limp mode? or parts/repair required? please help!!

[clifton]

Hi ClubCivic.
My first post on here, have recently encountered a concerning issue with my 1996 Civic sedan.

Basically I have been having an issue with acceleration and achieving decent speed (particularly when going uphill). I have searched through other forums/posts on the site and I'm afraid I have no idea what CEL stands for, so would be unaware of any codes etc? Although this limp-mode sounds like a possibility?

setting the car into motion from 1st gear seems to be no issue, however when trying to accelerate I can only apply minimal pressure on the pedal - otherwise the rev counter sky rockets and the car begins to lose momentum, dropping to lower gears doesn't seem to help either which makes overtaking and pulling out of junctions quickly almost impossible.

Speaking to a couple of 'mechanics' they have advised a number of things, all of which boil down to a costly clutch replacement. Are there any checks/measures I could take before sending it to the shop? By no means am I mechanically minded or have any real experience with cars/mods - so the odds are stacked greatly against me, hence my plea for help!!!!

 

[Wreckless Hype]

Hi ClubCivic.
My first post on here, have recently encountered a concerning issue with my 1996 Civic sedan.

Basically I have been having an issue with acceleration and achieving decent speed (particularly when going uphill). I have searched through other forums/posts on the site and I'm afraid I have no idea what CEL stands for, so would be unaware of any codes etc? Although this limp-mode sounds like a possibility?

setting the car into motion from 1st gear seems to be no issue, however when trying to accelerate I can only apply minimal pressure on the pedal - otherwise the rev counter sky rockets and the car begins to lose momentum, dropping to lower gears doesn't seem to help either which makes overtaking and pulling out of junctions quickly almost impossible.

Speaking to a couple of 'mechanics' they have advised a number of things, all of which boil down to a costly clutch replacement. Are there any checks/measures I could take before sending it to the shop? By no means am I mechanically minded or have any real experience with cars/mods - so the odds are stacked greatly against me, hence my plea for help!!!!

Some important information would be the trim level of your Civic (So we can identify better then engine) and also if it's an automatic or manual. Please edit your first post to provide that information so anyone reading this can help you better.

Also, when you give it gas and the tach skyrockets, is the actual engine itself revving very high? Does it eventually feel like it gains any sort of power to start moving you? This sounds like you're riding on a dangerously worn out clutch. But we need more information before saying it's that.

 

[clifton]

Some important information would be the trim level of your Civic (So we can identify better then engine) and also if it's an automatic or manual. Please edit your first post to provide that information so anyone reading this can help you better.

Also, when you give it gas and the tach skyrockets, is the actual engine itself revving very high? Does it eventually feel like it gains any sort of power to start moving you? This sounds like you're riding on a dangerously worn out clutch. But we need more information before saying it's that.

Thanks for the speedy response + advice - I'm in the office currently, will find out the trim info later today - also the car is manual. And yes, the engine is revving very high with little to no response regarding power or any physical acceleration.

I'm bracing myself for the bad news!!!

thanks again.

 

[XpL0d3r]

to ClubCivic!

It sounds like your clutch is slipping pretty badly.

 

[Wreckless Hype]

Thanks for the speedy response + advice - I'm in the office currently, will find out the trim info later today - also the car is manual. And yes, the engine is revving very high with little to no response regarding power or any physical acceleration.

I'm bracing myself for the bad news!!!

thanks again.

Was this something that gradually got worse? Like did it feel like it was slipping more and more as time went on? You're obviously getting forward motion, based on what you're saying. You just can't give it too much gas without the clutch slipping. Do you get a weird smell also when this happens? That's another good indicator hahaha. Usually it can be mistaken for burning rubber.

I mean, a clutch wearing out is pretty normal, especially on something with high miles (this info was not disclosed either). So as long as nothing else is damaged, you may just need a new clutch kit installed. Likely will need to have your flywheel resurfaced or replaced.

Do you have any mechanical inclination to do this yourself?

