My '91 Accord Wagon with 168K has developed a slight hesitation at highway speeds. It only happenes when it's at operating temp and at speeds beyond 50 mph. Does do it when it's warming up.

If I attempt to slightly accelerate the rpms will momentarily increase as expected and then quicly drop back to when it was before I accelerated. It'll be accompanied by something that feels like I hit a small pothole. Sorta hard to explain. It doesn't seem to happen if I accelerate hard (or at least not that I can tell).

Otherwise the car is running just fine and this doesn't seem to be a major problem but I'm wondering if it's something that's minor and can be easily fixed or something that's minor now that may indicate a bigger problem that will or may get worse over time.

Appreciate any thoughts you all might have on this.

Thanks

Jeff

 

Is it like a stumble like the engine cuts out for a second and then you push the peddle hard and it goes away?

 

Thanks for your reply...

It is like a stumble but I do not have to push hard on the accelerator pedal for it to go away...a little more pressure gets me past the "pause point" and we're fine again. There's no drop in speed when it happens and it's over almost before it began. If it wasn't for the slight bump I feel when it happens I doubt that I'd have noticed it. It began happening after the car sat unused for 3 weeks.

When it does happen, the RPMs drop about 100 and then goes right back on up. I've checked the fluid levels and we're Ok there. Maybe I should have someone flush and replace the transmission fluid? Last done at 119K when I bot the car. So it's been about 50k. What do you think?

 

It kinda sounds like a loose motor mount but if it goes away it might be the cold start circuit.

 

I was thinking either tps sensor. but it doesnt happen all the time.

and I believe the car is auto.
so you can't really tell if the rpms drop.

I know when the car has a manual and you can't feel the rpms drop but the tach says it does. usually the ignitor in the dizzy is going.

 

Yes, it is an automatic.

I'm wondering why I would not be able to tell by looking at the tach if the RPM's dropped?

 

well if your ignitor is going out the rpms on the tach will drop or jump.

so the car could still be at 3000rpm but the gauge drops to 2500rpm then jumps back up. in a manual you would definatly be able to tell if the rpms went from 3k to 2.5k. with the automatic it might be slightly harder to tell.

 

it does not matter if you have a manual or a stick you can definatly tell when the RPMs change. I have an auto and I know when the TQ converter has locked up or not........


check your motor mounts out. I think you may have a busted one. a busted mount would make the noise you are hearing..

 

Thanks to all who have responded to my posting.....

Have checked out all that was suggested and all looks to be in order....


One things I was wondering and that is that some vehicles come with an overdrive that's sorta an "extension" of 4th gear. It'll "kick in" about 50-55 mph and will result a drop in RPM's. So my question is: does my honda's transmission have an overdrive?

Again, my car is a 1991 Accord EX Wagon with an automatic and 168k.


Thanks again for everyone's help.

 

No overdrive. Just a torque converter lock-up. It feels like an extra shift (in an auto). Do you have a check engine light on, or a D4 dash light blinking?

 

Nope, no check engine light or blinking D4 or S lights.


Modified by jbrune at 2:18 AM 3/6/2006