# Engine hesitation

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/engine-hesitation/13794>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Created:** [May 9, 2008, 3:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/engine-hesitation/13794 "2008-05-09T15:48:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![callum\_bell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@callum\_bell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/callum_bell)\
**Post date:** [May 9, 2008, 3:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/engine-hesitation/13794/1 "2008-05-09T15:48:29Z")

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I have a 99 Honda CR-V 5-speed manual. Mostly at low speed around  
  
 town, the engine seems to hesitate for less than a second, causing  
  
 the car to slow suddenly and then pick up again. The engine doesn’t  
  
 cut out, just hesitates. It does this several times in a row on one  
  
 journey, then might not do it again for a week. This has made it  
  
 impossible for the mechanic to diagnose. The plugs and plug wires  
  
 have been replaced to no avail. Help! I love this car but it is  
  
 making me crazy. During a ride when it is doing this thing I drive  
  
 with my foot hovering over the clutch so when it hesitates I can jam  
  
 my foot down to stop it lurching.

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**Author:** ![budd2049](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/77aa72/32.png) [@budd2049](https://community.cartalk.com/u/budd2049)\
**Post date:** [May 9, 2008, 4:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/engine-hesitation/13794/2 "2008-05-09T16:00:00Z")

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Can only make guesses, but my suspicion is a fuel delivery problem.

Fuel filter? Dirty injectors? Weak fuel pump?

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**Author:** ![callum\_bell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@callum\_bell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/callum_bell)\
**Post date:** [May 9, 2008, 4:31pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/engine-hesitation/13794/3 "2008-05-09T16:31:31Z")

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The fuel filter was replaced. Can injectors be cleaned? What about the electronics that control ignition and fuel injection?

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**Author:** ![hellokit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6a8cbe/32.png) [@hellokit](https://community.cartalk.com/u/hellokit)\
**Post date:** [May 9, 2008, 9:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/engine-hesitation/13794/4 "2008-05-09T21:04:28Z")

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Have your mechanic read the diagnostic steps at this website: [http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/faq.html](http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/faq.html) Click on the type of problem category like: “Starting/running problems”.

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**Author:** ![callum\_bell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@callum\_bell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/callum_bell)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2008, 4:15am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/engine-hesitation/13794/5 "2008-05-10T04:15:38Z")

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Thanks, that is a great resource. There are some tests I’ll run on the EFI main relay and the igniter tomorrow.