How Do I check the timing belt alignment

[vrmouseyd15b]

Originally Posted by California98Civic

Definitely do it again first, after warming the engine until the rad fan kicks on. It has to be hot. That's in the factory service manual. Do it on a cold engine and get the wrong results. Good luck. Keep us informed.

Yeah, what he said

[Davo53209@yahoo.com]

I just recently got back and followed each procedure just like before; but this time, I adjusted the idle speed from the distributor with a warm engine. In fact so warm, I even stopped at a drive-thru on my way home from work, followed by taking the freeway home.

Still, nothing appears to have hanged. For example, from a dead stop in my drive way moments after the adjustment, my idle speed appears to be around 800-900 RPM's. After driving around the block, my idle speed then hovers at 1000 RPM's.

Within this post, I've provided two pictures that illustrate this fact.

[California98Civic]

Here is a good thread on your issue over at honda-tech.com, which is a great site with a deeper stable of people with knowledge about these cars than we have here at EM. You just gotta wade through the trolls. Fortunately, those types of dudes are getting thinner on the ground with the older Civics. Important site to go to:
http://honda-tech.com/showthread.php?t=2113540

[vrmouseyd15b]

You might want to try adding a return spring at your throttle, it might just be getting old and sticky.

[Davo53209@yahoo.com]

Success....I got my idle speed down to where it is needed. To start things off, I went to Harbor Freight, where I'd purchased a digital photo sensor tachometer for $40.00 and it was just the tool that was required.

From there, I followed the procedures from the technical manual, which indicates unplugging the 2-pin connector from the IACV, adjusting the idle screw and then resetting the computer.

The tachometer is an interesting little device, which comes with reflective tape that I had placed on the harmonic balancer. My first reading registered at 982.6 RPM's, but eventually, I got the idle speed down to 649.52 RPM's. Given that the tech manual states 650 RPM's, for a D15z1 engine, that was close enough for me.

Afterwards, I reset the computer and took it out for a test drive. So far, so good, and I'm happy to say that the car runs quieter and smoother.

http://www.harborfreight.com/digital...ter-66632.html

[vrmouseyd15b]

Cool. That's how you set the "base idle" glad you got it figured out!

[California98Civic]

Cool tool.