks into the catalytic converter is bad and isn't reading correctly, making the ECU send out errors to the engine, OR it could be my in-tank fuel pump that is going bad. I have a header, test pipe and 2 1/2in pipe all the way back to an N1 muffler if that makes any difference?

PLEASE someone help me figure out what is causing this to happen..

 

[aaren99]

I don't think it would be the o2 sensor, if it was it would just throw a cel and go into limp mode. Sounds more like ignition/spark problem to me, maybe a bad coil, rotor or ignition module.

 

[denracho]

i think because you have a check engine and your car is running in safe mode.. check you alternator tho...

 

[EK_99_BOI]

bump.. need more advise on what it could be..

 

[wikdcivic26]

yeah ..sure does seem like something is going out..sorry not sure what it could be..I had a bad o2 sensor (front) which made my engine light come on and made my car shut off when it started to idle rough at a stop (I actually had to rev it in order to keep the car running)..when I got that fixed the car kept doin the same thing for just a couple more times then it stopped...I thought it was something else but the ecu had to reprogram itself back to normal..I would be safe and take it to get it checked..intsead of buying a part and you find out it was something else..

 

[JohnS.]

Are you boosted? Why are you running a test pipe? That's just polluting the environment and does nothing performance wise.

Put a cat back on with new o2 sensors.

 

[James_spec]

check your spark plug wires. had a similar problem with a friends car. turned out that one of his spark plug wire wasn't firing. check n see that your getting spark from all plug wires.

 

[jonathan2006]

Are you boosted? Why are you running a test pipe? That's just polluting the environment and does nothing performance wise.

Put a cat back on with new o2 sensors.

a cat on your exhaust is like tryin to breathe with a pillow over your face

 

[Hue G Rection]

Check all your vacuum lines. I had the same problem with my y8...vacuum line to the back of the intake manifold.

 

[Coutts]

+1 vac leaks. vac leaks make your car hate life.

 

[EK_99_BOI]

bump still need help!!!!!!

 

[forcdincivic]

a cat on your exhaust is like tryin to breathe with a pillow over your face

If youre not running boost then theres no need to run without a cat. it helps with backpressure which, you need in a N/A car and you can get a high flow cat anyway....not like your going to gain anything with a stock motor

 

[Ag00Civic]

So I assume all of the recommendations you already checked and found ok? A starting issue needs to be traced back from fuel delivery, battery, starter, alternator, and then ignition also. It'd be odd if it was a plug causing the ehicle not to start unless the ECU is going nuts. Have you had the battery checked out? My car ran fine and would kind of sputter at times then it wouldn't start and then did and it ended up being that my battery was toast.