Erratic acceleration - 99 Accord i4

Problem:
The car has erratic acceleration. It would hiccup (lose and regain power). Behavior is the same with car at rest and revving up the engine. No Check Engine Light CEL.

History:
Car lost power on the freeway and was towed to the dealership. The distributor igniter, distributor cap, spark plug, and plug wires were replaced. A week later the car was returned for said “hiccup”. Although the car does not die, the power is erratic. Dealer suspected the fuel pump so it was replaced. After paying the stealer ship $1200 for all said repairs, the car is no better off.

A MAP sensor CEL code later appeared so the MAP sensor was replaced. And since the O2 sensors were old, they too were replaced.

This is where I am now:
Since the idle is erratic, I suspect it could be the Idle Control Valve so I decided to get a new ICV. My research indicates that after replacement of the ICV, the idle has to be reset. I checked for vacuum leak and turned off all accessories. Sprayed carburetor cleaner on throttle body and intake manifold area, and no leaks were found. Ran the engine to operating temperature and disconnected the ICV valve. Adjust the brass screw above the throttle body so the engine rev to 550 rpm. Once the ICV is disconnected, the idle is supposed to go down to the point is would stall. However the opposite happened, rpm went up not down; rpm fluctuates 1100 to 1300. Turning the screw either direction did not affect the rpm.

Could the throttle body be bad? Do I have a vacuum leak somewhere? Could it be the EGR valve?

Any input is much appreciated.

This kind of sounds like the ignition switch problem. That's all I got.

ICV only works when the throttle is closed.

Yeah tho, sounds like ignition prob. Well, it sounds like a elect prob that includes the ecm or you'd have codes.

Right now, since I have an new ICV, I am merely trying to set the idle. What baffles me is the rpm is staying high with the ICV disconnected. To my understanding the idle should go down after disconnecting the ICV. As I mentioned earlier, I could not get the idle to go down to 550 no matter which way I turn the screw. During this process the engine does not miss or die.

What do you guys think why the idle is not going down? With the ICV disconnected, is the ECM in the picture? Could a bad EGR prevent the idle from going down?

The car has over 175k so a replacement of the EGR might not be far away, but I would rather postpone a new EGR for later date if possible.

air leak, the ICV lets air past the throttle plate

more open = idle up
less open = idle low

might be getting past the throttle plate

possible causes for high: loose/cracked hose, EGR, bad gasket, stuck open throttle

You just wasted 1200 dollars this is why you don't go to the dealer, the fuel pump is one of those things that never have to change...the dealer had no idea so they came up with some **** from there *** and said fuel pump was the problem and stole your money

A fuel pump issue is easy to find, for a skilled mechanic.

Know WHO your mechanic is, not 'a' dealer, that is how you get reliable service.

I know nothing of the past, this is only my response to Aztec, as a professional technician.

I typically work on my cars myself, but this time my car died on the side of the highway which was a two blocks from the dealership and 25 miles from my house. At the time I made a judgement call to have them diagnose and work on the car. I overpaid, I know. Also, this is not the first time I've needed to replace a fuel pump in a car, but the first time I paid someone else to do it. Moving on.

Replaced the EGR. No luck. I've sprayed all the hoses in the area to try and find any leaks, and removed the intake to inspect the throttle body to ensure it's seated properly. I'm at the end of my leash, about to just have it towed to a nearby shop.

Thanks for yalls help, if you have any more thoughts, please let me know.

K, it sounds like your IAT thing, remove & inspect/clean it.

I would have my car towed home. It has been towed only once (I got a flat, damn spare tire bolt would spin but not come out!) but that was home.

Cleaned the IAT and it was a vast improvement to idle. Thanks for the tip, should I go ahead and replace it?

While the idle is better, the car still isn't driveable. It stutters past 20 mph and the whole car shudders. It is also showing new codes : P0300,301,302,303,1399. Google search shows its misfiring. Any tips? Thanks so much for your help thus far.