thanks for the advice.

I think it's more of a transmission problem though. She told me today on her way home from work that it was slipping, the automatic transmission, and it was making this loud whining/whirring noise before it warmed up, comming from the transmission. I've heard it too, and it's definately not the timing belt. I also have a 2001 civic, and it doesn't make the sound hers does, they're both around 84k miles. I think I'll flush her transmission tomorrow, and refill it, see if that'll fix it. Hopefully it will.