Civic - Honda :: 1998 - Loses Power At Unpredictable Times While Driving
Mar 7, 2015
My manual 98 Honda civic hatchback has 435,000 miles. But for the past 5 months, it has had a reoccurring problem: it loses power at unpredictable times while I'm driving. The gas stops responding and the check engine and battery lights come on. Have to pull over, turn the car off and usually have to wait on the side of the road 5 minutes before it will start again. Lately, it can take as long as 15 minutes. Sometimes, it will restart immediately or after only two minutes.
So far, trying to get at this problem, the car has gotten: new battery, new alternator, new spark plugs, new coil, new distributer, new ignition switch, diagnostic testing (that indicated the coil [replaced] and the catalytic converter). There does not seem to be any consistent environment that goes along with the car turning off while driving. It happens regardless of how full the gas tank is and regardless of the weather.It's pretty bad to be going 70 on the highway and suddenly have to throw on the flashers and pull over... especially when there is no shoulder because of winter weather. What this is? Or is the car just old and tired?
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At unpredictable times, all of the dashboard gauges, the factory installed car radio and a ham radio which is directly wired to the battery terminals, loses power for about 100 milliseconds, plus or minus, and may occur from 1 to 10 times in varying succession. Bumpy roads or bad weather do not seem to influence the electrical drop-outs. The ignition, and headlights if night time, are steady and unaffected. The battery terminals are tight. This has been occurring over several years.
I have had problems with chipmonks chewing on the wire harness on top of the gas tank, causing the check engine light to light. The harness was replaced and the check engine light has been off during the latest drop-outs. The above senario does not seem to be logically possible. What could cause this problem?
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I've had light steering issues at speeds above 60 MPH on smooth roads where my Civic FWD 1999 ( 230K miles) feels darty, dangerous and unpredictable when I put in the slightest steering corrections to keep my car going straight. One possible cause, i assumed, could be my front alignment. I'm lowered on lowering springs but never had this darty feeling before.
Inner tie rod boots have been torn for awhile but there is no play left right top bottom with each wheel so I assume they're still fine. Rack could also be worn out. It's been 7 years since my last alignment.
First, I measured my front toe using the string method. Aligned the string to the rear wheel front and rear to keep it parallel, inches away then measured the front. These are the readings from the left and right tire.
Left tire/Front- 9" 3/8
Left tire/Rear - 9" 5/8
Right tire/Front 10" 1/4
Right tire/Rear 10" 3/16
Difference b/w L and R = +5/16th inch toe out.
To confirm, I used another method by choosing a tread line on my left and right tire that are identical and using a 2x4 to keep my tape level measure and taking a reading on each tire.
Distance b/w L and R in front= 62" 1/4
Distance b/w L and R in rear = 62"
1/4th inch toe out in front
So I know I have slightly toe out by a little over a 1/4th inch. Could this cause darty and light steering? And why is my left front farther away from the center of my car then the right front (using the first method above?)
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I have a 1998 Honda Civic LX that was converted from automatic to 5 speed. It hesitates while I drive, only sometimes. Normally it does it when I am pulling off from a stopped position or when turning the corner and then accelerating. I will have my foot on the gas, but it won't gain speed unless I hold in the clutch and rev up the engine then it will pick up speed and go fine. Then sometimes it also hiccups while driving without accelerating, I can feel the car jerk a few times and start to loose power.
I will need to down shift to third, or most often 2nd gear and rev it again to gain power and to pick back up speed. Things done to it since i bought it only a few months ago by the person (who is a mechanic) I bought it from: oil change, fuel filter changed, Lucas gas treatment added (by me), new exhaust system installed, starter replaced. I am nervous that it may be rear-ended, or t-boned in heavy traffic. Should i have the fuel filter checked?
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1998 discovery. Replaced fuel pump, crank shaft sensor, battery is good, had tune -up. Driving on highway and car just loses engine power, still have radio, lights, etc. Pull over and start it right back up. Drive about 15 minutes more and it happens again. Starts again. Then it does it again, but now won't start. Clicking sound in dash on passenger side. I leave it sit for 2 days. Starts right up, then rpms start revving then stops and dies. I have had every diagnostic known run, no codes coming up. I have had local mechanic keep it for days to drive it. He is also at a loss. I am REALLY tired of replacing random parts to no avail. Not to mention the $$ I have spent.
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I have had my 1998 Honda Civic for about 5 years now... I bought it used. Occasionally I have noticed my oil levels have been low every 2 months or so. Oil is not being burned and doesn't leak. It hasn't affected performance from what I can tell. I have basically monitored the levels and everything has been fine. There was also an electrical issue since I have had it.
