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Thread: Wet/humid weather causing issues

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Posts: 1-10 of 48
2014-10-15 01:27:03
#1
Wet/humid weather causing issues
I've owned the G for 6.5 years now and it's about time i try to fix this issue. I'm just looking to see if anyone else with a SR20 has ever had it happen and figured out what it was. Anyway the car runs terrible when it's moist out. It could be a rainy day, the day or 2 after it's rained or even just a humid day ( humidity abouve 65% ). Sometimes car wont cold start. Other times it'll fire right up. Either way when it fires up it'll have a miss/blip that it does every few seconds. It'll run like this the whole day ( sometimes it seems to go away and the car runs fine. But usually runs like ass ). When accelerating from a stop the car bucks. Low rpm and give it throttle and all it does it buck and bounce. Gotta feather the gas to get it above 2k rpm or so before it will actually accelerate. It really feels like it's MAF or TPS related. I've replaced every sensor since i've owned the car and have always had the problem. So i'm pretty sure it's not a sensor. The car is a wiring nightmare. Engine bay wires are butched. Many wires under the dash are butched. Hell someone snipped the ECU harness under the dash and rewired in a new harness. No clue why. So i'm assuming i've got a wire somewhere in engine bay or under dash that doesn't like the humidity. But i have no clue where to start looking so figured i'd see if anyone else has ever had simaliar issues.
Last edited by irf305 on 2014-10-15 at 02-49-16.
2014-10-15 02:18:59
#2
I'd start with the wiring. It will suck, but go through every wire and insulate them. Check and clean all ground wires too. Wiring can cause some weird issues. A fiend's honda wouldn't start, and the indicator lights on his dash would flicker. Turned out it was a single ground wire that has a small bit or corrosion on the contact.
2014-10-15 18:52:39
#3
It is probably the distributor cap seal.
2014-10-15 19:22:25
#4
Originally Posted by D-Unit121
It is probably the distributor cap seal.


D unit nailed it. The distributor uses a led and light sensor to determine engine position. I would guess that a poor seal is allowing the sensor to build up condensation and skewing the actually timing. Explains it perfectly.
2014-10-16 02:46:27
#5
Originally Posted by ebinkerd
Originally Posted by D-Unit121
It is probably the distributor cap seal.


D unit nailed it. The distributor uses a led and light sensor to determine engine position. I would guess that a poor seal is allowing the sensor to build up condensation and skewing the actually timing. Explains it perfectly.


The distributor was replaced about 6 months after i got the car. New cap and rotor also. Had the problem before and after. Pretty much the only part on the motor that hasn't been changed is the alternater. I'm about 99.9% sure it's not motor related. I'll take a look at the distributor and cap.
2014-10-16 14:47:28
#6
Humidity cannot mechanically affect the motor in the way you are saying. And 9 times out of 10, the most complicated problems have a simple solution. You may want to restart your troubleshooting process, you missed something.
2014-10-16 16:01:48
#7
Originally Posted by ebinkerd
Humidity cannot mechanically affect the motor in the way you are saying. And 9 times out of 10, the most complicated problems have a simple solution. You may want to restart your troubleshooting process, you missed something.


I'm not sure i follow you. I didn't say anything about mechanical. I think it might be a wire somewhere. All i did was say i already replaced what he said ( and you agreed with ) and had the problem before and after i replaced the distributor, cap and rotor.

By the way. I wasn't asking for people to fix my car through the computer. If you reread the thread i ask if anyone has ever had a prob with there car running properly in wet weather.
2014-10-16 20:00:30
#8
Originally Posted by irf305
Originally Posted by ebinkerd
Humidity cannot mechanically affect the motor in the way you are saying. And 9 times out of 10, the most complicated problems have a simple solution. You may want to restart your troubleshooting process, you missed something.


I'm not sure i follow you. I didn't say anything about mechanical. I think it might be a wire somewhere. All i did was say i already replaced what he said ( and you agreed with ) and had the problem before and after i replaced the distributor, cap and rotor.

By the way. I wasn't asking for people to fix my car through the computer. If you reread the thread i ask if anyone has ever had a prob with there car running properly in wet weather.


My bad, misread your post. No one wants to fix your car, I can assure you of that. But we do like sharing information and thoughts on a problem people are having. If you were looking for an answer to your problem, it is best to learn the troubleshooting process in order to make the appropriate repair. If you would like assistance with you problem, we will help as much as we can, but no one is going to spoon feed you. Good luck with your troubleshooting.
2014-10-16 20:19:37
#9
I've been running without a distributor cap seal for months without issue, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it's not your problem. Most likely the ignition system. In the dark spray the plug wires, distributor, coil, etc. with a spray bottle of water and see if you can spot anything. The coil perhaps? I had the same issue with an Isuzu P'up pickup. It was the ignitor. If not the ignition system I'd suspect the MAF. Good luck.
2014-10-17 03:57:12
#10
Originally Posted by ebinkerd
Originally Posted by irf305
Originally Posted by ebinkerd
Humidity cannot mechanically affect the motor in the way you are saying. And 9 times out of 10, the most complicated problems have a simple solution. You may want to restart your troubleshooting process, you missed something.


I'm not sure i follow you. I didn't say anything about mechanical. I think it might be a wire somewhere. All i did was say i already replaced what he said ( and you agreed with ) and had the problem before and after i replaced the distributor, cap and rotor.

By the way. I wasn't asking for people to fix my car through the computer. If you reread the thread i ask if anyone has ever had a prob with there car running properly in wet weather.


My bad, misread your post. No one wants to fix your car, I can assure you of that. But we do like sharing information and thoughts on a problem people are having. If you were looking for an answer to your problem, it is best to learn the troubleshooting process in order to make the appropriate repair. If you would like assistance with you problem, we will help as much as we can, but no one is going to spoon feed you. Good luck with your troubleshooting.


I'm not even sure where to start. So i'll say Opt understood. He simply said rewirings gonna be a nightmare. Knowing i'm looking to avoid it. Because he like I understood/assumed i already "troubleshooted" to get to where i am. So again feel free to harrass someone elses thred. "Best to learn the troubleshooting process" "Spoon feed you"? Who what where when why would you say you misread the post and then make it seem like i asked what a spark plug was?
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