Civic - Honda :: 1992 - Stumbling / Bucking At Highway Speeds


Jan 21, 2012

I have a 92 Honda CX hatchback, 5pd with 140k on it. Since I bought the car used about a year ago it's had a low speed stumbling/bucking issue. For the most part, it's only when driving slow and steady but occasionally at highway speeds it'll do it as well. It's as though the whole engine just cuts out for a second. Giving it more gas always brings it back but it's incredibly annoying, especially in a parking lot with a cup of coffee or something in your hand.

For starters, the rotor, wires and cap are all very recent. I pulled the ECU codes and it indicated #7, Throttle Angle Sensor. Bought a new one, calibrated it, reset ECU and drove on. No change. Car still bucks and the CEL comes on occasionally. At first, I suspected the plug to the TPS since it was loose. I pulled new wire and soldered directly to the ECU and TPS. No change. Of interesting note, when the CEL would come on, it seems the TPS falls offline and the car runs great! I disconnected it for a tankful and noticed my 40mpg/hwy go down to 25mpg. Completely unacceptable for a car so painfully slow.

Another observation, the stumbling doesn't start until the car warms up. Also, if it's particularly humid/raining, sometimes it won't do it at all. A lot of people have suggested the O2 sensor, distributor, fuel pump/filter. I don't have money to just start throwing at this thing and of many similar issues I've read of others with the same car, nobody seems to have a solid fix.

I've replaced the TPS, completely cleaned the throttle body and IACV, checked for vacuum leaks and even opened up the ECU looking for cold solder joints. It looks newer than new inside. Like I said, with the TPS disconnected, car runs great but the mileage goes south.

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I had a new fuel pump installed on my 1997 Honda Civic (145K miles) last week after it started hesitating and bucking one day and then the Check Engine light came on. I picked the car up last Thursday, and it runs and starts, but I still feel "something off"...it seems to have small surges of power/lack of power while I drive. Again, always starts and runs but it just doesn't feel right.

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Ford 7.3L Power Stroke (1999-2003) :: 2000 - Occasional Miss At Highway Speeds / Bucking And Jerking During Even Gentle Acceleration

165k miles 4x4 6 speed, bone stock unmolested

Slowly progressing problem over 6 months. Occasional miss at highway speeds uphill has progressed to bucking and jerking during even gentle acceleration attempts.

I hadn't got my cam sensor recall done but no change after that procedure completed yesterday. Oil recently changed as well.

I have a torque pro but it never finds any fault codes even though 'service engine' light comes on sporadically. I'm not sure I'm operating it properly but it at least reads rpm when its running.

I'm contemplating the hutch mod but I'd like to have an official diagnosis beforehand if its possible in my case.

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Civic - Honda :: 1992 - Coolant In Muffler

I have a 1992 Civic sedan with a lot of coolant in the muffler. Let me put it this way: we messed up the head and coolant leaked into the exhaust pipe. Anymore detail than that and it's a long story. We have a new head now, but there's a lot of coolant in the muffler. My dad tried taking it off and tipping it on one end, but the fluid is stuck and only dribbles out when we slosh it around. How can we get this fluid out without damage to the muffler?

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Civic - Honda :: 1992 - Clutch Does Not Always Pop Up When Take Foot Off

I own a manual 1992 Honda Civic VX. Recently, the clutch has started to stick about halfway up when I take my foot off after shifting sometimes. I pull it up with my foot when it does this, but clearly it shouldn't be happening. What could be causing this?

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Civic - Honda :: 1992 - Only Dashboard Will Start Up When Turn Over The Key

My car dash board will start up when i turn over the key but thats all it will do i dont even get the sound like its about to start it was just working yesterday what do i check...