About 8 or 9 months ago, I noticed the temperature gauge was basically in the red while driving. I pulled over and noticed the oil was reading empty. I put oil in it and took it to the shop the next day. They told me the head gasket was bad and that the oil and coolant were mixing and recommended I replace the engine. I asked them how long I could manage before the car quit entirely and he said maybe a month, two if I kept doing oil changes.
I put the heat on while driving it, and the temp was normal. I took it to another shop the same week. They couldn't get it to overheat for a couple hours. The guy told me it was probably the fan but wouldn't know unless he could see it overheat. He said the fan would cause it to overheat at stoplights when there wasn't air on the engine. When the car gets hot, it doesn't get worse at stoplights and is only after I've been driving like 20 minutes that it heats up. I asked that he call me as soon as he knew what it was and I would decide whether I wanted it fixed that day or not. Then I didn't get a call for awhile, and when I called them, they said the guy was out getting the part. I felt like they were rushing so I would replace the fan. I asked if it was the head gasket because I didn't want to fix a fan if the engine needed to be replaced. They said it was not. I didn't replace the fan. They also told my husband that we could save wear and tear on the engine by putting the air conditioning on instead of the heater. When we do this, it overheats. Its only when the heater is on that the temp stays normal.
I have been driving the car for 8 or 9 months now with the heater on with no performance issues. It doesn't overheat and even when I forget to put the heat on it goes up to the red, but doesn't "overheat" with the steam and whatnot. It doesn't seem to do anything to affect the performance of the car. We have replaced the radiator cap, which had pieces falling off, and it didn't work. The check engine light came on yesterday and the code indicated something to do with the transmission.
We took it to a third mechanic today and he said I needed a new thermostat... I do not see any sort of film in the oil. We just flushed the coolant today and there was no sign of oil. I'm totally lost on what to do. I feel like the mechanics have lied to me about what was going on. They contradict each other and the little things they told me don't seem to be the case or don't work.
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I have a 1986 Honda Accord Hatchback Lxi, 180,000 miles, automatic, one owner, always excellent care (very recently new spark plugs, new air filter, new oil and filter, and several years ago new Pirelli tires). Lately, while driving, it intermittently loses power, like it's going to stall, but never does. I accelerate to recover. Years ago I used to hear about vapor lock. Last week I took it to a Honda dealer. They had no diagnostic machines for "old" cars and had no clue what was causing this. Most of the time, the car drives beautifully, but it's scary thinking it's going to quit and I'll be stranded on the side of the road.
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My 2001 manual transmission Honda Civic lost acceleration and died a few weeks ago. Was pressing the gas all the way down and it just wouldn't go. I was able to get the ac/radio to turn on but couldn't get it restarted. After 5 minutes, I got it started and was able to get it through the intersection into a parking lot before it died again. It jerked and made loud popping noises and never would go more than 5 mph the whole time. Had it towed to the shop. They tried to start the car the next morning and did so with no problems. The check engine light showed a timing issue. Later that day, they restarted and no check engine light and no problems, but we knew the timing belt was way overdue (165000 miles, never replaced) so we all hoped I got a lucky warning and they replaced that and sent me on my way.
Two weeks later it did the same thing and died again. This time it was close enough to home to restart it and get it home. It jerked and popped and then at one point it was as if a clog got cleared and I shot off down the street, because I had the pedal to the floor. Then it started decelerating again but I got it home-smelled a slight burning smell. Waited until the next morning, suspecting it would be fine, and drove it to the shop myself with no problems. This time the codes showed it needed a new O2 sensor and a cam shaft sensor. They replaced those, feeling certain that must have been the issue.
Drove it home with no problem, went to leave the house that night and as soon as I got out of the driveway, it started doing it again. This time, though, the car did not die and I was able to turn it around and get it back into the driveway. The shop sent a tow truck and they've had it since, but can't get the car to replicate the problem and there is nothing showing up as being wrong (and I swear I'm not imagining this). Have been assured that it's not the transmission, not the fuel filter. They think it might be something electrical but can't figure it out.
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'98 Coupe, manual trans, zipping along, car lurches, tach dial drops to zero, power comes right back on. Lights on dash don't go out. Happens randomly, no rhyme or reason and no code. Once it a while stalls out, then can be rough re-starting. Checked VIN, no recall for ignition switch. Last time I went to start engine, heard clickety-click, a burp, then started.
If I rev the engine when it happens, that tends to keep it from stalling out. Problem's getting worse.
Been to two service stations and dealer. They tell me to keep going til it quits, then get towed in and they can run the diagnostics. But what if, the next day, they start it up, it runs okay and won't blip or quit on them? More driving along til it poops out and then gets towed again and again?
Distributor, TD-80, not the original. Could be igniter or coil? Ignition switch? Main relay? Fuel pump? Bad ground?