 

[clifton]

Was this something that gradually got worse? Like did it feel like it was slipping more and more as time went on? You're obviously getting forward motion, based on what you're saying. You just can't give it too much gas without the clutch slipping. Do you get a weird smell also when this happens? That's another good indicator hahaha. Usually it can be mistaken for burning rubber.

I mean, a clutch wearing out is pretty normal, especially on something with high miles (this info was not disclosed either). So as long as nothing else is damaged, you may just need a new clutch kit installed. Likely will need to have your flywheel resurfaced or replaced.

Do you have any mechanical inclination to do this yourself?

It is nudging 175,000KMs, I haven't noticed any particular smell as such, however what your saying is sounding like the problem, thinking back over the past 6-8 weeks it has progressively been worsening and is now at the point where action is needed.

I honestly cannot claim any decent knowledge of mechanics, however every day is a school day and would happily give it a shot under my own steam after heavy research and legwork into the subject. My next question to you would be, have you any ballpark figure (without knowing trim) for a new clutch kit and potentially new flywheel? - one colleague has quoted €350 to supply and fit, obviously don't want to be mugged off if this is something I could potentially achieve myself for less.....

thanks

 

[Wreckless Hype]

It is nudging 175,000KMs, I haven't noticed any particular smell as such, however what your saying is sounding like the problem, thinking back over the past 6-8 weeks it has progressively been worsening and is now at the point where action is needed.

I honestly cannot claim any decent knowledge of mechanics, however every day is a school day and would happily give it a shot under my own steam after heavy research and legwork into the subject. My next question to you would be, have you any ballpark figure (without knowing trim) for a new clutch kit and potentially new flywheel? - one colleague has quoted €350 to supply and fit, obviously don't want to be mugged off if this is something I could potentially achieve myself for less.....

thanks

It can be a little tricky to do yourself if you have no real prior experience in separating your transmission and lining up / installing a new clutch.

That price, which is about $475 here, I guess wouldn't be too too bad, sounds a tad high, but then again, I haven't had much trans work done on my cars, at shops, in years. You just need to make sure they're putting in a quality part. An Exedy OEM replacement would run around $100 or just under 70 Euros, provided they're easy to come by over there. See what the break down in cost is. If the clutch cost is a lot higher than that, maybe see if he will install parts you bring him? The price may also include the cost to resurface the flywheel, as I have known a lot of mechanics to do this. Again, a break down will tell the story of what's worth what, are you being bent over, etc.

 

[RonJ]

1) Make sure to buy quality replacement clutch parts (throw out bearing, clutch disc, pressure plate) and flywheel - Honda or Exedy.

2) After installation, adjust the clutch pedal height exactly as described in the service manual. Otherwise, you could burn up the new clutch pretty damn quick.

3) If the transmission input shaft bearing or other main bearings are noisy, replace them and the oil seals (input shaft and axles) while the transmission is out. While the transmission is cracked open, clean the metal shaving off the magnet. Refill transmission with ONLY Honda MTF.

 

[clifton]

It can be a little tricky to do yourself if you have no real prior experience in separating your transmission and lining up / installing a new clutch.

That price, which is about $475 here, I guess wouldn't be too too bad, sounds a tad high, but then again, I haven't had much trans work done on my cars, at shops, in years. You just need to make sure they're putting in a quality part. An Exedy OEM replacement would run around $100 or just under 70 Euros, provided they're easy to come by over there. See what the break down in cost is. If the clutch cost is a lot higher than that, maybe see if he will install parts you bring him? The price may also include the cost to resurface the flywheel, as I have known a lot of mechanics to do this. Again, a break down will tell the story of what's worth what, are you being bent over, etc.

Okay, well thank you so so much for all the help and advice - my first action, as you say will be to get a breakdown of costs and check whether they resurface the flywheel and fit decent parts. I have briefly googled the parts in question, and the quoted price i would say seems fair.

Thank you again for the time and efforts on this thread - i'll keep you posted on any progress...or upsets lol

Cheers!