Dreaded EML - slight rev hunt/rev sticking

[truupR]

As the title may suggest - I've had an engine management light come on in the teg a very sad day indeed.

I've driven the car for about 40 miles since it's been on and haven't noticed anything different with the cars behaviour - except when I was in traffic today with a near cold engine, I had some rev hunting between 1k and 2k revs whenever I dipped the clutch to roll to a stop. I've also noticed slight rev 'sticking' where after driving and coming to a stop, the revs drop to just under 1 and then climbs back up to between 1100 to 1500 revs and hangs there for 5/15 seconds before slowly dropping back down to just under 1000. This might of just been me being paranoid but when the engine isn't fully up to temp the revs seem to stick slightly between gears. I did a little test where I purposely left a big gap when shifting gears, around a 10 second gap before I disengaged the clutch and the revs did seem to hang slightly before dropping down. I've got a video if all of I've mentioned it'd be any help.

Besides this the car pulls well, doesn't sound any worse for wear and the 2 times I've dared to go into vtec, it responded as normal with a clean vtec crossover at the normal 6k revs with no smoke or odd noises.

Thought I'd drop a post here to see if anyone else has had a similar problem and could shed some light on it before I go get the error code from a diagnostic.

 

[Gordyitrdc5]

I had the same problem at the week-end rev's between 1k 2k but no eml on, l let it tick over for a while then switched off started back up everything was fine again but then mine has moved since October.

 

[beppe786]

you need that code reader really that will tell you what sensor is playing up.. could just need resetting.. that cheap ebay jobby will do the trick eml327 Bluetooth device.. if your local to milton keynes pop down ill check it for you no prob

 

[davidpingu]

The hunting is likely to be a sticky IACV. Pretty much all owners have experienced this at some point during ownership and it tends to occur more during colder damper conditions than it does in the summer. A preventative measure is a regular bit of VTEC but this gets increasingly less safe during the winter so if a good clear out doesn't help you may need to just get your hands dirty and take the IACV apart for a good clean.

As beppe says though, as you have a light on you should check that out first just incase there is something else underlying.

Just to add, when the car is cold, my revs will climb or hang a little between changes too but settles down when it warms through. I thought this was normal characteristics of warm up procedure but maybe someone else can confirm.

My IACV even after a good clean out is still occasionally a pain, most noticeably after a VTEC blast where maybe 1 in 4 times it'll start hunting until the car is left to sit for 20 - 30 seconds where it eventually settles down. My IACV could just be on its way out but I'm just managing it for time being until it becomes bad enough for me to warrant buying a new one.

 

[maxvr6]

I second everything davidpingu says

 

[beppe786]

The hunting is likely to be a sticky IACV. Pretty much all owners have experienced this at some point during ownership and it tends to occur more during colder damper conditions than it does in the summer. A preventative measure is a regular bit of VTEC but this gets increasingly less safe during the winter so if a good clear out doesn't help you may need to just get your hands dirty and take the IACV apart for a good clean.

As beppe says though, as you have a light on you should check that out first just incase there is something else underlying.

Just to add, when the car is cold, my revs will climb or hang a little between changes too but settles down when it warms through. I thought this was normal characteristics of warm up procedure but maybe someone else can confirm.

My IACV even after a good clean out is still occasionally a pain, most noticeably after a VTEC blast where maybe 1 in 4 times it'll start hunting until the car is left to sit for 20 - 30 seconds where it eventually settles down. My IACV could just be on its way out but I'm just managing it for time being until it becomes bad enough for me to warrant buying a new one.

its normal for it be around 1500rpm at cold higher than normal.. once warms up it will settle down to around 900rpm / it shouldn't be bouncing up and down at all

 

[davidpingu]

If I start the car it will idle somewhere around 1500rpm. As soon as the car is moving, even if I just use the clutch (the revs are already high enough in my works car park not to have to touch accelerator) as soon as I then dip the clutch to roll up to the barrier the revs will climb up to about 2000rpm for 2 - 3 seconds then drop back down to 1500rpm. Has always done it driving out the works car park when it's cold. Not saying it's normal but it does the same thing every day in winter.

