Honda Car Forum

Hi, got a question about an '86 Accord DX. What might cause a dramatic
loss of horsepower (almost as if the car is "choking"). It starts fine
and all regular maintenance is has been kept up. One mechanic
suggested carburetor, but when I took it to a specialist, he said the
carb looked fine (it had recently been replaced).

twb01 wrote:
> Hi, got a question about an '86 Accord DX. What might cause a dramatic
> loss of horsepower (almost as if the car is "choking"). It starts fine
> and all regular maintenance is has been kept up. One mechanic
> suggested carburetor, but when I took it to a specialist, he said the
> carb looked fine (it had recently been replaced).

Could be any number of things - can you be a little more specific with
the symptoms? Does it happen all the time? Only when cold? Only when
warmed up? On the flat or up hills?

Matt Ion wrote:

> twb01 wrote:
>
>> Hi, got a question about an '86 Accord DX. What might cause a dramatic
>> loss of horsepower (almost as if the car is "choking"). It starts fine
>> and all regular maintenance is has been kept up. One mechanic
>> suggested carburetor, but when I took it to a specialist, he said the
>> carb looked fine (it had recently been replaced).
>
>
> Could be any number of things - can you be a little more specific with
> the symptoms? Does it happen all the time? Only when cold? Only when
> warmed up? On the flat or up hills?
Hi,
Checked fuel pump ground? Make sure fuel pump works well upto spec.

Tony Hwang wrote:
> Matt Ion wrote:
>
>> twb01 wrote:
>>
>>> Hi, got a question about an '86 Accord DX. What might cause a dramatic
>>> loss of horsepower (almost as if the car is "choking"). It starts fine
>>> and all regular maintenance is has been kept up. One mechanic
>>> suggested carburetor, but when I took it to a specialist, he said the
>>> carb looked fine (it had recently been replaced).
>>
>>
>> Could be any number of things - can you be a little more specific with
>> the symptoms? Does it happen all the time? Only when cold? Only
>> when warmed up? On the flat or up hills?
> Hi,
> Checked fuel pump ground? Make sure fuel pump works well upto spec.

Wouldn't really have the same effect on a carb'd engine - all the pump
needs to do is keep the float bowl full.

Still, hard to say for sure without more details from the OP.

On Dec 19, 4:59 am, Matt Ion <soundy...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Tony Hwang wrote:
> > Matt Ion wrote:
>
> >> twb01 wrote:
>
> >>> Hi, got a question about an '86 Accord DX. What might cause a dramatic
> >>> loss of horsepower (almost as if the car is "choking"). It starts fine
> >>> and all regular maintenance is has been kept up. One mechanic
> >>> suggested carburetor, but when I took it to a specialist, he said the
> >>> carb looked fine (it had recently been replaced).
>
> >> Could be any number of things - can you be a little more specific with
> >> the symptoms? Does it happen all the time? Only when cold? Only
> >> when warmed up? On the flat or up hills?
> > Hi,
> > Checked fuel pump ground? Make sure fuel pump works well upto spec.
>
> Wouldn't really have the same effect on a carb'd engine - all the pump
> needs to do is keep the float bowl full.
>
> Still, hard to say for sure without more details from the OP.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Had a similar problem with an 85 (carburated), Make sure the big hose
from the exhost manifold to the air cleaner is in place and does not
have holes or cracks, also check that the diverter valve in the air
cleaner(Where that hose connects) operates properly.(on mine the link
from the vaccum motor disengaged fron the valve).
HTH
JerryR

"twb01" <webmaster@ariestwb.com> wrote in message
news:de4005e7-c2ff-454e-bcae-68d1573eea79@i3g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
> Hi, got a question about an '86 Accord DX. What might cause a dramatic
> loss of horsepower (almost as if the car is "choking"). It starts fine
> and all regular maintenance is has been kept up. One mechanic
> suggested carburetor, but when I took it to a specialist, he said the
> carb looked fine (it had recently been replaced).

