vetepalamierda

Hi all. Been having a really strange problem w/ my car, a 1990 Civic 1.5L 3-door manual. It starts up fine, will drive splendidly (it's a Honda, after all...). But after about 20-30 minutes of city and/or freeway driving, my car suddenly refuses to generate power past 1st gear. I'll stomp on the pedal, and the engine will not rev. This is on any gear past 1st. When the car eventually stalls, I restart and find that the front brakes are locked. If I can manage to get the car moving on 1st gear, it'll require monster revving to get it to move, then I shift into 2nd and...no rev. I pop the hood, and the acrid smell of overheating motor hits me. BUT both the reservoir and the radiator have coolant. Further complicating matters, neither the radiator or the a/c fan come on, but both motors work fine, as I can wire them direct to the battery to get them to respond.

Now, I know the easiest way to fix the problem is to take it to a mechanic. But since I am a DIY-type, I refuse to let someone do something I can do myself. But this behavior from my car is cryptic. Does anyone have any ideas as to why this is happening?

FourthGenHatch

Sounds to me like you have bad front brake calipers. This would explain why its hard to drive the car unless you give it more torque (since the brakes are holding the wheels from moving), it also explains the smell because the pads are burning up and it will smell like ass. All you gotta do is buy some Remanufactured front brake calipers. Take off the wheels undo one bolt and flip up the caliper is all you need to take them off, one bolt for the brake line on the caliper, do the reverse to install. You will need to bleed the brakes though since you will have air in the fluid. But that isn't hard. Go get a Chiltons at least to tell you all this stuff.

vetepalamierda

Thanx for the advice, FourthGenHatch. Getting the pads done 2day. But would the brakes explain why the enging doesn't make power after reaching operating temperature? I mean, imagine the throttle just being disconnected while you're driving; that's the sensation. BTW, the fans not coming on was due to a bad relay, so I got that one myself. Any help on that last niggling problem would be appreciated.

jaje

4thgenhatch's diagnosis sounds right...as your front brakes seize it fights the engine to get power to the ground (you wrote that you have to rev like made in 1st just to get moving which makes sense b/c 1st gear is the lowest gear where 2nd and higher you can't move)

your response says you just got pads...just getting pads will not help you need to replace your front calipers (go to the local auto store and get rebuilt calipers $60 for each side [for ones with all the parts including new pads] and they charge a core charge where you have to return your old ones)

Fujiwara Takumi

the "acrid smell of overheating motor" is proly you cooking your brake pads. motors don't smell acrid, but brake pads do. i would say fgh's suggestions are plausible. it may have somethign to do with the master cylinder needing to warm up, or that the brakes "unseize" themselves over ngiht, and after using them a little they get clamped on your rotors during operation.

FourthGenHatch

Yeah it could be the lack of pressure in the lines from you pressing the pedal (car sitting over night) is what causes them to be unlock in the morning than lock up when you use them.

vetepalamierda

Didn't get back sooner, cuz pooter crashed.

THANK YOU! Ended up replacing front rotors, calipers and pads. No more overheating, car runs like a champ now. Thanks to all! It's great 2 see a forum where everyone supports one another so well. I'm planning to beef up my hatch, so mebbe I'll need advice from you all again. Again, thank you.