Honda civic lx 1992

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Civic - Honda :: 1992 - No Radiator Fluid Circulating

92 Honda Civic, it has been steaming under the hood when i drive it and it's going into the overflow tank. When I pull the cap off after it's cooled down and then refill it. I watch to see if it's flowing and it's not. My initial thought was maybe a bad water pump, however I spoke with someone today that said it could very well be the head gasket. I am tending to lean this way now as well, as there is fluid on the ground after I park it. I put down some cardboard so the next time I drive it, I can see where it's coming from... Before I spend any money I want to exhaust the basics. I know I can get a combustion leak test kit to ultimately determine it.

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Civic - Honda :: 1992 - Repairimg Coolant Leak

I've been working with my son to get a 92 Honda civic LX running. When finished, it was running fine except for the temp gauge always showing Hot. My son replace the Thermo sensor for the gauge but over tightened an snapped it off. I had to drill out the remaining piece and clean the threads to install another sensor. When we started the car, white smoke was pouring out of the exhaust and when rev'd, coolant came out. I think I may have drilled in too far and created a leak. How can I repair this?

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Civic - Honda :: 1992 - Engine Stall When Try To Shift Beyond 25 MPH

I had an engine running problem recently with my 92 Honda Civic. I felt the car stalling last Sunday when it tried to shift beyond 25 mph. I had to step on the pedal harder to get it to move over 35 mph, then I felt the gear shift and then it ran all right after it reached 35 mph. However, it happened about 80% of time when it had to stop at a traffic light and go during the last couple days. When I pushed the gas pedal, I could hear the engine stall and it slowly moved (took about 40 seconds) from 25 to 35. The problem seems getting worse today. I checked the transmission fluid and it is low, about 1/3 on the dipstick. I checked the ignition wire and it seemed connected fine. I recall that I had the similar problem about 4 years ago. I was told the # 2 spark plug well was filling with oil causing the ignition wire to short out. They replaced the value cover gasket, spark plugs and ignition wires and charged me around three hundred bucks. Would this be the same issue again? Or it is something else?

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Civic - Honda :: 1992 - Starts But Won't Stay Running

1992 Honda Civic Starts fine but kills as soon as you release the key. Hold the key in the position with the starter motor running and it keeps running. In the old days we would replace the resistor on the firewall. Today?

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Civic - Honda :: 1992 - Takes Too Much Time To Start?

My embattled 92 civic hatchback has developed an issue that makes it take forever to start. I put the key in the ignition, turn it to the start position, and then I have to wait for up to 10 to 15 minutes to hear the click-hum of the fuel pump priming (which turns off the check engine light) before I can start it. I've noticed that it's much worse on wet days, but generally starts right up if it's only been off for a few moments. I used to just give the Civic ample warning before I need to go somewhere by running out, turning the key to start, and then letting it sit there, but this is beginning to wear down the battery. I've replaced the main relay to no avail, and once the car is running it does just fine, which makes me think that the fuel pump is fine.

Full disclosure: this thing also has a bad oil problem. A diesel mechanic changed the head gasket several months ago (owing to yet another starting problem, and I'm starting to think it was the same starting problem, and that I blew the head gasket from trying to push-start the thing), and in our efforts, we seem to have messed up the valve cover gasket. There is oil in the plug wells, and there's some power loss as the engine is trying to cough up the oil. I haven't replaced it yet because it doesn't seem to be a critical issue as long as I keep feeding it more oil.

I've done some searching on the web, and the general consensus of the internet (and the internet HAS to be right, right?) is a bad ECU. When I look this up in my manual, getting to the ECU is just a matter of pulling the carpet in the passenger-side floorboard out of the way. Okay, great. Only problem: I can't find a place where I can buy a good ECU. I could probably find one at a junkyard, but there's no guarantee there. If I do manage to find one, I want to be able to return it if replacing it doesn't fix anything.

Fuel pump - checked before we changed the head gasket, came back okay
Starter - I changed it by myself before we changed the head gasket
Ignition Switch - The key is optional, but everything else electronic in the car responds properly when the switch is in the proper position.
Distributor/Rotor cap - Changed when we changed the head gasket

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Civic - Honda :: 1992 - Power Steering Stuck When Cold

92 Civic DX hatchback, non-Calif. AT

Power steering suddenly not working when cold (~20 oF) in AM; nearly impossible to turn the wheel (for my wife). When I get home from work, and it's warmer (~30 oF), it works fine (for me). When it (mostly) behaves, it does drive fine (though I would say that the variable-assist PS is no longer as "tight" at high speeds as it once was, but the car's nearly 20 years old!

