Sluggish Acceleration & Bad MPG
 

The car has 170k miles on the stock D16A6. I just bought the car, and for the most part it's stock, except for the dang Pep Boys muffler.

When I’m accelerating in 1st and 2nd gear, the car doesn’t do much until I get up into the 4k range. It seems to give a kick when it hits that point, like VTEC would. It feels like it skips a beat or two when it’s accelerating between the 500-3900 RPMs. I’m also getting pretty bad gas mileage. I’ve only driven 190mi's and the tank is EMPTY.

Any thoughts, suggestions, and remedies would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Re: Sluggish Acceleration & Bad MPG
 

give the car a tune up and a sea foam treatment. change all the usual suggestions, plugs, wires, cap, rotor, air filter, and fuel filter. also maybe a compression test to help see what condition the engine is in.

Re: Sluggish Acceleration & Bad MPG
 

sounds to me like the ignition is breaking up at low rpm, I'd do cap/rotor and check your plugs. How do the wires look? I'd run oem ngk wires if you can, they are good for 500+ hp and are the best quality i've used.

Re: Sluggish Acceleration & Bad MPG
 

The car has new spark plugs, wires, cap, rotor, air & fuel filter. I havent done a compression check, nor have I done sea foam.

It's odd, when I start from a dead stop, the car feels like something is holding it back, but once it gets to around 2800 RPMs, I feel slight hops from the motor and it starts going. It does the same thing thru 2nd. Im not expecting B18C1 power from this car, but I would like to have smoother acceleration.

Re: Sluggish Acceleration & Bad MPG
 

Anymore thoughts?

Re: Sluggish Acceleration & Bad MPG
 

sounds like it could be ur tps sensor....is it throwing a check engine?

Re: Sluggish Acceleration & Bad MPG
 

is a sea foam treatment good for any motor even if its running fine or just for a poorly running motor? ive heard mixed reviews.......

Re: Sluggish Acceleration & Bad MPG
 

tps is toast;)

Re: Sluggish Acceleration & Bad MPG
 

I disagree with the chorizo. When the TPS goes, it usually has "dead spots" where you would experience problems at certain throttle positions and not in others, regardless of rpm.

Have you checked your timing? (both at the distributor and the timing belt)

Re: Sluggish Acceleration & Bad MPG
 

Suscribing. My D16A6 is doing the EXACT same thing. On Saturday I my dizzy went out so I put in a new dizzy, wires, plugs, and set the timing... and now it feels like someone has put a potato in the tail pipe from 0-2800.

Re: Sluggish Acceleration & Bad MPG
 

i still think its tps or even could be injectors even

Re: Sluggish Acceleration & Bad MPG
 

start with the basics...is mechanical timing correct?

Re: Sluggish Acceleration & Bad MPG
 

I know, at least for mine, the timing is spot on. I changed the timing belt less than 1k ago making sure everything was in spec and it ran fine until Sunday.

One thing that I did do was change my injectors. My motor is technically a ZC motor that I put in a 93 hatch. The car had started running rich so I suspected the 230 injectors that came with the motor were too large for the P05 CPU in the car so I swapped them out for a set of 180s.

Re: Sluggish Acceleration & Bad MPG
 

timing might be the key. it explains the late/unpredictable acceleration.

Re: Sluggish Acceleration & Bad MPG
 

I do not have a CEL on. I speculate timing. I need to find some time to do the Sea Foam treatment.

The acceleration is odd. There are times where its really smooth, and others where it almost feels little bursts of energy upto 4k, it pulls pretty good after that point.

I have also found that I have to get the car to about 3k RPMs and slowly let off the clutch, when starting from a dead stop. If I do not, then the car struggles like its starting in 3rd gear, til about 15 MPH.

Re: Sluggish Acceleration & Bad MPG
 

Bump for more suggestions!!

Re: Sluggish Acceleration & Bad MPG
 

It's timing. I had the exact problem in my CRX. The previous owner didn't time the actual engine right. I redid the timing belt and got it running initially but it ended up feeling exactly how your car is described. Redid the belt and found out the cam was 2 or 3 teeth off when I could have sworn I got it spot on. So recheck the engine timing and then use a timing light to get it right on. You have to make sure the belt is tensioned correctly as well.

I had my dizzy advanced all the way on my initial re-timing of the belt. Re-did it and with the aid of the light it is spot on. Car runs great and has a lot of pep.

Using a timing light is hella easy too, everyone who is into cars should have one. Just got one because of my C Rex and I've been ****ing around with cars for 8 years!

Re: Sluggish Acceleration & Bad MPG
 

Good info here. I am getting the same symptoms. The previous owner had replaced the headgasket and after couldnt get the motor to idle at all.

I was able to fool around and adjust the timing at the dizzy, replaced MAP sensor, cleaned IACV, new plugs and wires. I bought a used dizzy but the seller sent me something besides a D16A6.

Will check the TDC crank and camshaft timing.

Re: Sluggish Acceleration & Bad MPG
 

LOL nice the previous owner of my CRX did the same thing. Replaced the HG in the ZC and couldn't get it to run right so he gave it to me. Cool cat.

Also my manual implied that the tensioner will tension the belt correctly but I had to apply some force and then tighten it. Maybe my tensioner is not working right but I do not see how that little spring can tension the belt. I think it is more of a guide for the tensioner to follow than to actually tension.

Goodluck let us know how it goes I'm curious how it will go.

Re: Sluggish Acceleration & Bad MPG
 

b16 with the same problem. Something universal.

Re: Sluggish Acceleration & Bad MPG
 

Another idea could be a vacuum leak at the map sensor causing the car to run rich.

Re: Sluggish Acceleration & Bad MPG
 

Over the weeeknd, I replaced the TPS and cleaned the Throttle Body and Intake Manifold while it was apart.

The car runs a tiny bit better, but Im still experiencing the same issue with the acceleration, and bad gas mileage.

The car does run very good before it "warms up" in the morning, but when the car reaches normal operating temperatures the acceleration issues come into play.

Im going to look into timing next, but if it were timing, wouldn't it cause issues dispite what temperature the engine is at?

Re: Sluggish Acceleration & Bad MPG
 

what does your car idle at when you first start it up? cause it could just be your thermostat, or cheak for a vaccum leak and your mass air sensor because this usally causes bad idleing. and your sensor will have your ecu running more or less fuel/air ratio hense bad gas mileage

Re: Sluggish Acceleration & Bad MPG
 

My car felt the same way, maybe not as bad as yours but it was a noticeable power decrease the longer I drove the car.

Fuel acts different in different temp ranges. Another thing is that since the engine is cold and the engine bay is cold the intake air temp is colder thus denser. So it in affect has more power when colder.

Re: Sluggish Acceleration & Bad MPG
 

Could be the main relay. When your car heats up the solder in the main relay might be also and could be messing with the gas thats getting to your engine... just a thought, cuz the same thing happened to my friends car. And there known for going out on EFs and DAs