I've experienced an issue with my 1997 Accord DX 2.2L 4-door 5-speed (208K miles) where the car accelerated poorly when I pressed the gas pedal.

I'd driven the car several miles before stopping, and the engine had been idling for about 10 minutes. When I pressed the gas to accelerate and resume driving, I could only get up to about 20 mph. Pressing the gas just caused the engine to rev without decent acceleration.

The clutch was riding high as well. I stopped the car and checked the clutch master cylinder and observed the fluid level was low about a half-inch. So, I filled the clutch master cylinder with brake fluid, pumped the clutch pedal and now, the car accelerated much closer to normal.

Once on the highway, the car showed 2750 RPM at 70 mph.

I want to identify the problem and fix it. Is it likely related to the clutch master cylinder, or could it be something more complicated?

Also, is 2750 RPM at 70 mph a normal reading for this car?

Thanks!

 

2750 rpm is about right at 70mph.

Your description sounds like the clutch isn't making contact with the flywheel. It could be an issue with the clutch hydraulics or the clutch is worn out. Does the clutch slip at other times when accelerating?

 

I'd take a flashlight and look under the dash on the left side where the clutch pedal rod attaches to the pedal assembly. What you're looking for is any liquid at the point where the rod comes out of the back of the clutch master cylinder. If you see any wetness, it means it's time to start looking for another master cylinder unit. My 97 LX 5 speed needed it's clutch master cylinder replaced last year, as it was wet with fluid back there. I changed the slave cylinder at the same time, as both parts had 234K on them.

If it's dry in that area, then either you have a slave cylinder leak, or a line leak. I'd bet more on the master myself as it gets a regular work out.

And yes, 2750 is about right for 70 mph.

 

Anything with the hydraulics would not contribute to a slipping clutch. The whole job of the hydraulic system is to DISengage the clutch. Grated, there's something going on for the fluid to disappear, so fix that.

A completely failed clutch hydraulic system would mean you cannot disengage the clutch by pressing down the pedal.

 

Per Toecutter's suggestion, I checked under the dash and found greasy residue, which I take to be brake fluid.

I've had the clutch start safety switch replaced within the last couple of years, but that is likely unrelated. I've also noticed what likely was a slipping clutch while accelerating, but couldn't be sure at the time, as the car was still getting up to speed. Clutch has been riding high at times before this incident, too.

The car's going in the shop Monday, and I'll direct them to check the hydraulics first.

Thanks to all for your replies!

 

Yeah, if the clutch pedal is working more to the top, then slippage can occur. When I changed mine out, I moved the engage point to the middle (mine was actually more on the bottom). But, I also tried it toward the top, and had slippage in less than 15 miles. So I moved it to the middle and it's been fine.
I think it took me about an hour to swap out the master unit, and another 20 minutes to do the slave unit. But it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. If you drop the "hush" panel under the steering column, it gives you plenty of room to work (and let you see what youre doing).

 

I was thinking a sticking clutch slave might cause these problems, where the slave cylinder mechanically will not retract. It is more of a long shot, but a very simple fix to replace compared to clutch replacement.

If the brake fluid is around the push-rod for the clutch pedal, then you have a leaking master cylinder. I kept the fluid topped off for years before I eventually replaced the master and slave cylinder on my 95 accord. I used an OEM master and had zero problems. Went for the cheap aftermarket slave cylinder from a chain store, and had two fail after 6 months of use.

You may want to bleed the clutch hydraulics of any old fluid and air to see if that helps.

 

I think I mentioned it above or maybe it was in another thread, but I swapped both out when I did mine. I felt that with the amount of mileage the car (234K at the time) had it would be worth doing both at the same time. As a bonus, I knew the bleeder would open on the replacement part (something I really didn't want to deal with on the original slave). I got my parts thru Rock Auto.