prelude has lost its sweetness - Honda Prelude Forum

dontbuyprelude · 03-09-2010, 01:37 AM

my car doesnt accelerate as fast as it used to. i raced a friends gsr and i took it by 2 cars. now ~1k miles later, we are neck to neck and he starts to pull on me. he has not done any more mods since we last raced. i cant figure out why within such a short time my car is slower. i can feel that its acceleration is not as crisp as it was before. so here is my attempt at troubleshooting the problem and hopefully someone can help a brotha out.

i have no CEL.

i religiously fill up on premium fuel.

vtec is working. i watch my oil level like a hawk. i can feel the "boost" when it engages.

i just cleaned my air filter.

i replaced my cap,rotor,wires,plugs 3k miles ago.

i have a gutted cat so it cant be obstructed exhaust.

my idle is near perfect. no jumpy rpms when driving so im ruling out TPS.

i thought it might be my o2 sensor but ecu goes into open loop at WOT.

i have reset my ECU countless number of times.

brand new battery 2 weeks ago.

i have no idea where to start fixing things. nothing is wrong with the car. yet something is slowing it down.

i have considered the fact that one of my camshafts has jumped a tooth on the timing belt but the car runs and idles smoothly and doesnt sound different at high rpms than before.

the only thing that im suspecting is my fuel filter is full of crud. you see, im broke right now and that involves filling up on very small amounts of gasoline. $2, $4, $5 a fill up. could my fuel pump have sucked up the nastiness at the bottom of my tank and plugged my fuel filter? ive been filling up on small amounts of fuel for about 3 darn months now. my car used to be quick then all of a sudden its slow. can someone shed some light on this?

Thanks in advance

HavoK041 · 03-09-2010, 01:47 AM

did you gain weight?

dontbuyprelude · 03-09-2010, 01:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HavoK041

did you gain weight?

no. in fact i lost weight bc i dont have my sub box anymore.

Seigisama · 03-09-2010, 02:44 AM

$2 worth of gas? What's that like 0.70 Gallons? that would last like one trip to 60mph.

apocolipse269 · 03-09-2010, 03:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dontbuyprelude

no. in fact i lost weight bc i dont have my sub box anymore.

i think he meant it along the lines of "have you been sticking to the McDonalds Diet??"

dontbuyprelude · 03-09-2010, 04:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seigisama

$2 worth of gas? What's that like 0.70 Gallons? that would last like one trip to 60mph.

i get around town. i drive less.

And my body weight is the same....

any real thoughts on the matter?

KraserK · 03-09-2010, 04:40 AM

Theres too many variables to list. I don't think you should be worried. If you think it's your engine then get a compression test done. It could be your driving? My prelude is quite slow I get left behind about 3 car lengths to 180kms but im comparing it to a turbo sti wrx subaru that has I/H/E compared to my I

dontbuyprelude · 03-09-2010, 05:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KraserK

Theres too many variables to list. I don't think you should be worried. If you think it's your engine then get a compression test done. It could be your driving? My prelude is quite slow I get left behind about 3 car lengths to 180kms but im comparing it to a turbo sti wrx subaru that has I/H/E compared to my I

i suppose a compression test would be a logical thing to do. however, i dont understand what can slow the car down in such a short period of time, thats why im worried. not because this has happened over 5 years of ownership. i dont think my driving got worse...

skyyskyy · 03-09-2010, 05:15 AM

dirty fuel filter, it made my 98 crappy at the lower rpm range along with not being able to start first gear without high rpm or it would shake like hell and stall, new fuel filter fixed it all for me.

dontbuyprelude · 03-09-2010, 05:41 AM

^the thing is, my car doesnt stall or buck. first gear is easy to start off in. it just seems it lags in the top end a little bit. oh well, new fuel filter is definitely on the list for me.

Thanks for all suggestions so far.

skyyskyy · 03-09-2010, 07:17 AM

its good maintenance to do anyway, people tend to forget about the fuel filter even with a newer 2001 prelude if never changed that thing is 9yrs old. Only other thing i can think of is fuel injectors.

petern101 · 03-09-2010, 10:03 AM

..or the fact is the error of margin of racing is pretty big at these speeds/power ranges...

For the most part, it's normally the driver. If you are already rolling, sometimes it's just exactly where both of you are in the revs and when you stomp on the gas. A delay looks bloated and maybe you really didn't win by 2 car lengths last time.

thegamettt · 03-09-2010, 10:05 AM

maybe he got better at driving than you?

aboone78 · 03-09-2010, 10:22 AM

maybe there is just some sludge in the engine or other places.a cheap thing to do is to use seafoam in your car.the stuff works great and even if it doesnt totally solve your problem it still cleans out your various components so its not wasted money.

YouTube - How-To Seafoam

Kronn 98SH · 03-09-2010, 11:32 AM

Choking any of these three can cause a loss of power: Intake Air, Fuel, Exhaust

Replace air and fuel filters. If that doesn't help, get a dyno with A/F ratio.

dontbuyprelude · 03-09-2010, 07:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by petern101

..or the fact is the error of margin of racing is pretty big at these speeds/power ranges...

For the most part, it's normally the driver. If you are already rolling, sometimes it's just exactly where both of you are in the revs and when you stomp on the gas. A delay looks bloated and maybe you really didn't win by 2 car lengths last time.

we are friends. we have deliberately setup races many times. from a dig, a roll. we both agreed my car was faster. when we last raced we definitly launched at the same time. we even did a highway roll and he started to overtake me. i dont mean to sound impatient or "know it all" but i did mention in my first post that i can FEEL something amiss with the car. however i do appreciate your efforts to help me in this matter.

Mr. Gammet, he has had his license longer than me so he has less room to grow in his skill than me.

aboone, i have already used seafoam when i did my egr ports/valve. i may have to do it again.

Kronn 98SH · 03-10-2010, 12:06 AM

Re-read my post.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dontbuyprelude

Mr. Gammet, he has had his license longer than me so he has less room to grow in his skill than me.

That's extremely naive.

lude4lifeh22 · 03-10-2010, 12:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kronn 98SH

Re-read my post.

That's extremely naive.

I concur.

My mom has been driving for 40 years and she has A LOT more she good to improve her driving skills to meet mine. There is a lot more in driving than just how long you have had your license LOL.

I <3 My BB6 · 03-10-2010, 11:49 AM

to the OP - this thread has really got me thinking. Have you asked your friend in the GSR if anything has changed on his end? Mabe he gave the car an NGK tune up, and maybe an air filter? Maybe he cleaned his VTEC solonoid since you last raced? Maybe he had bad low octane gas the last time you two raced? Even though there are many factors the bottom line here is you DID win at one point and 5 speed 5th gen's are straight up faster stock than any stock GSR. I would suggest cleaning your VTEC solonoid, checking your tire pressure, replace your fuel filter, and possibly replace your o2 sensors. None of this will hurt thats for sure.... and to Kraserk - any Sti will beat us Ludes by much more than 3 car lengths. My Lude sleeps in my garage next to an '06 Sti everynight and I sure as hell am no where near 3 lengths away from my bro when racing.

@nonymous · 03-10-2010, 12:54 PM

he got better at driving, if not then just do a compression test and youll know for a fact if your motor is good or not.