i have a 96 accord 122k miles, it just seems to lack the power it once had. how can i bring this engine back to the way it was 2 years ago? plugs , wires oil and fluids are not due for a change, i stay on top of that, so what is the secret, and how easy would it be to do myself?

 

i would try Seafoam http://www.seafoamsales.com/motorTuneUpConsumer.htm

 

Is the check engine light on? Hows the ignition timing? Hows the cam timing? Done a compression check?

 

there is no check engine light on , and i dont know how to check the timing on any part of the car.

 

i checked out the sea foam website, its worth a try. but the car runs great except for some shaking when idling, and when first accelerating there is some pipe or the manifold is vibrating. it s just lacking the power it once had i dont know if that would help this problem. thanks for the advice.

 

how do you do a compression check, and how do you check the valve timing ?

 

A compression check is done with a tool that goes in place of a spark plug then you turn the car over a few times to see how it's holding, valve timing is done with a timing light pointed at your flywheel... If you've got a slight stumble at idle I'm going to guess that your fuel economy is down a bit too, this may be partially clogged EGR ports, look in the DIY section for a write-up on how to do that. Also, have you done your cap/rotor recently with the plug wire change? Here's my list:

Make sure you have NGK Plugs
Change the Cap/Rotor if not done recently
(these bottom three can be found in our DIY section)
Sea Foam (3/4 can through the brake booster line 1/4 can in 1/4-1/2 tank of gas)
EGR Port Clean
Clean the Throttle Body