s13hero

So I've posted about this before and never found out what it was, the problem went away for a few months but has come back in the last 3 days. While driving I experience an extreme loss of power, even with the gas pedal to the floor the car barely moves in any gear. This is usually accompanied by a burning smell I can't really place, I think it might be brake fluid, and an increase in coolant temp. Also while it is happening the brake pedal gets very hard. After parking the car for a few minutes, usually 5-10, the problem goes away. Also, when this happens I get very bad gas mileage, this time 22 mpg down from 33 two weeks ago. How much of these problems are coincidences I'm not sure, but they all usually seem to happen together any help would be good. Just for reference, I've changed a bunch of stuff on the car, new brake booster, brake mc, radiator, condenser, compressor, and the usual maintenance items, spark plugs, wires, cap and rotor etc.

s13hero

So it seems my temp gauge is incorrect, so negating the slight over heating, could this be indicative of a bad calliper?

s13hero

So today it happened again, I got about 5 miles before I lost power, no burning smell today, just lost power, in first I was ok, but couldn't get above 20 in second, and couldn't maintain that speed, holding the gas pedal to the floor did nothing, my speed went down and idle went down til the car died.

grumblemarc

iTrader: (4)

And no CELs are being thrown? You have also yet to mention what car/engine we're talking about.

s13hero

My car is in my sig, no CELs being thrown.

motegicivic

I wonder if one of your brakes are dragging. Esp if you smell something. Maybe parking brake needs to be adjusted?

thenext

Check that all of the friction surfaces on your brakes are wearing evenly. I doubt it is your brakes since your engine died out. That smell, is it sweet? Try and describe it!

s13hero

Its not sweet like coolant, its kind of an acrid smell

strategy400

Automatic or manual?

Sounds like burning brake linings or clutch lining. I smell this everyday going down a mountain pass on my way to work, the trucks brake linings overheating. I'd sway towards the brakes as you said the pedal feel was changing. Definitely have a look at the brakes. Dragging brakes will cause the coolant temp to go up.

When you experience the problem drive to an area with a slight incline, park and then see if the car rolls easily when the brakes are released and the car is in neutral.

Also, if you find your brakes have been dragging and overheating, your calipers or wheel cylinders are probably shot and may be leaking fluid. You might even want to look at your wheel bearings. Definitely get this possible safety issue resolved.

s13hero

I will check the brakes. I'm confused on the last part though, if I park on an incline and put the car in neutral I will roll back even if the brakes are good.

s13hero

I was thinking it might not be the brakes, but the engine died because my revs dropped too low and then I stalled, so I guess died was a bad word. It was as if the accelerator was doing nothing. It was the same as if I had just not been on the accelerator at all and then let the car stall

motegicivic

He never said car died.


Check the brakes first, esp since you had work done on them.

You can have a sticking caliper etc.

Plus he said pedal is really hard too.

s13hero

Didn't see this question its a manual.

s13hero

What would be some signs of the calliper sticking? Should I just see if everything turns ok?

strategy400

Could it be a bad diaphragm in that brake booster you installed? Might flood the manifold with air and cause a lean condition.

s13hero

It could, I'll check it out the brake booster was installed about a year ago now. I can't remember how to diagnose it but I'll check the FSM when I get home.

strategy400

Flip the caliper up like your doing a brake job and see if the pistons and seals look normal and there is no leaking or pitting of the piston surfaces, evidence of heat, bad brake linings, irregular or worn rotor/drum sufaces etc. Measure your rotor thickness to see if its in spec.

Seeing as you haven't officially provided information on your car I'll assume its a 95 DX D15B7 with conventional brakes and drums in the rear.

The service manual states that:

CAUTION: If the pedal freeplay is out of specification brake drag may occur.

Did you adjust your freeplay properly when you installed the MC and booster?

s13hero

Sorry I really should be more clear in my signature, I have discs all the way around, I did the EG Si rear disc breaks. The car is a 1995 honda civic dx with a d15b7, discs all the way around, 15/16th master cylinder. When I added the MC I adjusted the pedal I will double check it is correct. Would brake drag still occur from this with disc brakes? Also if freeplay is insufficient, then raise the pedal height? When I adjusted the brake height, I did it by feel, because I do not have the insulation cut out.

strategy400

I would think not having enough freeplay could allow your brake booster to be triggered (causing the hard pedal symptoms and possible random brake drag). I'm merely speculating.

99civicLuver

Just a wild guess, I am no mechanic.

But I have a 99 civic that would lose power anytime, anywhere. After almost getting killed because it just turned itself off while passing someone I looked into it some more.

Turned out it was a faulty ignition switch and "factory recall" item at that, I took the car into a Honda service center and they did the replacement for free.

Not the exact same problem as you describe but since no else mentioned it I thought I would bring it up.

For more info on the problem I was experiencing see this url:

https://honda-tech.com/forums/honda-civic-del-sol-1992-2000-1/ignition-switch-recall-99-civic-231538/

Not sure where I originally found this information 4 years ago.

s13hero

I'll check into the ignition, I checked out the brakes and they seem ok to me, but I'm not exactly an expert. What would be signs of heat to look for on the brakes? I'm not sure how to measure rotor thickness because the FSM uses a tool I do not have. The problem is still occurring intermittently it happened last night and today for about 5 minutes then the car was fine.

s13hero

Happened again today at the same place it seems to keep happening about 10-15 minutes after I leave my house on the way to work the car looses power, there was the burning smell again but I can't quite place, not coolant, and not electrical or it doesn't smell like either at least. The last two days the car has been hard to start, it'll start but the second it does it dies and then yesterday while I was driving the car just lurched forward and died for a second and then I had to try twice to start it. Anything else I should look for on my brakes? I parked on an incline and didn't roll back so its making me think I missed something. Also, I seem to be loosing fluid from both the brake and the clutch master even though they are both new.

s13hero

Parked on an incline yesterday as suggested and did not roll back, so going to check the brakes again tonight.

s13hero

Checked the pads, and the driver's side was cracked and burnt, passenger side had small cracks in as well. The driver's side was worn down significantly more than the passenger side, and the rotor was pitted on the back and looked burnt as well. So, I rebuilt the front calipers, and then got a new drivers side rotor, bled the brakes and everything seemed ok until I got to work this morning, same symptoms, burning smell, hard brake pedal, slight loss of power, not as significant as before, I can go about 40, but I have to fight it to get to 45 when I park my car and get out at work, I see the driver side pad is smoking, anything else I can check?

s13hero

I adjusted the pedal height more for the pedal to be longer as well, but the pads still smoked, if I don't have the insulation cut out, can I just measure to the floor?