Honda Car Forum

There is a similar thread to this one but ive read it and it is not the same problem so dont refer me to it.

Ok......here we go. I just recently bought this 94 civic with 134000 miles on it. It is a 1.6L Automatic, it isnt a V-Tec engine however it is a v-tech head.........and since I dont know alot about these cars I cant tell how that affects the performance, with that kind of modification.

Anyways, i was recently on the freeway (the car was checked out by a mechanic before buying it and it worked fine and the mechanic ok'd it) when I had my upper radiator hose blow........no big deal, it didnt blow a head gasket, and i pulled over right away and was towed to Auto Zone, where i replaced the hose and refilled the radiator with coolant......no biggy just something that happens with old rubber parts........the trouble started when I got about 8 miles towards my house, It was working and sounding great, and then I went through a toll booth, and when I accelerated to 40mph i tried to press on the gas however the harder I pressed the slower it went. It was not racing, like it wasnt shifting, it was as if the car was in a "limp mode" the engine sounded normal, but it wouldnt allow you to accelerate over 40mph.

I took it to my mechanic who proceded to tell me that it wasnt the exhaust and his best guess would be that it was a popped computer......fine, so he put a computer in it.......and it came up with the check engine light and a code 21........which according to his records and HONDA"S it doesnt exist.......but the old computer had no trouble codes. I need to bring it to honda so they can look at it now, but i have no idea what it could be.

The computer theory sounded plausible because i thought it was a sensor issue in the first place.........but it is not a fuel system problem because it is too uniform and consitent to be a blockage in the fuel.

A little background on the car.......I replaced the Distributor and the spark plug wires because they were incorrect for the new vtec head, I changed the throttle body, did the timing...the only other things wrong is the exhaust is damaged (holes) and the rack and pinion has a small leak. I dont know if any of these factor into finding the issue.

Help.