joeymt33
i4WD=imitated 4WD
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aprils_fool
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That would be the last trip to that dealer for me. And no way in hell I would be paying for a plug change on a regular service that doesn't call for a new set of plugs!!
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Have to get my 2 cents in here too. I work on Honda marine engines and have found that occasionally, I have engines with low hours exhibit the same symptoms y'all are describing. There are several things I've found that can cause this. 1- Valve adjustment from the factory is set on the tight end of the spec. Adjusting the valves to the loose end of the spec always improves cold, and warm starts, and idle quality. 2- engine not properly 'broke in'. If the owner 'babies' his new engine, it will, in pretty short order start to run like s**t. Don't baby it. Let it warm up and run it HARD after it has about 20-30 miles on it, or in marine engine terms, about an hour... then run it at, or near wide open where possible, at or near the rev limiter for the next hundred or so miles, main point- don't baby it during 'break-in', and use Honda's recommended oil, and Honda oil filters until it's well run-in, and the warranty is over, cuz if it fails, and it has an aftermarket filter, and/or some magic super best ever engine oil in it, you may end up owning that pile of scrap that was an engine..... 3- the iridium plugs fail. I have replaced some of these plugs under warranty- not often, and they never look bad, they just quit working, but in general, they last 700-1000 hrs if everything else is right, and we've tried using standard plugs, and they never last more than 300hrs- jus sayin... 4- Idle Air Control passage dirty, or obstructed. Doesn't take much to mess these up, and cause the hard start, sh**ty idle, hesitation etc. The computer control in these is nothing like a car- it's dumb, it relies on temperature, throttle position, rpm, and manifold pressure to adjust fuel, timing, and idle speed, but only within pretty limited parameters- particularly when cold. Once warmed up, it will start using data from the O2 sensor to fine tune fueling, but everything else is pretty much r.p.m. and manifold pressure algorithms, and I've seen the outboards come in with a dead plug or bad valve adjustment running so bad it wouldn't start or idle without opening the throttle, and still not set a fault in the computer. 5- poor ground connections- these will cause intermittent insanity- check the ground straps! If the dealer does the PDI (pre-delivery inspection) properly, most issues are caught before the customer ever sees the machine, but anyone can miss stuff, and well, s**t happens.... One more thing- when checking the gaps on iridium plugs, be very careful with the feeler gauge. The iridium coating is very thin and can be damaged easily- causing premature failure- so don't pry the gap open, use a gapping tool to bend the ground electrode as needed, and when installing, be aware that the torque specs are substantially different for lubed threads vs. dry threads. Sorry for going on and on..... Hope this is helpful
