My son has a 1997 Honda Civic. It has about 130,000 miles on it and has been a good car.

It started to miss and run rough above 55 MPH last week. He found a problem with the rotor cap. The screw had come loose that holds it on the cam and it had wore pretty bad.

We assumed that was the problem and put a new rotor cap on. Still did the same thing.

This weekend he changed all the plugs and plug wires, changed the fuel filter and checked the timing.

Now it is WORSE, it idles VERY rough.

What is he missing here? I don't know squat about these cars and my first thought was a vacumn line maybe?

Any suggestions would be appreciated. I need to get him back on the road.

Better get in and have that timing belt looked at. I don't know if it has been replaced or not but if it hasn't you are on borrowed time with it. I would tow it in because if it is the timing belt and it breaks it will be time for a new engine.

Roby

Should be replaced every 80k, depending on the driver of course.

He did replace the timing belt somewhere around 80-90K miles.

Well actually the 1995 and newer use a better belt and it can go more than 100K. However I wouldn't go any further than that especially if it is either an HX or EX that will have the VTEC engine. The base engine non-vvT then you could push it a little longer but not to 130K

Roby

The only thing that I know about Hondas it that you shouldn't ask this group about the Element!

Igniter.

Nothing wrong with an Element as long as you don't put a hitch on it.

Roby

LMAO actually I think a quote from when we asked about the Element was "People don't laugh at you when you are walking" LOL

Can you be more specific?