Thread: 91 Civic DX
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Old 05-19-2011, 01:48 PM   #10 (permalink)
War_Wagon
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Vancouver B.C., Canada
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Spunky - '90 Honda Civic CX
90 day: 35.56 mpg (US)
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Quote:
Sometimes I feel guilty for not adjusting the valves in the Wagon. It's been in the family for 113k miles and I know they haven't been touched that whole time.
I think these cars are generally made to not be maintained, of all the ones I have owned I have only ever adjusted the valves on one that needed it. The rest never showed symptoms so they got left alone.

As for OP's issues, most of the other causes I can think of should set off the check engine light. A faulty O2 sensor should, though it could have an internal short in it like the one in my '98 had, caused all sorts of weird problems but never set the light off. The '91 would also have a mechanical VSS, with a module in the back of the speedo that sends the electrical signal to the computer. The one in my wagon was failing, and it would cause the car to feel like it was running way too rich, but again this set off the CEL. Sounds like a basic question, but the Check Engine Light does come on prior to starting the car, right?

The only other thing I can think of is that while we have asked about tire pressure, we didn't ask about tire/wheel size. Does the car have stock sized tires and wheels, or has someone put a larger aftermarket setup on it? A set of big, wide, low profile tires and heavy wheels is going to cost you some of the missing MPGs.
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