[KrombopulosMac]

Hey guys im kind of in a pickle here and need some advice on where to start on isolating this issue. -for some backstory- I drive my 2012 Civic Si to work every day on the interstate for about 14 miles then back. I've owned the car since October and purchased it as a salvaged title with 45,000 miles on it. The car was involved in a collision (promised it never touched the engine) but after driving it and seeing the damage photos, I thought it was still worth it. She drove perfectly fine every day until now. When I exited the interstate I made a second stop and noticed things just seemed "sluggish" right before I got there. No knocks no pulls or CEL's just a noticeable hesitation. I parked it and ran inside for 10 minutes. It cranked perfect, then when I threw it in reverse, I noticed the body was bouncing and starting to rock. So I reversed fully and continued and as I pulled away it became more and more apparent that it was misfiring. I could still accelerate rather well so I drove it the last mile home and parked it. Ran a quick error code scan and it reported that Cylinder 3 was misfiring. Fast forward an hour and I crank it, It started and idled like nothing was wrong. Drove it 5 miles into town and I can only assume that the engine had become warm enough, It started doing the same thing, barely shaking and misfiring. I parked it for 10 minutes again and cranked it fine, then started having a slight misfire a block down the road. I tried to make it back home but it misfired harder and harder eventually sputtering and crawling to a stop. No smoke, no fumes. No pops or crazy loud noises other than when actually misfiring. Since I broke down in a fast food parking lot, I dropped back by a few hours later to get my stuff out of it and decided to crank it just to check, and VOILA it cranked no problem. I probably could have driven it a few miles until whatever is failing warmed up enough to cause issues, but I left it and will be towing it to one of the yahoos near me that works on cars. I have absolutely no idea where to start but im convinced the engine isnt a gonner. Thoughts?

 

[DWils]

Salvaged title, you say? Who promised you the engine wasn't touched?

 

['13_Si]

Sounds a lot like what happened when I had a rocker arm failure on my 2013. It would operate normally until it warmed up and then it would act as you described. This won't be a cheap fix if you need to pay out of pocket though.

 

[KrombopulosMac]

how expensive are we talking if this is the case?

 

[KrombopulosMac]

Salvaged title, you say? Who promised you the engine wasn't touched?

yeah i know. the guy selling it to me said that of course. I know you cant really ever trust a salvaged title. but i tried and at the moment its biting me in the ass. it drove so well though

 

['13_Si]

I'll check the printout I got from the dealer when I get home and let you know.

 

[Teeps]

Ran a quick

error code scan and it reported that Cylinder 3 was misfiring.

will be towing it to one of the yahoos near me that works on cars.

I have absolutely no idea where to start but im convinced the engine isnt a gonner.

Thoughts?

Start with troubleshooting for cylinder 3 misfire.
However be warned, there are 78 steps in the online troubleshooting for misfire codes.

Of course, it could be something simple like a spark plug or a coil...
A couple things you can do if your're able:

• Check spark plug for cyl 3
• Swap cyl 3 plug with another non misfiring cylinder.
• Swap cyl 3 coil with another non misfiring cylinder.

 

['13_Si]

^ This guy is on the money. Start with the basics. Here's what the dealer wrote up when I had the rocker arm failure.



The parts replaced were:

2 x 14620R44A10 - List price $144.80
1 x 14110RL5000 - List Price $528.83

 

[KrombopulosMac]

^ This guy is on the money. Start with the basics. Here's what the dealer wrote up when I had the rocker arm failure.



The parts replaced were:

2 x 14620R44A10 - List price $144.80
1 x 14110RL5000 - List Price $528.83

sweet man thanks for the info. Ill save this so I can use it for reference if need be.

 

[KrombopulosMac]

Just in case anyone stumbles upon this later, The Toyota Dealership near me had an extremely reputable honda mechanic there and he so far has narrowed it down to being a fuel system issue. I filled up the tank about 5 miles before it started acting funny. He will be checking the fuel delivery system tomorrow morning.

 

[scottyrocks]

This may or may not be relevant, but I had a bike that did the same type of thing the OP is describing. I don't remember all the details, but the problem was in the electronics. As the bike got hotter, some things expand. Something electronic expanded and was no longer able to pass current, and the bike would buck and not run right until it cooled down.

 

[KrombopulosMac]

This seemed to be the case because the guy who worked on it cleaned the injectors and purged the fuel system, and It drove great.... until I got almost home and it sputtered to a stop 15 yards from my driveway. I then realized he didnt drain the tank and whatever fuel I've got in there must be bad, having that done tomorrow.

 

[Mercfh]

is the rocker arm failure only a problem on 13's? I've seen it mentioned a few times but it only seems always on 2013 models.

 

[J.Dre]

@Merc: No idea but if this ever happens to me, I'm getting the car fixed and selling it privately ASAP, lol.

Sounds like a nightmare.

 

['13_Si]

@Merc: No idea but if this ever happens to me, I'm getting the car fixed and selling it privately ASAP, lol.

Sounds like a nightmare.

Mine failed with 13,XXX km on the car, now has 42,XXX km and no issues since replacement whatsoever. Obviously it was pretty crappy when it broke and driver a pos rental Jetta for a week sucked too, but the dealer paid for that.

 

[KrombopulosMac]

So my mechanic was convinced it was a fuel delivery problem, 2 fuel system purges and 1 new rocker arm later, I have a functional Honda Civic. Thank you guys this thread was what helped convince him to look at it, and sure enough that was it.