Car runs rough until warm, and then runs fine.

ANSWER : Try checking the coolant temperature sensor. When the engine is cold, the enrichment function relies heavily on the coolant temperature sensor to determine how much fuel to supply at lower temperatures. If this is not working properly, it may struggle to settle into a well running pattern. For example, if it is 30 degrees outside and the temperature sensor reads 100 degrees, this may send false information to the ECU causing it to send false information to the fuel injection system. A qualified professional from YourMechanic can inspect the rough running problem and verify the needed repairs.

ANSWER : I have only seen this situation once in my 30+ years and it turned out to be a broken crankshaft pulley. Belts are driven by the engine. The crankshaft pulley spins the belts, which in turn spin the air conditioner compressor, power steering and water pumps, and the alternator. The vehicle should be towed to your local repair shop and not driven. Without the water pump spinning to circulate the coolant, the engine will quickly overheat and result in more extensive damage.

ANSWER : Hello. This can be caused by a number of different things. If this occurred right after you had gotten fuel then I would start by testing the fuel pressure. I would do this when the vehicle starts running poorly. It is possible that the bad fuel contaminated the fuel pump and it is not putting out the right pressure. If the fuel pressure is fine then I would check the other sensors readings with a scan tool. One other common thing that I have seen on this engine is a leaking intake manifold gasket. It starts leaking on the bottom side and that leak causes the MAF and MAP to not read correctly which causes it to run like this. If you would like to have this rough running condition looked at, consider having a YourMechanic certified techniciancan come to your home or office to diagnose why it is running rough.

ANSWER : There are reports that the replacement alternators will not communicate with the engine computer and will not charge correctly. I recommend using only the manufacturer approved replacement part. It can be new or remanufactured but approved for use in the vehicle. Some lower cost alternators on the aftermarket will have charging problems since they will not communicate with the ECM on the vehicle and will stop charging.

ANSWER : Your question makes me think of a case I ran into a few years ago. The owner had modified his car but when he installed his fans, one of them was wired backwards so the fan ran in reverse. The two fans were fighting each other which was just like having no fan at all, so the car heated up while it was sitting still then it cooled off when moving. Check the rotation of both the fans before you check anything else. If that’s OK, you may be able to track down the problem with a non-contact thermometer, follow the course of the coolant with the beam. The radiator should be about 30 degrees or more cooler at the exit than at the entrance. If you need help with this, contact Your Mechanic. They can send a technician to your home to check out your overheating problem and let you know what can be done for it.

ANSWER : This may be a sign of a faulty MAP sensor as the vehicle responds adversely to a load put on the motor (i.e. putting it in gear, turning on AC or engaging the brakes). The Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) sensor senses engine load and generates a signal that is proportional to the amount of vacuum in the intake manifold. The engine computer then uses this information to adjust ignition timing and fuel enrichment. When the engine is working hard, intake vacuum drops as the throttle opens wide. The engine takes in more air, which requires more fuel to keep the air/fuel ratio in balance. When the computer reads a heavy load signal from the MAP sensor, it adjusts the fuel mixture to slightly more rich than normal so the engine can produce more power. The computer will then retard (back off) ignition timing slightly to prevent detonation that can damage the engine and decrease performance. This may also be caused by other closely related components such as a dirty or failing mass air-flow sensor, a faulty throttle position sensor or potentially a vacuum leak. I would recommend having an expert from YourMechanic come to your location to diagnose and inspect your vehicle.

ANSWER : Some model Hondas have the engine ECU in the location you described. Now that doesn’t mean you need an ECU, ECU failures are actually pretty rare. But it could be a clue.
Many electrical component failures occur at a certain temperature. A weak solder joint may expand and a circuit board lose the connection when the temperature rises. This kind of thing happens most often in fuel pump relays and power relays. Those would be the things that I would take a hard look at in your case. If you contact Your Mechanic they can send a technician to your home or office to check out your stalling Honda and let you know just what it will take to solve your problem.

ANSWER : Hello and thank you for your questions. If your engine was rebuilt about 10 months ago, the question is to determine if the management system has been installed as well. With the symptoms that you are having, it sounds like the coil packs are old and in need of replace. You replaced numbers 1 and 4 and now number 6 is not firing. I recommend replacing number 6, 2, 3, and 5. This will ensure that you have all 6 coil packs that are new.

Just because the coil packs are okay during a test doesn’t mean that they are functioning correctly. Coil packs on Buick vehicles from 1998 – 2005 last between 150,000 to 200,000 miles. I also recommend having your fuel injection system flushed. Unless you have new injectors, the old injectors could cause a cylinder to fail, even though it is working correctly. These symptoms can cause the engine to have a rough idle and rough running during conditions. If you need assistance troubleshooting the rough running condition, I recommend having a professional, like one from YourMechanic, inspect the car and move forward with repairs.