This just began a week ago (live just north of New York city), and has now happened enough times that I believe her So, since the PS fluid reservoir was just below lower line, I topped it up (Honda fluid!). No obvious leaks (I checked by putting some paper under the car, and watching for drips for a few days, including turning wheel from lock to lock over the paper).

Is it the pump? Or should I just flush the system (and how do you do that)?

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Civic - Honda :: 2003 - Significant Overheating Event While On A Highway

I've owned this Civic since new, now at 153K miles. This is a recurring problem that I've been having for over a year. First symptom was there would be no heat coming from the heater at idle with the motor well warmed up. Add some rpm's and the heat returned. The reason was not enough coolant in the system, filled up radiator and all OK. Then it happened again and there is coolant in the overflow tank, but pull the radiator cap and no fluid under cap. Fill radiator and all OK, but it kept happening. I replaced the OEM radiator cap with a new "Slant" brand for an '03 Civic. No better, no worse.

Last week I had a significant overheating event while on a highway. I pulled into a "Dollar Store" parking lot, went into the store and bought 50/50 coolant and shop rags and let the car cool off for 30 min. When I pulled the cap, it was a steamy mess and I let it cool some more. Eventually I put in the coolant and finished up the drive with no more overheating. The overflow coolant container was at the "full" mark all during the overheating event.

At this point I took it to my trusted mechanic. My mechanic determined that the overflow tank was clogged and he blew out the line. So, I hoped all was fixed. But I don't think so. With the car cool this morning I pulled the radiator cap and got a swish noise indicating some pressure release. The level of coolant in the overflow contain hasn't moved. It still seems coolant is not being pulled from the overflow container back in to the radiator when the car cools off. I blew into the radiator top (where the cap goes) and that did produce lots of bubbles in the overflow tank. It seems it is no longer plugged - but why isn't the coolant behaving properly?

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Civic - Honda :: Hybrid Versus Regular For Highway Commute

I have a 35 mile (70 round trip) commute to work, all highway. I do some in town driving as well, but mainly the commuting. The price of gas is getting higher and I was thinking of getting a hybrid, but wonder if that is the best choice for my type of commute ? I drive a Honda CRV (04) which I love but maybe something smaller like a Civic would be better. I need room to occasionally put my 3 kids and hubby in and I want to feel safe in the snow.

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Civic - Honda :: 1998 - Wobble Can Really Be Felt Even At Sub 15 Mph Speeds

With just above 100K miles our Honda has been wobbling, wiggling and shimmying for a couple of years and a half-dozen trips to our mechanic and to the tire shop have found nothing. The wobble occurs at all speeds and can really be felt even at sub 15mph speeds to the point where my knees can be seen shaking in time.

When it first happened I thought it was the brakes, so I had a major brake job done to no effect (it did need it, so it wasn't wasted money). My mechanic was a winner on the recommended shops on your website and has done all my work, except tires, for more than 6 years and he has been real good at avoiding unnecessary work, taking the time to check things out without charge. He's had it looked over thoroughly and can't find anything in the tie rods, CV joints, etc. that could be fixed.

My local tire shop, also a long-term customer, has been over the tires twice and can't find anything wrong either. It's shaking pretty bad and I'm getting even more nervous about high speed driving.

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Civic - Honda :: Loud Squealing Noise Between The Speeds Of About 25 And 45

My 2003 Honda Civic Hybrid (manual) makes a loud squealing noise (between the speeds of about 25 and 45. It usually starts making the noise once the car has warmed up (but does not always make the noise). It makes the noise when the car is coasting but not when I accelerate or brake. The noise seems to be coming from somewhere in the front end.

