Honda CRV Check engine light

Mazda Jon

Mazda Jon

Well-known member
My wife's 2000 CRV had the check engine light come on a few weeks ago. (Yes, I checked, it was still there) Showed miss fires in 3 and 4. Changed the plugs, cap and rotor and reset. 2 days later whle leaving on vacation it came on again. Put a set of wires on, no problems. Light came on again and was flashing with codes, P0301, P0302, P0303, P0304, P0300, P1399. Miss fire in all 4 cylinders, multi miss fire.

Changed the fuel filter last night, still same problem. Looking around with Google I kept finding that the cure for the P1399 and all the others was to adjust the valves, does that sound right? Trying that tonight if the rain holds off.

Any other suggestions other than throwing parts at it.

Thanks,
Jon
 
Hey Jon -

Could very well be the distributor. The bushings/bearings fail and sometimes the first clue is they start to get loud - run the engine and see if the distributor sounds noisy.
 
My '98 Chevy express van displays Check Engine (#7 misfire) every time I buy gas in Iowa. 3 years in a row going to Topeka. Clears itself once "good" gas is in place.
Can't explain; just came to expect it.

RJS
 
If it's a 2000, is that still the B20 engine? During that time, Honda ignitors and coils were still notoriously bad, so I'd look into replacing those as well. They're a pretty easy install, a couple screws inside the distributor.
 
Wife's 2006 Element began having similar issues around 120k miles and a valve lash adjustment solved the problem. Many Hondas do require adjustment as the solid exhaust valves "stretch" over time and require lash adjustment to loosen them up. When you go too long between adjustments, the lash gets too tight and holds the exhaust valves open, causing misfires and eventually burns the valves up.

The CRV uses the B20 engine, which does have solid lifters..
Similar issue here:
http://honda-tech.com/honda-element-cr- ... t-2795822/
 
I've adjusted lots of these and this usually fixes the problem. You'll find the exhaust tighten up. The other thing I've seen on these is lack of oil changes causing the VTEC to not work right. Keep the oil changed, adjust the valves, you'll be fine.
 
Thanks guys.

Adjusting the valves didn't sound right, but it's a Honda.

I figured if I could get a reply from Jesse or Kevin I'd be all set.

As always thanks for the help. (see this site can have possitive, helpful posts)
 
Matt93SE":cam285c3 said:
The CRV uses the B20 engine, which does have solid lifters..
Similar issue here:
http://honda-tech.com/honda-element-cr- ... t-2795822/
Click to expand...
Only the first gen (1997-2001) had the B20, which was non-VTEC. Since 2002 on, the CRV (and the Element) has solely had some variant of the K24, all of which have some form of VTEC. On the B-Series, I'd look more towards ignition control. On the K-Series, valve lash and proper oil levels and condition. The "exhaust valve gets too tight and then burns up" issue is typically more of a problem on the VTEC engines, but it's certainly not a bad thing to check on your non-VTEC B20 too.
 
Yes, it's the B20 non vtec.

I'll try the adjustment and if that doesn't do it I'll try the coil.

Thanks
 
Well.

I had a coil (the wife from my practice marriage had a Honda that seized a dist) so I changed that. Light still started blinking after about a minute.

Then the hail started.

Put up the easy up and adjusted the valves. None were tight (they all shook a little) and I adjusted to proper spec. Light still started blinking after about a minute.

Did a cold compression, #1 60lbs, #2 55lbs, #3 zero, #4 55lbs.

I think I found the problem.
 
Update.

Yup it was a burnt exhaust valve, even thou it wasn't tight when I adjusted them.

Sent the head out and got it back all nice and new looking.

New Water pump and timing belt.

Now it won't start.

I've checked the cam timing about a thousand times and with the crank pulley on the white timing mark, #1 at TDC, both cams with the arrow pointing "up" and the rotor pointed at the #1 wire on the cap.

Compression is at about 90 lbs on all cylinders.

I have my spark tester (wire with bulb) and it shows spark in all 4 cylinders. Also checked with a plug against the valve cover, it sparks.

Fuel pressure at the fuel filter and smell of fuel at the exhaust, but plugs are not wet.

