Honda Civic & a Ford Escort

This weekly Q&A session answers your questions about cars and trucks. This week explores a 2000 Honda Civic with a dirty engine and a 1995 Found On Road Dead Escort.

Question: 2000 Honda Civic

In an article you wrote, you recommend replacing one quart of engine oil with one quart of transmission fluid to help clean the engine.

I have a 2000 Honda Civic EX, manual transmission and 79,000 miles. With all the different transmission fluids with all the different extra additives, can you please recommend a particular Brand and Type for the above-mentioned Honda. And to make certain I understand your article, you run the transmission fluid the whole length between oil changes, because I mentioned this to a customer rep at Pep Boys and he replied that if adding transmission fluid to the oil then you would only want to run it in the engine for fifteen minutes before draining the oil and transmission fluid out because of the harshness of the detergents in the transmission fluid. I was unsure he really knew what he was saying and was eager to sell me a zMax product instead.

Thank You, Eric

Answer:

Any brand of automatic transmission fluid will work just fine A cheap fluid will do just as well as an expensive fluid. And yes, you do leave it in the whole 3,000 miles.

As for zMax… FTC Sues Speedway Motorsports

Question: 1995 Ford Escort

Mr. Ciulla,

I purchased a 1995 Ford Escort wagon last winter and have not had very much trouble, the heater core leaks, which I believe the guy knew, and did not say anything, and I did replace the alternator and battery, but have not had any engine trouble except for filling the coolant when the light comes on, weekly or semi monthly.

But yesterday I was driving home from running all over town, and all of a sudden the car just lost throttle power and sputtered a few more feet and died. I tried to start it several times, like its not getting fuel, and with the key off the gauges are all down, but the gas gauge stayed up and moves up when trying to start the car. I had to have a friend come with a trailer and bring it home.

I have not had any trouble like that, no missing or sputtering, but it was more like just losing power, I could feel it through the gas pedal. I filled the coolant and let it cool down, all lights including check engine were showing... and then when I tried to start it later, the gas gauge went up slowly, I had just a little less than ½ a tank in the car.

So, my question is, what could that be? I think the fuel pump, injectors? MAF sensor??? I would appreciate any information and help you can give me; I am so broke so need to know what the problem is and who is capable of fixing it.

Thank you sincerely,

Tamara Cecil

Answer:

The fuel pump would be the most likely problem here. You should do a fuel pressure and volume test to confirm it. A really quick and dirty test would be to remove a vacuum line off the intake manifold and spray a good, healthy shot of carburetor cleaner directly into the intake manifold. Reattach the line and start the engine. If the engine starts and runs as long as the carburetor cleaner lasts then the chances of a bad fuel pump increases.

That's all for this week. Feel free to browse the archives for past topics. And, as always, if you are stuck and need an immediate answer you can always call Vince on the phone.

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