96 accord surging at cruise throttle

Hi all!
'96 Accord E-XR Vtec. 5-speed w/ 360,000 kms (approx 220,000 mi)

Car runs pretty good considering its age.Engine light has been on for
almost 8 months now but being a student and not using the car much,
haven't had it checked. Car runs fine all around.
Anyway, other day I stopped to top off my gas; car had run fine up to
that point. I drive away and a few minutes later it starts 'jerking'.
After several hundred kms of observation and a couple of bottles of
fuel injection cleaner, this is what is happening:
In any gear at between 2000-3000 rpm, the car lurches back and forth -
violently when in low gears - like it was starved for fuel then got a
sip but at a very rapid rate. Being a standard tranny, it's very
noticeable. It DOES NOT appear to be related to the rpm's but rather
the position of the accelerator. Whenever I am at a cruise - that is
not slowing or accelerating it does this - in any gear. The moment I
take my foot off the gas over accelerate- even lightly - the symptom
disappears. Even with cruise control on at highway speeds it does
this. On my way home last night, I kept the car in fourth instead of
5th as the higher rpms seemed to eliminate the problem.
Aside from the engine diagnostic, any thoughts on what might be the
cause. TPS?
Thanks!

 

what code are you getting from the ecu?

 

DOn't know how to do that and haven't taken it into the shop.

 

It's cheaper to get the code read than throw parts on the car.
Autozone will read it for free,I've heard.

Is Autozone in Canada?

The TPS is part of the throttle body,and not replaceable itself.
The throttle body is not inexpensive.
there are tests you can do to check the TPS in place;either measure the
voltage output range,or ohm it out.

 

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If it's the TPS it's SO EASY to confirm. Get an old-style meter with a
needle and connect it to the TPS, set for 1,000 Ohm range. You'll see it
move smothely, then spike to infinity when you hit the open spot, which
corresponds to highway cruise RPMs. Google it and find a 'tuner' TPS
replacement and it will probably even come with directions how to drill
/ Dremmel the rivets.

'Curly'

 

No Autozone in Canada, but Partsource will do the check for free.

 

:

Godd to know- I didn't already. Thanks

 

Actually it's not that easy. As a matter of fact, yesterday I gave up
trying to figure a way to get my mutlimeter at that unit. Changed a
wheel bearing and my rad...which i found to be much easier.

 

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The diagrams at www.slhondaparts.com should help. I just walked outside
and opened the hood of my CR-V. Reached behind the throttle body,
squeezed the connector and slipped it off the TPS. Without bending over
very far I can feel three pins with my finger. Put your (extension)
leads on the center one and either of the others. When you rotate the
throttle plate by hand you'll see you meter needle swing offscale when
you hit cruise speed (probably about 2,600 RPM?).

Don't use a digital meter unless it has a good analog bar graph.

The original CR-V _does_ have lots of room under the hood.

'Curly'