So i have a 97 civic ex 4 door automatic with 177xxx i might buy but it has some problems and wouldnt be safe to drive home in the condition its in. The car ran fine (older lady owned it for the past 6-7 years and maintained it) but was stolen and hotwired, and now will start but not go over 2000rpm. I havent had the chance to check it out yet but i done some research and its looking like tps or the distributor and/or its components. So my plan was to test the wiring for the tps and then test the tps itself, and if that all looks good pull the distributor and disassemble it.

oh and no check engine i was told

Any other advice or words on what the problem could be, i really dont want to pay for a tow truck and would much rather be able to test drive the car a little on the way home.

 

Won't rev over 2000, but the CEL isn't on? You're in for a fun diagnostic trip.

 

would the tps cause a cel?
like unplugged or half connected pins?
im going tomorrow to look at it

 

Yes. Since it's an OBD2 car, any sensor malfunction should throw a code. Timing wouldn't, though...that would be worth checking.

 

easy way to check timing with the timing cover on?? i dont have a timing light at the moment.

 

Pull plug #1 and drop a long stick down the tube. Turn the crank until the TDC mark on the crank pulley lines up with the TDC mark on the timing cover. The stick should be at the top of it's travel.

 

so just went and looked at the car couldn't do much work yet but the car start everytime but just barely. Rough low idle shakes the whole motor. And the rpms wouldnt go past 1500. While running I pulled the spark plug wire one by one and each one would shut the motor over so I don't think it's misfiring.
I unplugged the tps and plugged it back in while running and tried starting it unplugged as well, no major change.
I then pulled the intake hose off the throttle body with it running and pegged the throttle back and after prolly 10-15 seconds the engine smoothed out and I could hear the rpm raise past the 1500 mark it was stuck at. And with the throttle pegged I juggled the tps wiring and the aicv wiring and map wiring.
I had to leave shortly after that but I think it was something stuck in the throttle, intake, or the filter being old and restrictive. Or possible the tps harness as it has some play. Headed back now

 

So I towed the car home and while getting it on the truck I started it in netrual and the car lurched forward. I put it in park and it rolled uphill until the "park" brake caught. Reverse moved the car forward as well.
after getting it home I checked the internal shifter cable and it was good. I checked what I could on the external without jacking up the car and it wasn't broken outside the casing.
no cel but I have two abs codes: 61 and 64

So both fail safe relays

 

There's something definitely wrong with the automatic transmission. In neutral, the car shouldn't move.

 

Yeah the tranny is fubar, the shift can doesn't move the gear selector on the tranny every time but I think it might be jumping over some of the gears when it does move it. I'm going to physically put the tranny in netrual today and see if it still pulls.

and for the idle. I pulled the plugs they were pretty black and smokey. I took the distributor apart and it looked alright the ignitor is wore down a little. I pulled the cat off and started it but it ran the same. I checked if my pistons were moving in the cylinders and they are. I'm going to check the timing belt today and maybe pull the valve cover and look for anything broken.

I ordering some parts today as well. New ngk plugs and wires, fuel filter, and I'm gonna look for a distributor at the junk yard.

anything else I should look at?