Mechanical Question - Accelerator Hesitation

Hi,

My g/f has a '97 Honda Civic LX which normally runs fine (she hasn't had any
problems out of it to speak of). Car has aprox 120K, has never been tuned
up.

She's telling me that yesterday she was on her way to work, came to a stop,
hit the gas to accelerate and nothing happened. Car didn't really shake or
seem to want to die, it just hesitated to accelerate when she hit the gas.
After a few seconds (she wasn't sure exactly how long, guessing maybe 5
seconds), the accelerator kicked in and the car took off. Ran fine the rest
of the day. She says this is the first time it's ever happened.

I'm not a mechanic, so I was wondering if anyone here who was mechanically
inclined might have some idea what would cause this to happen - and if it's
something she should be worried about happening again? I'm thinking
something with the fuel injectors, but again I'm not a mechanic so it may
have more to do with the car radio ;-)

I'm sure at the mileage a tune up is advisable, and I plan to have that done
for her shortly, but would a tune up prevent something like this from
happening again?

Thanks folks!
Will

 

============

Her timing belt should have been done by now, based on years and
mileage. If it hasn't been, she risks total meltdown of the engine.
Please read the fine manual. If she's never had any 'failure to restart
when warm' problems, it's probably not the MAIN RELAY. You could try a
tank full of ethanol-enhanced gas to clear out any winter moisture. Does
she park in heated parkades, by chance?

If her timing belt has jumped a tooth, hesitation would be all the time,
not just once.

'Curly'

 

Hi Curly, thanks for the response.

I do know that her timing belt has been replaced. She's never had a problem
restarting the car and she parks it out in the open. Perhaps it's a case of
a little moisture in the tank or something like that.

Thanks.

 

Honestly with what you have told me about the car never having been tuned up
at 120k I wouldn't even agree to diagnose the car if it came to the shop
unless it was completely tuned up first or you paid me to tune it up and
then diagnose.

CaptainKrunch

 

*Transmission fluid low?
*Stuck on 4th, 5ft?

For a second, I thought the Civic can talk.
Ask her (the other her) if the rpm went up.