Another thought--I got intermittent power loss on my '86 Accord. Turned out
to be an intermittent clogging of the "nut and bolt" screen at the inlet of
the fuel pump. The screen and pump at that time was one assembly and
required pump replacement. Power loss was sudden-----never drove in front
of a big truck for fear of getting run over.
MLD

yjrybano2spam@yahoo.com wrote:
> On Dec 19, 4:59 am, Matt Ion <soundy...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Tony Hwang wrote:
>>> Matt Ion wrote:
>>>> twb01 wrote:
>>>>> Hi, got a question about an '86 Accord DX. What might cause a dramatic
>>>>> loss of horsepower (almost as if the car is "choking"). It starts fine
>>>>> and all regular maintenance is has been kept up. One mechanic
>>>>> suggested carburetor, but when I took it to a specialist, he said the
>>>>> carb looked fine (it had recently been replaced).
>>>> Could be any number of things - can you be a little more specific with
>>>> the symptoms? Does it happen all the time? Only when cold? Only
>>>> when warmed up? On the flat or up hills?
>>> Hi,
>>> Checked fuel pump ground? Make sure fuel pump works well upto spec.
>> Wouldn't really have the same effect on a carb'd engine - all the pump
>> needs to do is keep the float bowl full.
>>
>> Still, hard to say for sure without more details from the OP.- Hide quoted text -
>>
>> - Show quoted text -
>
> Had a similar problem with an 85 (carburated), Make sure the big hose
> from the exhost manifold to the air cleaner is in place and does not
> have holes or cracks, also check that the diverter valve in the air
> cleaner(Where that hose connects) operates properly.(on mine the link
> from the vaccum motor disengaged fron the valve).
> HTH
> JerryR

That would (or should) only affect things when the engine is cold... and
we still don't know exactly when this problem occurs.

MLD wrote:
> "twb01" <webmaster@ariestwb.com> wrote in message
> news:de4005e7-c2ff-454e-bcae-68d1573eea79@i3g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
>> Hi, got a question about an '86 Accord DX. What might cause a dramatic
>> loss of horsepower (almost as if the car is "choking"). It starts fine
>> and all regular maintenance is has been kept up. One mechanic
>> suggested carburetor, but when I took it to a specialist, he said the
>> carb looked fine (it had recently been replaced).
>
> Another thought--I got intermittent power loss on my '86 Accord. Turned out
> to be an intermittent clogging of the "nut and bolt" screen at the inlet of
> the fuel pump. The screen and pump at that time was one assembly and
> required pump replacement. Power loss was sudden-----never drove in front
> of a big truck for fear of getting run over.
> MLD

Yeah, that would happen with a carb - you'd run fine until the float
bowl emptied, then lose power until it (partially) filled back up again.
An intermittent/weak pump or dirty filter would cause similar symptoms.

I think all 3rd-gen Accords used the same pump/pickup assembly, accessed
via the trunk/hatch area.

Matt Ion wrote:

> Tony Hwang wrote:
>
>> Matt Ion wrote:
>>
>>> twb01 wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hi, got a question about an '86 Accord DX. What might cause a dramatic
>>>> loss of horsepower (almost as if the car is "choking"). It starts fine
>>>> and all regular maintenance is has been kept up. One mechanic
>>>> suggested carburetor, but when I took it to a specialist, he said the
>>>> carb looked fine (it had recently been replaced).
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Could be any number of things - can you be a little more specific
>>> with the symptoms? Does it happen all the time? Only when cold?
>>> Only when warmed up? On the flat or up hills?
>>
>> Hi,
>> Checked fuel pump ground? Make sure fuel pump works well upto spec.
>
>
> Wouldn't really have the same effect on a carb'd engine - all the pump
> needs to do is keep the float bowl full.
>
> Still, hard to say for sure without more details from the OP.
Hi,
Ever experienced intermittent fuel pump due to poor grounding?

twb01 wrote:
> Hi, got a question about an '86 Accord DX. What might cause a dramatic
> loss of horsepower (almost as if the car is "choking"). It starts fine
> and all regular maintenance is has been kept up. One mechanic
> suggested carburetor, but when I took it to a specialist, he said the
> carb looked fine (it had recently been replaced).

--------------------

Air in the cooling system may do that. If there's enough coolant in the
reservoir the air can sometimes be displaced. Have you been checking it
or did it get too low?

'Curly'