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My car is a 1998 Honda Civic DX hatchback 5 speed manual. About 180,000+ miles. For a while now the car seems to have a problem with power under load. If I am on an incline the engine will start making a metallic gurgling noise as I push on the gas. It increases as I give it more gas, or the hill gets steeper; at which point the car usually begins to slow down depending on my speed. It is most noticeable when I shift into a higher gear and then my speed drops into the range where I could downshift. It also happens often however at 60 mph+. On inclines at that speed, the car will gradually lose speed down into the 50's if the hill is long enough/steep enough even with the gas pedal floored. I'll need to shift into fourth to keep at 50 mph until I'm over the hill.
I've been told by a few friends/mechanics that it may be the catalytic convertor. Hard to test it or just weld on a new one though since the cat is integrated into the manifold, etc. So I took it to a trusted mechanic who did a bunch of work. He said it was only firing on three cylinders instead of four due to carbon tracking, but wasn't concerned with the cat. He did a tune-up and replaced the distributor cap and rotor, spark plugs and wires, valve cover and gasket (leaking), air filter and fuel filter, and cleaned the throttle body. Also replaced both rear strut assemblies.
Until now there had been NO check engine light signaling a problem. I got the car back and it felt good at first, but still seemed to make the noise albeit quieter. The power was better, but only for maybe a couple days. The engine again started making the noise more often and losing power in the same ways. Also, the check engine light came on a few days later. Blinking the first time, then it would come on for a couple of days, then off for a couple, etc. Now it has come on and stayed on constantly for a couple of weeks. I had the engine codes read and got three codes:
P1456- the usual emission control system leak... fuel cap possibility, etc. I'm guessing it isn't this for the most part...
P0141- "secondary HO2s12 (Heated oxygen sensor- bank 1, sensor 2) circuit heater malfunction.
and the strangest of all since I'd expect it to be fixed...
P0301- "cylinder number 1 misfire detected" ...
So it could be something else with the cylinders going on, O2 sensor having to do with cat. stuff, etc.? I also will be due for a timing belt change soon I believe, but that would not be causing any of this I don't think. I'll be bringing it back to the mechanic to have a look again, but haven't had the time yet.
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my 1997 town and country van with the 3.8 liter engine keeps stalling at unpredictable times. sometimes when it is cold first thing in the morning, other times when fully warmed up at a stop light and sometimes on the interstate at 70 mph. The tach drops to zero, the speedometer drops to zero, the check engine light blinks on and then back off, the computer doesn't record any error codes. it causes the cruise control to drop out while on the hiway. the engine always starts right back up, for how long, its unpredictable. Mechanics have replaced the three engine sensors twice, checked and cleaned wiring contacts at sensors and engine computer. And also the Knock sensor has already been disconnected per a chrysler bulletin. At highway speeds the engine usually bucks and then keeps running, but sometimes dies.
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I have a 1990 honda civic dx. with only 115,000 miles. For the most part it runs great, but for the past year it has given me problems when I try to start it. What happens is that at random times, it just cranks, but it doesn't start. Sometimes, if I try it several times (as much as 20 attempts) it will eventually start. Sometimes I have to leave the car for some time (10 minutes up to a few hours) and then it will start. I checked the spark, when it doesn't start, and it has a good spark. This seems to happen mostly when it is hot, never at night. My mechanic changed the distributor and that did not solve the problem. The ECM gave 16 flashes. My mechanic is frustrated in dealing with this because often it starts right up.
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My 99 civic 5 speed has a weird power loss issue. Right after starting up for the first few mins while I'm driving (any speed and gear) it'll start lagging like it isn't getting gas or something.
Letting off the gas peddle stops it, then pressing the gas causes it again. If I go up and down on the gas peddle it goes away for a few seconds. If I'm just at idle the idle speed goes down and down untill it almost stalls then it revs up a bit and then does it again.
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Over the past 3 years or so, my 1993 Honda Civic began not starting at very random times. Everything would appear to be working but the engine wouldn't fire up, until after a few tries or minutes. I got the fuel pump relay replaced last March and that worked for a bit but then my car acted up again in June and an electrical connector to the fuel pump was replaced. My car had been starting every time since, until last week. This is the worst it has ever been; my engine took about 3 hours (re-trying it here and there) to decide to turn over and start on its own, worked great for 3 days and then again just would not start. On a whim, I jumped it that time and it worked. This seems strange to me because all the electricity in the car was working when it wouldn't start, and my battery checked out fine when it was tested recently.
