im new here and i dont know much about cars but i learn fast and am open for discussion. i dont really know what information you pros need. i bought a 91 civic, manual transmission that is supposedly rebuilt. i feel like the car doesn't have enough power, almost as if its losing power somewhere. i know they are supposed to be quick off the start(?) but it is definitely slower to get up and go. seems like it may be running hot although the thermometer says that its not.i just changed the oil, and there is coolant in the reservoir. it has some sort of cold air intake. it comes off the trottle body (i think) and it looks like a big air filter. i heard about some tube that comes off or can melt or something?

while i was going from a dead stop at the intersection, it took the clutch a second to engage and when it finally did it was bumpy but took off, pushed out a little smoke, then started to smell kind of like rubber or something. my house was block away so i made my way home, no problems, then when i pulled up to stop i had the clutch in, brake down, and it sputtered and died. a little bit of smoke came from under the hood. not very much.

it's dark out and i have no flash light right now so i really cant see whats going on.

any ideas?

 

So with another day here, you should confirm that the engine has oil and coolant (check in the radiator itself, not just the reservoir), and see if it will start up now. Check that all the spark plug wires are attached. Test drive carefully and at the first sign of any trouble like smoke, try to pinpoint it.

If you've never owned a Civic before, realize that they are not very fast. This is especially true of the DX, LX versions with the DPFI "dual point" TBI intake system. It's an economy car with a small engine built primarily for gas mileage. You should however check the spark timing because that is a common reason for low performance. Also if you don't know how old the timing belt is, replace it.

 

i can confirm that there is oil and coolant and both are at good levels. the car does start with loud sqeaking/whining noise. soon after it starts, it starts smoking from what i believe could be the water pump? could it have seized? seems to be coming from the belt around the pulley. it's on the right front side of the car and belts are attached to it, around the timing belt area.

 

The alternator, air conditioner compressor (if equipped) and power steering (if equipped) are driven by external belts. One of those could have seized. Remove the belts and try to turn the accessory pulleys by hand. You can also start the engine with the belts off to see if the noise is still there. The water pump is driven by the timing belt which is under the cover. Generally if the water pump seizes the timing belt will strip and the engine will not run.

 

well i figured it out. i pinpointed the smoke, realized it was the air conditioner compressor (i don't even have air conditioning) so i just took the pulley off. the bearings were shot to hell. i also took off the tensioner thingy to stop the rattling. everything seems to be in place now. thanks a lot mk378, it only took me 2 minutes to fix.