moist air causing cough in Cvic VX when engine cold

[1993CivicVX]

been real wet last few days and the car coughs or misfires or something like a severe lean burn stumble. This only happens when the engine is cold and its wet out. Didn't happen this morning and it was dry out. friend tells me it could be I need new spark plug wires.

[benfrogg]

Open the hood with the car running in pitch black light somewhere you can find it. Spray the wires with a small spray bottle filled with water. Spray the cap too. Arching will be obvious and if not, the car will start running crappier. You might just need a cap (good idea to replace both unless one has been done recently) and you wouldn't see arching as much there; it would just run crappy when you spray it.
B

[IndyFetch]

Originally Posted by benfrogg

Open the hood with the car running in pitch black light somewhere you can find it. Spray the wires with a small spray bottle filled with water. Spray the cap too. Arching will be obvious and if not, the car will start running crappier. You might just need a cap (good idea to replace both unless one has been done recently) and you wouldn't see arching as much there; it would just run crappy when you spray it.
B

<< What he said.

I had a couple of friends in college that had trouble with their late older Hondas not wanting to start when it was damp. Both times, it was the distributor cap.

[VetteOwner]

yup happens to all cars... no real way to prevent it besides buy quality parts even then they all wear out...

[Ford Man]

It could also be condensation forming inside the distributor cap from drastic swings in temperature and humidity levels. WD-40 sprayed to the inside of the distributor cap is said to resolve moisture problems inside the cap.

[kamesama980]

My trick did the same thing. any time there was moisture condensation out it would run fine at idle and up to slight loads but anything over about 10% load (by opening the throttle or less throttle at higher revs) and it'd miss like crazy and fall on it's face. one day I was fiddling with it under those conditions and grabbed the distributor to adjust timing for whatever reason and zap zap zap. new plugs, wires, and cap and no more problems since.

[1993CivicVX]

Thanks guys!

[1993CivicVX]

So I brought it to a mechanic (I know, I know, I'm lame) and he replaced the spark plugs and distributor cap. THis fixed the problem, almost completely, but then I noticed it a litlte ..and then it started getting worse a day later even, and got really bad about 2-4 weeks later and then two days ago got so bad, that the hesitation and cough started becoming a more steady loss of power (it getting real bad happeend over the course of about 3 days and then it just became real flooded-like.. to the point where you gave it gas and nothing happened and then it would just stall out and struggle to idle (drinking gas?) and then die when I gave it gas. Brought it to diff mechanic near where the car died and he replaced the distributor and the spark plug wires i bought but never installed. Car runs great now, but there was a minor cough (hopefully just a lean burn thing or something..) otherwise it's running great now and has lots of power. Just posting this as a follow up.
cheers,

[add|ct]

Interesting experience. I'm interested in finding out how easy the fuel pump is to replace on the VX ahead of time prior to a stall. Not sure how to check PSI on the fuel system while the vehicle is running, but I'd imagine if it's within spec I shouldn't have to replace it. Perhaps only the sock?

Anyway, glad you got your parts on that you purchased. What brand would you mind?

[1993CivicVX]

the only part I purchased were the spark plug wires, which were Bosch. Supposedly they are better than the other brands that Autozone sells for other civic models, but the VX only sells the higher end ones (which is expected).

Btw, my car just had a major failure. It hesitated (no response from gas pedal) and then stalled... wouldn't bump start. Came to a stop. Wouldn't regular start, either, and would do a sad whir--almost turn over and stall. Then, somehow, it started, but ran poorly and I hazard lighted my way back to my apartment (I had only driven 800 feet). I had just driven 3 miles before that and parked turned my car off. 2 minutes later drove away with two passengers and it did this hesitation thing before the whole stall thing i just explained. Furthermore, the hesitation was (i think) identical to the type of hesitation my car experiences right after I bump start it when it's very low on fuel. When my car is low on fuel, and you bump start it, it doesn't respond to the gas pedal (it just totally does not respond at all, but does not stall). If you wait 2 seconds in neutral and then engage gear and give it gas, it will go. It has only ever done this when very low on gas when bump starting. It's always been directly proportional to how low my gas tank is (in a way it serves as a low gas light, since the VX doesn't have a gas light).

BTW, I do lots of engine off coasting. I do it when my engine is cold, too. I wonder if I have put too much strain on too many systems of my car by doing this so much that I've damaged a bunch of parts of my car? (fuel pump, distributor, coil, cap, etc).

Anymore input is really welcome. I think my car needs a fuel pump, too????