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My 2005 Civic is overheating at random times. My mechanic couldn't find the problem so I took it to the dealer and they replaced the thermostat and a fan switch. That didn't work so now they tell me I have a blown head gasket ($1,458)... but there's no water in the oil and no gray smoke. They say the coolant leaks into the block until there's not enough circulating and it overheats. Then, when it cools, the coolant goes back into the reservoir and that's why it never seems to be low on coolant. I've seen other Civic overheating letters (including a 2005 that sounded like my exact problem) but I never saw an update about what fixed the problem.
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I have a '98 Civic Dx with 217,000+ miles on it. Last year I had the water pump and timing belt replaced and beginning in February I noticed my antifreeze was disappearing but couldn't find any leaks. One mechanic said it was the water pump, so I had it redone under warranty. The antifreeze is still disappearing and now my mechanic tells me it's the radiator. (Don't you think he would have said that the first time?) It seems that the transmission is starting to go (see below) so I'm wondering if it's worth replacing the radiator or trying to patch any leaks I can find. I've heard such mixed reviews on patching radiator leaks and this mechanic won't do it. The part is cheap and I can probably replace or repair it myself. So, repair or replace?
I've had a few incidents of my car shuddering after I start driving and losing power around the first turn. Sometimes the shudder is worse if I've turned the car on, idled for a few moments and then started driving. The shudder was similar to one time when I had a bad spark plug wire, so thinking it was that I gave my car a tune up-- new plugs, wires, cap, rotor. But two mornings ago it nearly stalled as I was taking the first turn off my street.
Then yesterday morning it nearly stalled after I backed out of my parking space and began driving (I'd sat for a few moments with the car idling before backing out). For a while I've felt like it wasn't really getting full power around the first turn. I don't know how to describe it except that pushing on the accelerator didn't really do anything until the car had completed the turn and straightened out. I haven't had any problems throughout the rest of the day-- it drives just fine. It's only when it's been sitting at least overnight.
I'm in denial about it being my transmission. It has never liked to start when I've down to or below a quarter tank of gas, and someone else who called the show about that was told that the fuel system was probably losing pressure as it sat overnight, which sounds like what happens to mine. Could this be another symptom of that? Or could something in the fuel system be clogged, like the filter? (My Dad had a clogged fuel filter once and his car would lose power on an incline.) Or is this perhaps the beginning of the end for my little friend? I'm at 217k...
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While driving my 1998 Chevy Prizm, my car lost the ability to accelerate but the car never lost power. I managed to pull over and let the car run for a bit before trying to accelerate again..the car only got up to 30 mph and wouldn't go any faster.....after a couple of hours the car run okay. What could be going on? I got new spark plugs, oil change, and an idle air control valve........
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My 1998 Honda Civic has been dormant in my drive way for about a month and a half with very little gas. I went out to try to start it the other day and it struggled for a bit and never turned over. It isn't the batter considering the headlights and radio work just fine, thus I sought out the nearby gas station and attempted to solve the problem by putting gas in it, yet when I returned and emptied out my gas can into the tank it was the same ol' story. What it could be?
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I have a 1998 honda civic LX that slips very very seldom upon acceleration. It happens under light acceleration and medium acceleration (I dont accelerate hard enough to see it slip at high acceleration, it might!)
What happens is, the car stops accelerating and simply idles. As the motor idles the car drifts and slows down. I have never done it, but I bet in this state I could come to a complete stop just by drifting if I keep my foot in the same spot on the accelerator. When I change my foot, and accelerate harder, the car wakes back up and keeps accelerating like nothing even happened.
I don't think it is the transmission slipping, because in that instance revs would climb and acceleration would halt and that is not the case. I recently gave the car a huge tune up, here's the list
Valve adjustment
Oil and filter change
Cleaned throttle body and IAC
New distributor and cap (Plug wires aren't really in good shape)
New spark plugs
New air filter
Set the timing
New belts
Cleaned injectors
Cleaned battery terminals
I don't know what could cause this problem! The only thing I have come up is the Possibility a TPS (Throttle position sensor) going bad. The only thing that I know of that is wrong with the car is the exhaust manifold has a big crack in it right before the upstream 02 sensor. No doubt this leak is messing with the cars readings of the AFRs. Could this be part of the problem? It is throwing a code for the catalyst system.
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I have 1998 Honda civic 2 Dr and i was trying to switch cd players in it and blew some fuses so i checked all and replaced the blown ones but now it won't start.
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I've been checking my oil every morning for a few weeks now because of a worry about it burning off. I check it at the same time each morning, in pretty much the same parking spot, before driving it. Every time I take out the dipstick, wipe it off and put it back in to check. What's weird is that the level seems to fluctuate. Some days it's up over the higher dot. Some days it's down closer to the lower one (though it hasn't been under). Most days it's somewhere closer to the middle between the two. Is it common for it to fluctuate that much on a day to day basis? Is it something I should be worrying about?
In case it matters, it's a 1998 Honda Civic LX.
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