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Honda - Accord :: 2004 - Using Oil At Highway Speeds Only

2004 Honda Accord sedan, 4 cylinder, approx, 95,000 miles, uses oil rapidly at highway speeds (one quart in 90 minutes), in town driving will not use any oil over 3 to 4 months of monitoring. What the problem is and how to fix it?

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Civic - Honda :: 2000 - Overheating Only After Exiting A Long Drive On Highway

I have a honda civic 2000 and recently I noticed that it overheat only after exiting a long drive on highway. The car does not overheat for my normal daily commutes (within the city).

I tried the following:

- Checked coolant on bot radiator and overflow tank.
- Changed the thermostat- No leak on the ground in the garage where I parked the car overnight
- No noise to lead to an eventual issue with water pump
- Radiator fan is kicking ok
- Had a mechanic do the chemical test for the head gasket: negatif
- Found that there is air in the cooling system:tried to burp the system 2 times but air is still in the coolant system. Not sure where its coming from !!?? Might be that this could be causing the overheating ?
- Found a crack on the manifold and changed the manifold then tried to get rid of the air (burping the system): no success. The air is still not removed completely.
- Changed the radiator cap.

What can I do next to diagnose the overheating condition that happens only after exiting long drive highway?

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Civic - Honda :: Cut Out Totally When Driving At Steady 65mph On Highway For About 10 Minutes

I was driving my 99 honda civic at a steady 65mph on the highway for about 10 minutes. I was not accelerating or anything, when it cut out totally as if I turned off the engine. When I would step on the gas (still moving), it would not even hit/sputter or anything. I pulled off to the side of the road and immediately tried to restart... nothing.

Two minutes later, I try to restart, and it started right up. Get going another 5 minutes, and it does the same thing. This time I only waited about 30 seconds, then it started up again, but it 'missed' a couple of times just before it started up. Then it was fine for the rest of the drive to work, and hasn't stalled since (one week).

However, the check engine light came on the next day after the stalling episode, and has also been on since. The code is P0420 (which says that the O2 sensor before and after the catalytic converter read similar, indicating a bad catalytic converter). I'm not sure if this is, however, a downstream effect/ symptom of a larger problem (that this is not the cause, but the effect of a larger problem?)

Here are some extra facts that may be relevant, or may be totally random:

I occasionally catch a whiff of egg like smell (smells like it's running rich, and maybe it is heating the catalytic converter)

It seems to be functioning fine (no loss of power)... the gas mileage even seems OK-I filled up with a new tank of gas the night before the drive (I've since filled up again)-There was an ignition recall, that I did NOT have done (I just found out about it -The car is pretty beat up: 170K miles-Gas gage quit working about a month ago... always reads full.

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Civic - Honda :: 1994 - No Heat During City Driving But Fine When Get On Highway

I have a 1994 Honda Civic LX. It has a new 4 month old radiator and the fluid level is good. When I do in city driving I have no real heat to speak of. But when I get on the highway the heat kicks back in.

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Civic - Honda :: Loud Fast Rhythmic Thumping Sound When Got Onto The Highway

I was driving my son to Mygym this morning and everything was completely normal, but when I got onto the highway for the last 5 minutes of the drive my car started making a loud fast rhythmic thumping sound. I thought it was my tire and slowed down to stop... and then in stopped. So I went a little faster and as soon as I hit 50, it started again. I slowed down and drove the rest of the way to my sons class and looked at my tires and they looked fine to me (I have no idea what a tire should look like, but I can tell if one is very flat... I think). I also looked under the car for any obvious debris or whatever and didn't see anything.

We had our class and when I got back on the highway and accelerated to 50, it started back up again, so I slowly drove to our exit. By the time we were nearly home I wasn't even thinking about the problem anymore, but in the 45 zone near our home it started thumping again... sure enough, I was going 50. I am also wondering if it is safe to drive my car as long as I stay under 50? I have no other means of transportation and we need to go out pretty often (daily) for classes and therapies for my son.

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