When warm it's 800 or 900 and stable

 

[Mark_teg]

I second everything davidpingu says


Lol!


So as above basically, could be two separate issues.

You've been educated on the IACV, so that leaves reading the code... See here:

http://www.itr-dc5.com/forum/index.php?/topic/25319-Engine-management-light-on?-Self-diagnosis.

 

[truupR]

It seems odd how the management light has come on at the exact time that the rev hunting has started. I did have an issue earlier on the drive home where the revs just kept climbing to 2k and dropping to 1 and immediately climbing to back to 2, dropping to 1, rinse repeat for about 15 seconds. I've got an appointment tomorrow with the garage to plug it in and see what error code comes up.

I'll post up tomorrow what the result is

 

[dotty]

I am willing to bet it is your primary O2 sensor.

 

[truupR]

why dotty, why did you have to mention that I can feel my wallet getting lighter already

 

[dotty]

What mileage are you on? Tbh I would be happy if that was the cause as it is a relatively easy and cheap fix, and it is very common on these cars.

 

[truupR]

90,500 don't judge me lol

 

[Crazylegs]

If I start the car it will idle somewhere around 1500rpm. As soon as the car is moving, even if I just use the clutch (the revs are already high enough in my works car park not to have to touch accelerator) as soon as I then dip the clutch to roll up to the barrier the revs will climb up to about 2000rpm for 2 - 3 seconds then drop back down to 1500rpm. Has always done it driving out the works car park when it's cold. Not saying it's normal but it does the same thing every day in winter.

When warm it's 800 or 900 and stable

That's exactly what mine does too from cold, the exact same sort of feels as though the car is about to shoot off on its own accord.

Takes a good few minutes for the revs to settle even in warm conditions I find.

 

[davidpingu]

That's exactly what mine does too from cold, the exact same sort of feels as though the car is about to shoot off on its own accord.

Takes a good few minutes for the revs to settle even in warm conditions I find.

Just characteristics of the k20 I've put it down to. If anyone mentions it I just tell them it's a real racing engine

 

[Crazylegs]

Just characteristics of the k20 I've put it down to. If anyone mentions it I just tell them it's a real racing engine

Mate, I tell everyone it's a race engine anyway ha ha!!

Yes definitely the characteristics of the engine. I tend to just get it into a high gear, 5th or 6th as soon as possible and let it almost drive itself until it's warmed up.

Although it takes a bit of time for it to 'warm up' as such, it doesn't actually take that long for the heating to warm up in the Teg, one of the quickest heaters I've ever had in a car.

 

[truupR]

And the prize goes to..................................... dotty!

The bloke at the garage was nice enough to plug it into the diagnostics whilst MOT'ing a mates new winter car, and it came up with a lambda sensor error (that's his words) so after a speedy search on google it brought me straight to the O2 sensor on tegiwaimports He couldn't pin point exactly which sensor was throwing the EML on. I'm guessing it's the O2 sensor from the symptoms

Quite a price tag on a sensor though, hardly any change from £200 :/ Will this cause the engine any damage long-term if I'm driving it 20 miles daily??

He said it isn't dangerous to drive but will probably give much poorer MPG return. Given I've just spent a few hundred bones on some new mounts, droplinks, trackrod ends I'd much rather hold out until just after xmas to replace it, but unsure if I'm going to fluff the engine up more by driving it to and from work 5 days a week?

 

[dotty]

Told you

It'll be the primary (there are two sensors) the secondary rarely goes. I would change it ASAP if it was me to be honest.

 

[BenSayers]

There was another post recently where I asked where to get one. If you do a search it should come up. I'd link but not sure how to on tapatalk.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

[BenSayers]

These are the details Mark_Teg gave me in the other thread:

Dave Johnson @ Steels Honda. Mention the forum and have your chassis code ready.

01432 267154