hey my 98 RS non vtec is gettin horrible mileage. i'm second owner...1st is my uncle. he has been known to skip maintenance chekcups...it's only got about 42K on it...runs nice. but when i drive it...and i let go of the gas...it just slows down like i'm in 1st gear going up a steep hill...yanno what i mean? even when i'm on flat ground...so i gotta keep the throttle going...and then brake at the end. it's getting about 13mpg...this is stupid. is there anything that i can do? i'm getting cai soon...hopefully that will help? (btw everything is stock for now) any help would be appreciated. thanks

I dont think a CAI would help, take it to a mechanic, something is fucked up under the hood, sounds like a clogged fuel injector or maybe some burnt seals, but i aint a mechanic so i dunno, but take it to a shop asap so nothin else gets messed up

hey my 98 RS non vtec is gettin horrible mileage. i'm second owner...1st is my uncle. he has been known to skip maintenance chekcups...it's only got about 42K on it...runs nice. but when i drive it...and i let go of the gas...it just slows down like i'm in 1st gear going up a steep hill...yanno what i mean? even when i'm on flat ground...so i gotta keep the throttle going...and then brake at the end. it's getting about 13mpg...this is stupid. is there anything that i can do? i'm getting cai soon...hopefully that will help? (btw everything is stock for now) any help would be appreciated. thanks
What happens when you're at park or neutral and press on the accelerator? Does the car accelerate OK?

Most problems are due to fire, fuel, or timing.

For Fire Problems
Check your spark plug cables for continuity between distributor and spark plugs. Check for loose spark plugs. Check for corroded spark plug tips. Check for wrong spark plug types. Check for proper spark plug gaps. Remove your distributor cap and make sure the rotor and contacts are clean.Fuel Problems
Don't use fuel injector cleaner... they're actually BAD for your car over the long run. Make sure your fuel injector heads are aligned properly (check alignment marks). You can twist them without any tools. Check for obstructions on your air filter and vents leading to your injectors. Check for proper fuel pressure. Turn your car on and let it run for 5 minutes. Opening your gas tank should relieve the pressure.For Timing Problems
Your timing belt could have skipped Your valves may need adjustmentHope this helps

stick or auto. in my car (94 LS sedan 5 speed) when i let off the gas it slows down as well, maybe not as much as yours sounds like it does, but if I put it in neautral and let off the gas it coasts good, if yopurs is a stick try this, and if yours is auto, maybe your calipers are frozen at one or more wheels. becaus4e not having power wouldnt slow you down if you are already moving, if it acelerated poorly then you should check the spark/fuel whatever but it wouldnt cause this problem, jack up the car at each corner and have it in neautral with no ebrake on and all wheels should spin wihtout much force at all. if any of the wheels stick your e brake may not be disengaging fully or maybe a caliper is sticking and the piston doesnt return all the way. see what happens and then post what the results of the test was.

it's an auto...and i dun think a mechanic would help. cuz when i got it...i did a 30K comprehensive tune up. (replaced spark plugs if necessary, etc) iono about fuel injection though. thanks

but do all wheels spin freely when they are off the ground and in neutral(for front) and disengaged e brake(for rear)???

that is what I am guessing. it has to be something like that that isnt letting your car roll easily, so youi have to be using much more power to keep the same speed than you should causing you to get shitty gas mileage. also driving habits have lots to do wiht it. I am known to drive hard ALL the time. I once got 90 miles before my fuel guage even fell below the 3/4 line, whihch many can do with thier teg Im sure but for me thats good. Ive been racing around hossing it all over the place so much this tank Im only at 97 miles on this tank and im below 1/2 tank. how do you drive? like a grandma or like you have a lead foot? cause 13 REALLY sucks for an integra so there must be some serious friction going on.

If your brake calipers are stuck, you'd be able to hear the continuous grinding noise of the pads against the rotors. Check the free rotation of the wheels in neutral.

If your wheels are OK, I've seen an accord that displayed the exact same symptoms. The Accord did not accelerate as expected when you pressed on the gas pedal.

One thing to observe is your sense of acceleration. All of us, when we press on the gas pedal, expect a forward lurch. If the car doesn't respond accordingly, our sense of forward momentum is thrown off and we think the car is slowing, but in actuality it has not slowed or accelerated either.

The cause of the problem was a timing issue. The belt skipped a tooth.

thanks. guys, but nothing seems to be working. could it be a fuel injection problem? and another thing. my mileage seems to get better by the tank. i just got this car, and i've filled up three times. here are the numbers. 1st time: 130miles on a tank. 2nd: 150. and now i'm at 160 with a bit more gas to kill. (we had to jump the battery when we got it...cuz it hadn't been runnign for about 4 months.) is time a factor in getting the "engine up and running like new" again?
thanks again

check fuel filter. Possibly some shit in your exhaust (a clog). Happened to my benz.

how do i do that? how do i check my fuel filter?
another thing i discovered. when going down a hill, i stayed in gear...but after a year, it would suddenly slow down...and it felt like something something got stuck in the tranny gears...so i'm thinking it's the tranny any help? thanks again guys, this is really helpful

could it have anything to do with an ecu chip?

If your brake calipers are stuck, you'd be able to hear the continuous grinding noise of the pads against the rotors. Check the free rotation of the wheels in neutral.



thats not true at all. think about it for a second, do you here grinding when you push the brake in...no. so why would it be any different. the only time you would here it would be if the pad was worn off and it was metal on metal.


I just did a pickup truck that the front passenger side caliper froze... no noise it just pulled like a bitch to one side. the caliper, rotor, and pads were all red hot from friction. I couldn't even go near the tire for over a half hour.


anyway i agree that it may be the brakes... that would account for the bad mileage and the slowing down when you let off the gas.