Civic Diesel Stalling? Could Be Injector Drift Issue

Hey! I had very similar issues with my 2004 Honda Accord diesel at 245k km. The symptoms matched yours exactly, cutting out, jerking, hard starts, and the engine light was on. My injectors were defective and had to be replaced. The problem was carbon buildup and internal wear causing inconsistent fuel delivery. The garage found this after running diagnostics and checking the fuel return rates from each injector. Had to replace two injectors and clean the others. The job took about two days since they needed to remove quite a bit to access everything properly. It's definitely a serious issue that needs fixing soon, running with faulty injectors can damage your engine over time and the poor combustion just makes everything worse. The quantity drift compensation reset your mechanic mentioned is actually related to this, but it's just a temporary fix if the injectors are actually failing. Got it sorted and the car ran like new afterward, smooth acceleration, normal fuel consumption, and no more check engine light. Worth getting a proper diagnosis from someone who knows diesel engines well.

Thanks for sharing your experience! That's really helpful since our issues sound nearly identical. Glad you got yours fixed and running smoothly again. Just curious, do you remember roughly how much the whole injector job set you back? Also, has everything stayed good since the repair or have you noticed any other issues popping up? My Civic's really been stressing me out lately, so I'm trying to get an idea of what I might be looking at cost-wise and if this should sort it once and for all.

Hey again! Happy to help you out with the cost info. I just got mine fixed last month and it set me back 515€ for replacing the defective injector. And yes, that price included the quantity drift compensation reset that your mechanic mentioned, turns out that was definitely part of the problem! I'm really pleased to say everything's been running perfectly since the repair. The car feels like its old self again, no more jerking, no cutting out, and fuel consumption is back to normal. The engine light's stayed off too, which is always a good sign! What really impressed me was how quickly I noticed the difference. The moment I started it up after the repair, the engine was so much smoother. If your symptoms are as similar as they sound, I reckon you're looking at the same fix. It's not cheap, but it's definitely worth it to get your Civic running properly again. Trust me, once you get it sorted, all that stress will disappear. Just make sure you find a good diesel specialist who knows what they're doing, it makes all the difference!

Thanks for all that detailed info! Actually, I just got back from a new mechanic I found, and you won't believe it, you were spot on! Had my injectors checked and, sure enough, two of them were shot. Got them replaced yesterday and wow, what a difference! The repair bill came to a bit more than yours since I needed multiple injectors, but honestly, it was worth every penny. My Civic's running like a dream now, no more of that annoying jerking or cutting out. The engine light's finally off too, which is such a relief. Funny thing is, the mechanic I found was super honest and explained everything clearly, unlike that first place I went to. They even showed me the old injectors and pointed out all the carbon buildup you mentioned. Really glad I asked for advice here, saved me from going back to that other shop and probably getting another temporary fix. Thanks again for sharing your experience, it really helped me make the right decision!