The engine doesn't hold idle if engine is cold

[daros]

Hi to all. I have a problem with my Honda Jazz 1.4 2011, which I bought two years ago. The symptom is getting progressively worse as the months go by.

Symptom: The car always starts first time, but then it won't hold idle and stalls if you don't keep the engine at a minimum of 2500 rpm. After two minutes, shortly after the blue cold engine light goes off, it holds idle again.

Furthermore, before warming up, the engine has no power and I can't make it up the hill in front of my house. As soon as the engine is warm, everything works perfectly.

I have changed the spark plugs and replaced the throttle body, but the behavior is the same.

It reminds me of the behavior of some cars from 40 years ago, which needed to have the "choke" pulled out and be warmed up before you could ask the engine for any effort.

Thank you for any help.

[TnTkr]

Is there anything in fault codes?

[CRC]

I had one of those cars a long time ago ... an original Skoda Estelle with the worst carburettor known to man !!!

Your current problem points to the ECU not really realising that the engine  is cold and that it needs to increase the opening times of the injectors to squirt more fuel in to get a rich mixture while the engine is cold. It's almost like it always thinks the engine is warm enough to "come off choke".

First thing I would do is get an OBD2 reader and monitor the engine water when the car is started. Even a very cheap reader will do this.

The value that you'll see on the reader is the value that the ECU is reading from the sensor and will confirm whether there's an issue with the temperature sensor.

[daros]

Problem solved with 50Euro!!! i had only to register the engine valves! The Honda services in Arezzo, Italy instead asked me to let them replace the catalysator (1200 Euro) to solve the problem. Fortunately i didn't trusted them and simply followed the suggestion of one of the members of the italian Honda jazz forum.
After the valves registration the car has also 30% more power!
Thanks to all for the help!

[paulhipw]

Can you explain what you did?


"Register the engine valves" not too sure what this is.
Do you mean Adjust the clearance on the engine valves?