The car is a 1990 Honda civic hatchback with DPFI. Bone stock. 120,000 miles.

The problem just started a couple weeks ago. I first noticed it was getting harder to start. I'll turn the key once and it won't start no matter how many revolutions the motor turns. But then I try a second time and it starts up immediately with no issue. Always on the second try.
then later that day I was shifting from 3rd to 4th and the car almost stalled out..as if it wasn't getting any gas at all.
Now it's starting to happen every day.
When I'm accelerating fast it does fine but then as soon as I let off the gas pedal to shift then press the gas pedal again it loses all power. Does some sputtering while the gas pedal is pressed then I let off the gas again and press the gas pedal it picks back up and accelerates fine.

What I'm trying to do is maybe someone knows of this issue from experience.
I've changed the fuel pump and fuel sock recently. I've changed the fuel filter recently so I don't feel like thats the issue. Could it be the fuel pressure regulator?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

maybe your tps is worn out

 

that's not a bad suggestion. it does seem like something is sticking when I let off the throttle and then get back on it real fast.
couldn't even Rev the engine today. It just did nothing when I pressed the gas. Then it all of a sudden starts working fine a few trys later.

 

Thank you so much. I am almost 100% sure that you are correct. When I Google "bad tps symtoms" the first suggestion is
"An unexplainable bucking and jerking in the vehicle"

And thats exactly what I meant when I said "sputtering"
I'll change it tomorrow or the next day and give an update.

 

Update.

So I went to buy a new TPS but none of the auto parts stores carry one for anything under a 91. I tried seeing if a 91 TPS would work. But unfortunately it spins in the complete opposite direction and will not work.

I've dealt with the problem for a while now, well the last few days since it got colder it got increasingly worse. So something made me think it could be the MAP sensor clogged or dirty. I have the firewall mounted MAP sensor with the Purge Solenoid valve right next to it. I took them both off and sprayed the inlets really good with carb cleaner. Some dirty stuff came out of both of them. Re installed it and the car starts up normal now and even feels like it gained a couple horsepower. It's been 1 day since cleaning them both out and so far I haven't had any issues.

 

FYI, you can buy reproduction DPFI throttle position sensors on eBay.