I got my 99 lude a couple years back w/ 60k on it. I'm at 110k miles and i've notice that the car has gotten sluggish over the years..What are some good ways to restore lost power? I want to make a list of things i could do to restore the lost power and to make the car run more efficiently.

When i hit 78k i did: spark plugs, transmission fluid, timing belt, oil & filter change, etc.

What parts of the car should i clean or degrease? I think my EGR is clogged so i'm going to have to clean that. Should i change the spark plug wires? What else can i do? Feel free to list things to replace or clean that i should bring to the mechanic shop for.

Thanks.

 

Some common things that can reduce performance:
shitty or incorrectly-gapped spark plugs
shitty spark plug wires
dirty fuel filter
dirty fuel injectors
clogged or semi-clogged catalytic converter
dents in your exhaust piping
bad O2 sensor
other dirty/clogged/bad valves or sensors (i.e. EGR, etc)
engine sludge buildup
cylinder(s) not holding compression due to various reasons

Some common things not always considered that can also reduce performance:
thirty pound 19" chrome rims w/ spinners
one hundred pounds of new stereo equipment
a fat girlfriend/wife
thirty to one hundred pound STDs known as children

 

"thirty to one hundred pound STDs (aka children)"

LOL!

 

i hope that wasnt your last oil and filter change

 

Engine rebuild

 

seafoam... dizzy cap

 

yeah i really hope so to...

-fuel filter
-air filter
-egr cleaning
-spark plug change should definitly help

is your check engine light on??

 

easiest things that may help:
fuel filter
Seafoam
Spark plugs, and wires
Rotor cap, and rotor

 

Yes, my check engine light is on..

What are some good sites to buy parts from (spark plugs,spark plug wires,etc.)?
Do you guys use any engine cleaner? What product is best?
Any helpful DIY guides on maintainence?

 

1. eBay for plugs & wires, go with NGK brand. hondaautomotiveparts.com for OEM parts
2. seafoam for internal use, power washer for external use
3. helminc.com

 

How do can you take care of the engine sludge buildup?

 

majestic honda.com

 

By running your car for 10 minutes with 1 quart of oil in your engine. When you hear a grinding sound, this means the sludge is being melted/grinded away (this explains the smoke from the intake ). After the first 10 minute interval, add 1 more quart of oil in your engine and run that for 10 more minutes. After you add about 5 quarts of oil, then your engine should be practically sludge free. Oh yeah, don't forget to disconect your ECU completely during this process because looking at those flashing dash lights is always annoying. Have fun.

 

Is that method safe? Any other ways to remove sludge buildup? seafoam maybe?

 

Everyone please ignore this post.

 

Post what the cel code is. That most likely will lead you to your problem.

Replace spark plugs, spark plug wires, distributor cap and rotor. Buy the plugs from Napa, NGK V-power. Wires are cheapest from sparkplugs.com, you want NGK. Distributor cap and rotor just get from your dealer.

 

...my motor feels slugish when my knock sensor isnt connected properly...might be a similiar problem...

 

detergents at oil change shops kinda work to remove sludge. Seafoam in the crank case works wonders I hear. Make sure you follow the procedure to a tee and note that if your motor is aged and your seals are bad, cleaning your motor could show oil leaks where the seals were bad but being blocked by the sludge.

If you've maintained regular oil changes your seals would be fine though, but than again if you maintained regular oil changes sludge might not accumulate. Its a vicious cycle....change oil frequently and use synthetic if your motor likes it. Change it when it gets dark. Don't go by a Kilometer/mile or time period, thats for damn sure.