help! car wont rev passed 3200

[90accord]

hey guys, so i was driving home from work in my 91 civic cx and everything was fine for about 10 minutes until i downshifted and my car felt like it was rev limiting or something so i continued on and it drives normal up to 3200 rpm but wont rev passed that almost as if it cant pass that point. When i got home i popped the hood and every couple of seconds or so it makes kind of click or something at idle. I dont know whats going on and its my only way around. If someone could help troupleshoot it or let me know whats wrong that would be sweet. Thanks Nathan

[RaptorGJC]

It's possible that your exhaust could be plugged. When you rev it up to "max", does it struggle to make power?

[90accord]

it does struggle to make power when i get it to 3200 rpm like it just wont go past and it kinda bogs out. it has a whole between the cat and the muffler if that changes anything.

[Primer_Drift]

9 times out of 10 that is the ignitor.. trying cleaning the contacts first.

» Click image for larger version

[90accord]

alright cool so i will pop off the distributor cap and clean the contacts and hope that helps what wrong. does that happen at a random time during driving because it was fine. Whats the best way to clean them?

[Primer_Drift]

Well oxidation builds up on them, and then changes in temperature can cause intermittent problems. If the ignitor is going bad it acts quite similar to this as well. Bogging in general is always more likely to be an ignition problem than a fuel or mechanical problem... at least with Hondas anyways.

Best way to clean them is with a small wire "toothbrush" or some emery cloth, the same way you'd clean corrosion off of battery terminals. For good measure you can apply some dielectric grease when you re-install the wires to help keep the moisture out, but it isn't mandatory.

[gretz]

wire brush or anything abrasive to clean up the contact surface.

[90accord]

ok so i think the problem is more serious than this but who know. I got in it and started it up and it ran fine just like normal like nothing was wrong so i go out and get to where i am going and leave it for 2 hours or so. I get in everything is fine i rev it up to make sure and about 50 feet away the car shuts off without no indication of a problem. I try to turn it back on and it turns over pretty freely and very fast. What are some things that may cause this?

[5000Audi]

Originally posted by 90accord
ok so i think the problem is more serious than this but who know. I got in it and started it up and it ran fine just like normal like nothing was wrong so i go out and get to where i am going and leave it for 2 hours or so. I get in everything is fine i rev it up to make sure and about 50 feet away the car shuts off without no indication of a problem. I try to turn it back on and it turns over pretty freely and very fast. What are some things that may cause this?

those to words.. " freely and fast" sound like lost compression to me.....

[westbeach70]

Or timing belt... If its a belt driven timing... Do yourself a real big favor, do not turn your car over anymore till it gets checked out due to if it being a timing belt I have heard of some people bending valves... Not to scare ya just letting you know... Goodluck man...

[Mr_ET]

removing the valve cover takes 5 minutes and will tell you if the belt is done or if the issue lies elsewhere.

[gretz]

Its likely your ignitor / dizzy

-if the car was having issues with running before and finally shit the bed, the timing belt likely didn't snap. Seems like the car was progressivly getting worse the more you used it - check your terminals and grounds as stated as well, hopefully it an easy fix and not the timing belt...

[Primer_Drift]

Originally posted by Primer_Drift
If the ignitor is going bad it acts quite similar to this as well.

Yeahhh.. so it is 100% the ignitor then. Someone has a full distributor for sale on Kijiji for an accord, or you can pick one up at pick n pull for cheap.

[Mr_ET]

Originally posted by Primer_Drift


Yeahhh.. so it is 100% the ignitor then. Someone has a full distributor for sale on Kijiji for an accord, or you can pick one up at pick n pull for cheap.

Accord dizzies don't work on a 91 civic dx

It's also very rare that I see any dizzies actually still bolted to a cylinder head at pnp. Maybe they sell them at the counter but they are always gone.

[Primer_Drift]

Originally posted by Mr_ET


Accord dizzies don't work on a 91 civic dx

It's also very rare that I see any dizzies actually still bolted to a cylinder head at pnp. Maybe they sell them at the counter but they are always gone.

haha smart ass... I was reading his info, not the thread obviously. I'd like to contend that the accord ignitor WOULD work in a 91 civic