festiva down

[kimara3002]

ok well im trying to get the best idea of what my problem is and hopefully someone has had it before me and i can go from there but here it goes. the festiva is having drivability issues. when you first start her she runs fine then about a mile down the road she starts acting up. you press the gas and it just wants to die but as soon as you let up off of the pedal she idles fine. then press the gas and wants to stahl out again and will keep doing this for a bit on n off and then shes back to normal for a small amount of time. ive also been on the highway going bout 70 when she statrs slowing down and sputtering more gas more sputtering and occasional cel but as soon as you take your foot off the gas pedal cel goes away and then runs fine again. it makes the car very unreliable to say the least.. what i have done to try to fix this problem.. replace fuel pump and strainer, fuel filter, new plugs, wires, cap and rotor..theromstat n gasket..not part of the problem but i had the cap off and it was there so.. but what it could be.. well deff. spark or fuel related most likely but tps, maf, ignition coil, fuel injectors, camshaft position sensor or maybe even a clogged up cat. or timming?? but the problem is she runs fine then she want to die in the middle of driving and then after hitting the gas pedal repetedly she runs normal again for a bit.. the car idles fine.. no sputtering or anything of that nature what so ever but acts up only when driven. there are also NO CEL'S ive jumped the wire the 2 wires even hooked up a volt meter and absolutly nothing come up.. the cel doe not come on at all when this is happeneing either ecept the few times on the highway and as soon as the gas pedal is let go its off and doesnt come back on... so yea im kinda stumped and thinking bout using it as yard art real soon if i cant figure it out cause ive dropped enough money into it the past year with other things that needed to be replaced but any thoughts???

[WmWatt]

what's a "cel"?

[rmp2711]

check engine light?

[kimara3002]

cel = check engine light

[redbirds25to5]

Currently, my car seems to have the same issue. Sometimes after startup and then shifting into D, it stalls too. Still, my major problems occur after driving for a short period of time at highway speeds. Even as a novice to Festivas, it seems to me like you're on the right electrical-minded track.

Personally, my short list of possible fixes include the following: ignition control module, ignition coil, idle air control, manifold absolute pressure sensor and, like you, I'm concerned with the catalytic converter. I'd like to get into a drive on the highway soon (with fewer cars around), inevitably encounter my lack of power/won't maintain/gain speed problem again, and pull over to see if the catalytic converter is glowing red. In any case, I hope that both of us can get this problem resolved with the help of the Festiva experts here. Guys/Gals, what's your take? Thanks!

[eurotiva]

fuel filter

[Bert]

fuel filter

This piece of advice is sound, and a relatively cheap experiment.

[HondaSlayer]

OP said they replaced the fuel filter. I would say maybe along the line of a lose connection at the vaf meter. I had the same problem when I did my motor swap. Then it shut off completely and I saw the plug had fell off. I would check and clean all connections on important parts like vaf meter, ignition control module, injectors, and fuseable links. And it is just time so no more just throwing money at it.

[kimara3002]

yes fuel filter has been replaced same time as the fuel pump and strainer which i now know is not the problem.. well the pvc valve has been cleaned as well and is newer aka less than 3k miles.. im assuming vaf means valume air flow? aka mass air flow? it could be that but i would expect a CEL to come on even for obd I .. also i had my alt. go less than 200 miles ago so i replaced that the belt and the battery since that was unstable also blew the fuseable links to the headlights so i replaced bulbs and all three links under the hood that are there.. i work at a parts store part time and can get a small discount but still dont want to be throwing money into it.. also went to school to be a mechanic and was one as well for a while but im just trying to get a better pinpoint than just replace and see what happens.. if i have to i will but its not easy with it being here n there as well as no CEL to pinpoint the problem.. kinda starting to irritate me to speak since i have no problems like this with any of my other cars adn when i do its more easily solved than this

[caoverlock]

unhook the cat.converter take it out on the hiway to see if you get the same problem.i would be willing to bet the cat is clogged,runs ok till it gets hot and expands causing the exhaust to be restricted.

[tkannegaard]

i know this sounds silly but when i got my last festiva i had this problem and my fuel filter was on backwards lol might check theres usually a arrow for flow if your old one was wrong u might of put the new one on the same way

[Damkid]

I would think its a sensor acting up (hence the CEL) and its sounding like TPS.... Do you have a spare to swap out with for testing reasons?

[redbirds25to5]

Damkid, while I don't have a spare TPS for testing, your solution seems solid, especially with what might be my bad TPS symptoms (fine with idle, sputter/stall w/ acceleration). After checking my connections, I tried a highway drive last night to see if I got any red glow/major heat from my catalytic converter. I did. As a DIYer in other areas of the Festiva, I don't feel too comfortable messing with the cat down there, so I'll have to wait a bit until I can fund a change there. I'll keep everybody posted on any developments. Again, sorry for a piggyback of the OP, but my car's symptoms have been the same, and I had to give/get my two cents. Thanks!

[Damkid]

I was simply guessing what the problem could be, it just seems like a good place to start lookin is all

[DON SVO]

Don't throw parts at it. Glowing cat means its retaining a lot of heat. Undo the exhaust bolts before the cat and go drive it. It'll allow the exhaust to bypass the cat (it'll also be loud and smell like fuel, don't worry) and go cruise it on the freeway. If the car runs a lot better, you figured out a big issue and you can then replace the cat. If it sti acts up, then you took the same amount of time as spending $150+ for a new cat and didn't spend $150. Ya savvy?