For a while now my Honda has been having some trouble with accelerating and gas usage. When I first bought this car, I could drive to work and back about 3 times before the gas went low. Now, I can barely drive 10 miles on half a tank. We got this archaic looking code tester which was a huge waste of money because it said the exact same thing that the test on the dash said... the TPS. I replaced the TPS a while back but the acceleration and gas usage problems still persist. I've also been told that it could be the O2 sensor. I need to get my car smogged so I can pay my registration (and ticket such a bummer), but I have a feeling it won't pass in the state that it's in.

If anyone has any ideas of what could possibly be wrong... or how to replace the O2 sensor or whatever else... I would greatly appreciate the advice! Thanks in advance!

Oh, I should also mention that my car is an automatic.

 

What actual code do you get?

The oxygen sensor is pretty easy to reach. It might be stuck pretty tight, making it difficult that way.

 

This link shows the location of the oxygen sensor for your EX.

1992 honda accord ex: the oxygen sensor..wagon..exhaust manifold - JustAnswer

 

By some miracle, my car actually passed smog. Would it be the O2 sensor that's causing it to use gas quicker than normal? I would take it in the get tested, but I'm strapped for cash at the moment. Oh, also, there's some sort of leak... it's really slow, I don't know if it's oil or break fluid or what... everything's usually full when I check it, but there's always a nasty burning oil smell and plumes of smoke when I drive it after not driving it for a few days. It's pretty embarassing ahaha. I know you guys probably couldn't say what it is unless you saw it, but I thought I'd throw it out there anyway.

Oh, and the code I got was 7. I haven't tested it in a few months, but that's what kept popping up even after I replaced the TPS.

 

o2 sensors would draw a code.. dirty air filters would waste gas.. bad spark plug/wires can reduce ur mpg... but it sounds like!!

.. you either have a hole in ur fuel line, ur fuel tank is rusted and leaking 0.0 or there isnt a tight seal for the gas cap, which is leaking fuel

 

as for the smoke, its most likely oil on a hot engine which would cause it. it could also be break fluid if you recently filled or pumped ur breaks and it over flowed.

 

Wait a minute...

Often a sluggish O2 sensor doesn't set off a CEL. It has to get worse before you get a CEL. Especially back around 1992.

And a dirty air filter makes your MPG worse if you have a carburator that isn't well-vented to the intake. So that means anything older than about 1970.

Code 7 (TPS) might be flaky wiring, it doesn't have to be a bad SENSOR. And if you replaced the sensor, how did you adjust it?

 

My dad replaced the TPS so I'm not sure how he did it. It could very well be that he put it on incorrectly. I wish I knew more about the mechanics of it so I could give you more information.

Could it be that I ordered the wrong TPS?

 

I was under the impression that a TPS can't be ordered by itself; it's part of the throttle body. People get them out of junkyard cars, etc, grind off the rivets, & add screws to install onto their throttle body.

 

We did go to the junkyard at first. We got several of them, which was surprising because those parts go pretty quick it seems like. I ended up having to order one here: 1992 HONDA ACCORD Throttle Position Sensor (TPS) . The internet has anything you could ever want to buy... whole throttle body or not.