Checked distributor and coil, ok.

It just cranks. Had the plenum off and sprayed starter fluid in while cranking, got nothing, not even a sputter.

I've disconnected all the plugs and plugged back in, nothing.

Doesn't show any codes on the reader.

This has gotten beyond frustrating.

Jon
 
Mazda Jon":3ju6szfm said:
Update.

Yup it was a burnt exhaust valve, even thou it wasn't tight when I adjusted them.

Sent the head out and got it back all nice and new looking.

New Water pump and timing belt.

Now it won't start.

I've checked the cam timing about a thousand times and with the crank pulley on the white timing mark, #1 at TDC, both cams with the arrow pointing "up" and the rotor pointed at the #1 wire on the cap.

Compression is at about 90 lbs on all cylinders.

I have my spark tester (wire with bulb) and it shows spark in all 4 cylinders. Also checked with a plug against the valve cover, it sparks.

Fuel pressure at the fuel filter and smell of fuel at the exhaust, but plugs are not wet.

Checked distributor and coil, ok.

It just cranks. Had the plenum off and sprayed starter fluid in while cranking, got nothing, not even a sputter.

I've disconnected all the plugs and plugged back in, nothing.

Doesn't show any codes on the reader.

This has gotten beyond frustrating.

Jon
Click to expand...
forget the marks and check tdc at the piston set up tdc #1 and measure valve overlap on #4. 90 lbs on the starter says its retarded at least one tooth.
 
The up mark just lets you know you're on #1 compression stroke. The actual timing marks on the gears are lines stamped on the outer faces of the gears that should line up with the valve cover gasket surface and point directly at each other at TDC
 
And this is why I don't do this for a living. Joe and Jonathan were right, both cams were off a few teeth. Compression is much better now.

Now I don't have any spark. Checked the coil and ignitor and they test ok.

Time for a gallon of gas and a road flare.

Jon
 
Are the injectors still firing? (so you have wet plugs).. If so, that would tell me the crank sensor is working and it's something on the ignition side.
With Nissans, the fuel pump only runs when it sees a crank signal. the ECU sees the crank turn, so it runs the fuel pump for 1-2 seconds every time it gets a new position signal from the crank sensor. It's a faint sound when you have your head in the engine bay, but you can at least hear it to know that the ECU sees the signal. Try turning the ignition on and rotate the engine slowly by hand (or pull the crank/cam sensor and turn it by hand), and see if you can hear the injectors + spark plugs + fuel pump each cycle.

I wonder if the crank sensor got angry during all of this other work. possibly broke a wire maybe while working on it?
did you maybe leave it unplugged after pulling the valve cover to reset the cam timing?

Just trying to throw out idears here...
 
+1 on the broken wire or disconnected plug - the crank position sensor on a B-series is actually in the distributor. I've seen the wires in the connectors sometimes get pushed out of the back of the connector, or break off inside the connector. Check continuity of the wires through the connectors. Also, when you turn the key on, the check engine light should come on for a few seconds and you should hear the fuel pump prime - then the light goes out and the pump stops. If that doesn't happen you may have a bad relay.

Oh - and now for the obvious, no offense intended question - if you had it off, did you put the rotor (and the little screw) back on when you pulled the distributor cap? I've seen the screws get left out...
 
Thanks Guys.

When I turn the key the fuel pump primes, relay clicks, CEL comes on for about 2-3 seconds, fuel pump goes off. The plugs are wet and I can smell fuel at the exhaust. No spark at the plug, any of them.

Looking in the manual, I tested the coil and ignitor and both were in spec. Checked all the fuses, looked at the rectangular distributor plug and the wires, everything looks ok.
 
First, THANK YOU to everyone that commented and PM'd me with suggestions. It reminded me of the great people we have in the prod/GTL community.

It was the coil.

Found a great video on YouTube this morning about field testing the coil. Went to the pullandpay this afternoon and found the 1 Honda with a coil still in it. (On an unrelated note they had 1 WRX and about the only thing left in it was the fog light switch I needed)

The car runs great!!

Thanks again,
Jon
 
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