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-   -   Sluggish VX at 40mph (https://www.fuelly.com/forums/f10/sluggish-vx-at-40mph-8508.html)

slogfilet 05-20-2008 02:45 PM

Sluggish VX at 40mph
 
I've noticed this twice... when accelerating in my VX at about 40-45 mph in 5th gear, I get no response to additional throttle. I can floor it, but go no faster... I let my foot off the gas and coast down a bit, then try again and it's fine. This is on flat road, adn I can normally accelerate in 5th as low as 30mph. Any ideas?

EH3 05-20-2008 03:32 PM

check the base mechanical timing

do a general tune up if you haven't recently

jadziasman 05-20-2008 03:39 PM

Downshift to 3rd gear and step on the gas. Woo hoo!

GasSavers_mango 05-20-2008 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jadziasman (Post 101088)
Downshift to 3rd gear and step on the gas. Woo hoo!

haha. yes!

Seriously though, I was getting some weird hesitation in my VX from, as my mechanic put it, a dirty throttle bottle. He cleaned it and no more random hesitations. Not sure if this fits your scenario exactly but figured I'd throw it out there.

mkiVX 05-20-2008 09:06 PM

had that problem before
clean tps sensor or replace it

suspendedhatch 05-20-2008 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mango (Post 101095)
I was getting some weird hesitation in my VX from, as my mechanic put it, a dirty throttle bottle.

Throttle BODY. That was pretty funny. Valid point though. Your Honda throttle body should be cleaned once a year. Most people NEVER clean it. Make sure you buy the gasket BEFOREHAND cuz they can be hard to find sometimes.

Whether that's your only problem though I can't say. I think it's more likely your air filter or if your exhaust pipe has a restriction, possibly a clogged cat. Don't throw parts at it though. Have it diagnosed.

monroe74 05-21-2008 04:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by suspendedhatch (Post 101187)
Your Honda throttle body should be cleaned once a year. Most people NEVER clean it. Make sure you buy the gasket BEFOREHAND cuz they can be hard to find sometimes.

Can't it be cleaned without removing it? By spraying some carb cleaner inside? Once you removed it, isn't that how you'd be cleaning it, anyway?

Also, the shop manual (page 11-124) describes a procedure for checking it with a vacuum gauge. If it passes this test, does that indicate it doesn't need to be cleaned? And what if your car is running fine (e.g. no hesitation, and no signs of the throttle sticking). Is it a good idea to clean it anyway?

Sorry for all the questions! I just appreciate a chance to learn something new.

GasSavers_mango 05-21-2008 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by suspendedhatch (Post 101187)
Throttle BODY. That was pretty funny. Valid point though. Your Honda throttle body should be cleaned once a year. Most people NEVER clean it. Make sure you buy the gasket BEFOREHAND cuz they can be hard to find sometimes.

Whether that's your only problem though I can't say. I think it's more likely your air filter or if your exhaust pipe has a restriction, possibly a clogged cat. Don't throw parts at it though. Have it diagnosed.

How embarrassing! :o

I did intend to write body but it seems that my fingers betrayed me somewhere along the way.

R.I.D.E. 05-21-2008 01:20 PM

A plugged cat would give you low vacuum readings at low throttle percentages with no load.

regards
gary

civic lover 05-21-2008 10:09 PM

I am not sure how you drive. If you drive with hypermiling in mind and never see above 3000 rpm it might not hurt to really whined the motor out a few times. These honda d series motors were made to scream. I drive very conservative, but sometimes pound on it. Cleans the motor out.

monroe74 05-22-2008 04:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by civic lover (Post 101410)
Cleans the motor out.

Yes. Honda actually recommends winding the motor up periodically, for that reason. If I remember correctly, the service bulletin said 3,000-4,000 rpm.

suspendedhatch 05-22-2008 12:51 PM

Don't be embarrassed. It made me laugh. I wasn't sure if it was a typo or what though.

If you're cleaning the TB because the throttle plate is sticking, then yeah just leave it on there and spray it out while you work the throttle plate manually. You might want to replace your O2 sensor with a spark plug temporarily so you don't wipe out your O2 when it burns off that carb spray and all that gunk. Your cat converter will survive.

I clean it religiously ever since it failed me on smog one year. The throttle body and intake manifold build up a thick layer of grease from PCV gases, charcoal canister gases, and believe it or not; microscopic particles that make it through your air filter. If you have a K&N style oil-air filter, then you'll get a lot of that oil in there as well. That's why I switched to the AEM dryflow.

To really get into all those little passages in the throttle body, you need to take it off. Remove the MAP sensor. You'll also need it out of the way to clean the intake manifold. The only real way to clean the intake manifold is to remove it as well. The intake manifold gasket always tears, and it can be a pain to clean off the surface for a new gasket while the engine is still in the car. So what I recommend is that you get a plastic Hondata-style "heat shield" gasket because it's reusable. Also don't forget to clean the IACV.

You'll need a bunch of carb cleaner and shop rags to get everything clean. This stuff is awful for the environment. It's better just to take it to a shop and have them clean it with their parts cleaner. The end result is better and the ozone and your water table will thank you for it.

monroe74 05-22-2008 01:24 PM

Great tips, thanks.

slogfilet 05-23-2008 07:55 AM

Excellent help... I'll start by doing a more thorough cleaning. I had cleaned the IACV previously, and that gave me a major improvement on idle (idles lower, no surging now.)


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