i have a 96 accord dx standard..i just bought this car and it seems to have no power when under a load..ie up hills, and or passing...there are no lights on the dash that are on so im kinda lost at what to look at?? and advice would be helpful thanks.....

 

How many miles are on the car? Have you done a compression test if the miles are high? Any smoke? Does it idle/rev up ok? Just for starters.

 

my instinct when you say no lights is the alternator..but no power means take it to the shop for a routine service (new injectors, plugs, air filter, oil, oil filter, cylinder check, piston check, gasket check, and a good thorough washout of the whole engine system [I think BG has something like that]). Thats my 2cents.
I remember I saw a Top Gear where a service brought an old car from 157HP to 206HP

 

it has 133,000 miles....have not done a compression test that is next on my list....seems to idle fine but when rev'ed up it spits and sputters over 3,000. and when you let off the gas it almost dies then straightens out again..

when i mean by no light is everything is working correctly...according to the computer...have not put it on one yet though...

thanks

 

So if you turn the key to ON but don't immediately turn to START; all the warning lamps come on initially? (bulb check)

Timing belt skipped so the cam is advanced?? That would make it idle real nice but it would be pathetic at any higher RPM.

 

the whole revving to 3000 then spitting and sputtering sounds much like a timing problem. I say get a full tune up and the problem should be fixed.

 

I don't think a full tune-up would usually check the camshaft timing, unless you specifically ask for it.

 

you are probably right.

 

thanks everyone for the advice...

will check the timing...

would a distributor that is off a tooth or 2 do the same thing?

just thinking that because someone was in doing a valve cover gasket and might of messed up putting it back on...??


thanks

 

Distributor can't be off "a tooth or 2" since it's got a blade that fits into the camshaft. Distributor CAN be adjusted for spark timing - if that's off, you can have less power than you're supposed to.

But your description of a very severe loss as the RPM climbs above 3k, suggests the cam timing.

If the camshaft timing is off, you'll have to re-adjust the spark timing AFTER you set the cam timing.