civic mysteriously losing power

My 2001 civic intermittently stops accelerating and then kicks back into gear while driving. It's not a stall, because the car doesn't completely lose power (the radio, a/c, etc. keep working), but the car stops moving. It almost feels like trying to drive with something stuck under the wheels

-- I press on the accelerator pedal but the car doesn't move. No indicator lights appear, nor are any problems coming up in computer diagnostics. The service people thought the problem was in the fuel supply and have tried a couple of things, including replacing the fuel pump, but there has been no change. They've basically admitted that they have no idea what the problem is, but the car isn't safe to drive. It only has 49,000 miles on it.

Does anyone have any ideas at all?

Reply to
amyjay
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First, perform the Lamp Check to be sure all your dash lights are indicating properly. Then follow your owner's manual and check the tranny fluid level. Wipe some on a piece of paper and tell us the color. Smell it. Let us know. Who talked you into a fuel pump?

'Curly'

Reply to
motsco_ _

Start by describing the problem a bit better.

What does "stops accelerating and then kicks back into gear" mean? You're driving along and then the engine "loses power" and you slow down or what? Or this happens when you're trying to accelerate? When you press the accelerator and the car doesn't move, is the engine revving or nothing is happening at all?

Reply to
JeB

The engine stops revving despite pressure on the accelerator and the car coasts and then slows. Then, the problem will stop, the RPMs will increase and the engine will rev commensurate with the pressure on the pedal. The problem has been intermittent, so it might happen for 10 or 15 seconds at a shot, though it's becoming more frequent. The car literally stopped moving while I was making a left turn across traffic the last time I had it out, and I was almost side-swiped. I kept my foot on the accelerator and a second later, it jumped forward.

I've had it at my local Honda dealership for the repairs. Admittedly, I can only assume they know what they're doing, though I've only had positive experiences there before.

Thanks!

Reply to
amyjay

The engine stops revving despite pressure on the accelerator and the car coasts and then slows. Then, the problem will stop, the RPMs will increase and the engine will rev commensurate with the pressure on the pedal. The problem has been intermittent, so it might happen for 10 or 15 seconds at a shot, though it's becoming more frequent. The car literally stopped moving while I was making a left turn across traffic the last time I had it out, and I was almost side-swiped. I kept my foot on the accelerator and a second later, it jumped forward.

I've had it at my local Honda dealership for the repairs. Admittedly, I can only assume they know what they're doing, though I've only had positive experiences there before.

Thanks!

Reply to
amyjay

jeez ... that sounds scary.

it sounds like an electrical problem to me but they're the experts. My guess is something in the ignition system is starting to fail but finding intermittent problems like this can be a real challenge.

Reply to
JeB

I'm thinking fuel delivery problem, possibly a loss of power to the fuel pump. (Fuel pumps themselves don't often become intermittent; they usually just up and die.) My reasoning is that electrical problems, whether ignition or anything in the injector control, is almost always very abrupt, like turning the ignition off and back on.

The ECU in my '84 Nissan 300ZX went insane and decided the engine wasn't running and would shut down the fuel pump every 30 or 60 seconds. It produced symptoms like you describe - a fading away over a period of a second or so, quicker at higher speed and slower at low speeds. But I would more strongly suspect the Main Relay

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in the Civic. Mike

Reply to
Michael Pardee

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This is a dark mystery . . . . .

So, it never actually stalls, but does it only do it at lower speeds, or highway as well? Does it matter if you're climbing a hill / coasting down a hill? What about hot or cold days? We don't know what country you're in, but have you tried some gasohol, or injector cleaner to be sure it's not water in the gas? I think it's more like a loose ground wire on the engine or electronics , but some of that should show up as a CODE.

Have you tried appealing to Honda's Head Office to see if they will help out, since it's a SAFETY ISSUE???? I bet they'd be helpful.

'Curly'

Reply to
motsco_ _

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