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1998 honda civic EX
Manual Trans
177,000 mileslast night i noticed while driving that my car would hesitate while driving. i was on the express going 70mph and it felt like the car slowed quickly and then picked back up. but it was very quick and sudden. it happened a couple times.
first i thought maybe the cruise control was malfunctioning, so i turned it off. but about 10 minutes later it happened again.
i dont think it is a problem with the wheels because it does not pull to any direction like its locking up.
and i tested whether it happened with the clutch engaged or not, didnt occur with clutch popped. but its hard to say because it wasnt a frequent thing, maybe 15 mins apart.i personally believe it is the transmission because the fluid has never been changed since i have had the car. and i have put approximately 30,000 miles on it. and i have had trouble shifting into first and reverse.
i am going to change my oil tomorrow because it is due, see if that helps. but i would really appreciate any input that anyone has. i cant really afford to go buy a new car right now…thanks a lot!!
-Josh-
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Replies
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It could be a performance issue.
http://www.ericthecarguy.com/faq/solving-automotive-performance-issues
I don’t believe the tranny fluid or oil will help this problem If it was an auto tranny…maybe. You mentioned having a hard time putting it in to gear and hesitation or a miss at speed. Staying with the tranny topic, it could be the clutch/pressure plate/flex plate. If its an engine issue, the list could go on for days! Not knowing your car of what has/has not been done to it with that many miles it would be near impossible to fix…it would be guessing. Give us a little more info…good luck!
It seems to me like an electrical or ignition problem but I would bet on a failing ignition switch (electrical part). Try wiggling the key while parked with the engine running to see if you can make it act up.
Not sure about the difficulty in going into gear but the hesitation would be unrelated unless it was during a gear shift. Sounds like performance. New plugs maybe? Check foerexhaust restrictions with a vacuum gauge and throttle slap. Check plug wires etc….keep it simple at first. 30, 000 with old plugs in it would be my first guess.
My car had a hesitation problem too, I would step on the gas, I would feel a brisk vibration, then it would pull, figured a performance issue, so I changed my spark plugs, never had them changed, bought the car at 150k, it’s now at 194, and the gap on those plugs were atleast 5x greater what they should be gapped at. For me, replacing them fixed the problem. There is also rebates on some spark plugs, ranging from 75 cents to I think 2$ per plug.
As far as cruise goes, with my car when I am cruising, and I hit a hill, my car slows down, but then it revs up to get the speed to go up the hill, maybe this is what you are experiencing?
I don’t know much about transmissions, are you trying to shift while on a hill? I believe it’s called torque lock, where it’s difficult to shift because of being on a steep hill..
Good luck!
It’s not likely to be your transmission. Perhaps a clutch issue, but not the transmission. Honda’s should only have Honda fluid in them. If you decide to replace the fluid I would recommend you replace it with Honda fluid. Here’s a video.
As for checking your clutch.
If it were a performance issue I would first suspect the ignition system. Hondas rarely have fuel delivery problems unless their fuel pumps were replaced with aftermarket units. I’ll repost this article to help you with those.
http://www.ericthecarguy.com/faq/solving-automotive-performance-issues
And lastly just for the heck of it.
Keep us posted.
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