My ‘07 with 130k miles is stalling and 4 mechanics have not been able to figure out why.

FROM THE BEGINNING: For the past few years the car shakes and stalls once or twice when she is cold. I have replaced the coil packs whenever they test bad and I get slight improvement for a while but the shaking never fully goes away. Particularly during cold winter mornings, always on my way out of the neighborhood at low rpm. Always when I am coming to a stop sign or light and coasting a lot. Very rough shakey ride when I first get going but by the time I reach main roads and give prolonged gas, she warms up and is a good smooth ride the rest of the day. No strange noises at crank.

About a month ago the ride was getting rough/shakey even after I drive somewhere at restart but similar symptoms, not too bad. I’d just turn the AC and radio off and it would usually calm down till I got where I was going.

THEN she died on a main road as I was accelerating, my foot was still on the pedal but the sound of the engine just stopped and I started slowing down. It was night so I sat in the car with the lights and flashers on to call a tow and suddenly the cabin lights faded then the headlights and finally flashers. The flashers made an awful grinding clicking noise as they died. I turned the whole car off and had it towed to the mechanic.

The next day he called and said the car is starting fine, he even drove it around the parking lot and it is not even shaking or stalling but the battery is testing bad, I need to replace it. So I did but still a super shakey ride and stalling for me, not sure how it wasn’t shaking for him. I’ve taken it to 3 mechanics, no diagnosis. They keep telling me to replace the battery I just got. It’s A Civic battery, pulling 430cca on a 500 but that is well above what the FIT needs so I call BS on that.

I came out here and saw recommendations for Valve Adjustment / Spark Plugs, which I did not do at 105k and is not part of the standard diagnostic, so I figured the likely culprit and got that done. The ride is soo much smoother BUT the last 2 times I drove her, I got to my destination fine but when I go to leave she will start, shake ~4 times, then stall. If I wait 30 minutes she starts again fine.

What the heck is that?

I have been told the coil packs are testing fine, alternator tests fine, fuel pump looks fine, air filters are fine. No engine codes coming up.

After replacing the battery I keep getting the “not ready for O2 emissions test” signal: check engine light for 20 seconds then flashes 5 times and turns off.

I’m wondering if there is a problem with the oxygen sensor or something? Maybe the engine doesn’t think there is enough air even though there is so it cuts off? Anybody have experience with anything like that? How would I even test that?

The car has sentimental value so I want to keep it if I can but I’m honestly not sure what to do when it keeps stalling and every mechanic I take it to tells me to replace the brand new battery.

Any advice suggestions appreciated!

 

Sounds like a frustrating problem! Could you post a video of the issue?

 

Replace PCV valve and clean EGR system if you haven't done 'em yet. I assume you've replaced both air and fuel filter.

Generally, when the engine is cold (blue light thermometer w/ C is on), it ignores signals from oxy sensor. Though it might be a good idea to replace it anyway.

Edit: this may help: https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/1st-...-resolved.html

 

I had a similar problem on a non-Honda high mileage engine. People kept telling me to remove the throttle body and thoroughly clean it with a tooth brush and throttle body cleaner until there was no trace of dirt anywhere (sparklinly clean). To my surprise that took care of the problem. This was not a Honda. Air flow sensors and oxgen sensors can cause similar problems. Normally the oxygen sensor is not used on start up as it need to be up to temperature before it is reliable. Most sensors have an electric heater bult into to them to bring them up to operating temp sooner. Again I have never had to replace one a Honda Fit.