Car with no power to move?

Hi,

It could be a few things that are causing this. Does the engine rev normally when it is not in gear? Are there any odd sounds from the exhaust system?

Based on the description, I suspect there is either an ignition spark issue or the catalytic converter is plugged.

Do me a favor, when it won't restart, I need you to check if the engine will start using starting fluid. If it does and then stalls again, we know it is still a fuel related issue. If there is no change, I need you to check if there is spark to the plugs.

Here is a link that shows how that is done:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-check-for-ignition-spark

Next, take a look through these two links. The first one describes symptoms related to a failed catalytic converter. If you feel these symptoms mirror what you are experiencing, go to the second link below for diagnostic information.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/bad-catalytic-converter-symptoms

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-test-a-catalytic-converter

Let me know. Also, let me know if there were any odd odors from the vehicle. One last thought. Let me know if the engine RPMs were high when it wouldn't move in gear.

Take care,

joe

Joe, thank you for your response.
When I mentioned the car stalling, I meant that although the engine runs smoothly, the car won’t move forward or backward when I press the accelerator. The engine starts easily and runs well, with no strange noises or odors coming from the engine or exhaust. Everything seems normal, but there’s no power at all.
I initially thought it might be a fuel issue, which is why I replaced the fuel pump assembly (that didn’t solve the problem). Do you think I should consider replacing the fuel injectors? Since there are four injectors and the problem occurred suddenly, I’m thinking it’s unlikely that all four would fail at the same time, but I could be wrong.
Another thought I have is that if it were a problem with the fuel pump or injectors, the engine should shut off on its own. However, in my case, the engine keeps running indefinitely, which suggests that fuel is still being supplied to the engine. This makes me think the fuel pump and injectors are probably fine. So, I’m puzzled—what could be causing the total power loss?
I read the link you shared, and it mentioned that if the catalytic converter fails, I would still have low engine power. However, in my case, there’s no power at all, and after a few hours, the car regains minimal power, but I can only drive about 100 meters before it stops again.
I replaced the four NGK spark plugs in the summer of 2022, so I don’t think they should have failed so soon.
Thanks again for your help.
Ming

When the car stalls, it feels as if I’ve shifted into neutral. Could this be a transmission issue?

Hi,

Can you rev the engine when the transmission is shifted into drive and the vehicle not move?

Let me know.

Joe

hello Joe,
Yes, when I shift the gear to Drive and rev the engine, the car doesn’t move. (The same as if I shift the gear to neutral.)
If I wait for a few hours and restart the car, it initially moves about 50-100 meters, but with very weak power. Then it stops completely, and even though the gear is in Drive, it behaves as if it's in Neutral.
As I mentioned earlier, there's no unusual sound, smell, or anything like that. I replaced the fuel pump assembly, but it made no difference (I removed the back seat to access the fuel pump assembly and haven’t put it back yet, so I can hear the fuel pump working).
I also let the car run for an extended period, and the engine didn’t shut off on its own, so I assume fuel is being supplied to the engine.
Thank you so much for your help. I’m completely at a loss and now have no idea where to even begin looking for the issue.
Ming

Joe,

I googled and found many people experienced the same issue as mine and most possibly the transmission is the problem, which is beyond what I can handle. Maybe I will have to tow it to the junkyard. It’s a 2001 Honda Civic EX with 101,600 miles on it, and I estimate the value to be around $1,500. It's not worth spending a lot of money on transmission repairs.
Thank you very much.
Ming

Hi,

Have you checked the transmission fluid level and condition? If not, check it to see if it is low. Also, the vehicle does have a CVT transmission. They are certainly not the most durable on the market. When they fail, it usually requires a replacement and not a repair.

I attached the directions below for checking the ATF. I'm basing this on when you place it in gear and press the accelerator, the engine just revs and the car doesn't move. Take a look and let me know what you find.

Joe

See pics below.

hi Joe,
I checked the transmission fluid, and it’s both clean and at the right level.
I googled and found many people have the same symptom as mine. They mentioned the issues with CVT transmission for Honda Accord, Civic, and Odyssey released during 1999-2004. One said "Very common issue. The torque converter fails causing the whole transmission to mess up."
It looks like there’s not much more I can do on my end.
Thank you for your help.
Best,
Ming

Ming,

You are very welcome. Sorry to hear this has happened. I am one person that simply doesn't like the CVT design. I've seen too many fail.

Take care of yourself and feel free to come back anytime in the future.

Joe

Joe,
It's strange that the engine light hasn't come on yet.
Do you think replacing the transmission fluid and filter at this point would help? Is it worth a try? The car now has 101,000 miles on it. I bought it used four years ago, and I guess the transmission fluid and filter have never been changed. Although the fluid looks good, it might not be.
Thanks a lot,
Ming

Hi,

If the fluid is clean and full, it likely won't help to change it. However, in most cases, internal transmission failure causes the fluid to get dark in color and develop a burnt smell. Did you notice an odor from it? Is the fluid a reddish color or does it appear more brownish?

Joe

Joe,

The fluid is reddish. I kept trying and the transmission began making squealing noise starting yesterday.
I saw someone's post. He had the same problem as mine. He changed the transmission fluid, which allowed him to drive for a short time, but after about half an hour, the same issue occurred, and he couldn't drive back home.
Someone posted this: "The internal filter is full of friction material debris, and the pump is starved of fluid. Once this happens, there is not enough hydraulic pressure to keep the converter full nor the clutches engaged. All movement ceases. When you shut the engine off, the debris falls away from the filter to the bottom. Restart the engine, and the debris is slowly sucked up again until fluid flow is blocked off again."
This post helped me understand why the car can move for a short distance after sitting for a few hours. Yesterday, I mistakenly thought the filter was external and was planning to replace it. However, based on the information in the post, it seems like the transmission has an internal filter, which I won't be able to access myself.
Thank you,

Ming

Hi,

That is very possible. If you allow it to sit overnight and drain it the next day, you may get a lot of it out of the trans. Do that a couple of times (flushing), may clean it.

What I would try is to drain it, refill it and start the engine for a few minutes and shift through the gears and then drain it again to see if more dirt comes out. You aren't seeing the dirt at the bottom of the transmission, so it may help.

Whatever you do, make sure to use the correct type of transmission fluid. See pic below.

Joe

See pic below.

Joe,

I plan to get this done in the next few days. You mentioned the importance of using the correct type of transmission fluid. After checking the manual, it specifies: "Always use genuine Honda ATF-Z1 (Automatic Transmission Fluid)."
My plan is to flush the transmission twice and then add the final fluid. I’m thinking of using Valvoline Import Multi-Vehicle (ATF) Full Synthetic Automatic Transmission Fluid (attached is a picture that shows it’s recommended for Type T-IV, ATF-Z1, etc.) for the initial two flushes, and then using Genuine Honda Fluid 08200-9006 CVT-1 Continuously Variable Transmission Fluid for the final fill.
Does this sound like a good approach? I'm considering this because the Genuine Honda fluid is significantly more expensive.

Thank you so much,
Ming

Hi Joe,
I am totally lost. Just called two Honda dealer nearby. I gave my VIN and asked them to check if it has CVT. Both of them said no. They said it's a "4-speed auto transmission DW-1".
When I use the symptoms to research online, people had the similar problem always said CVT for 2001 Honda Civic so I mistakenly assume I have a CVT car. So it seems like NOT ALL 2001 Honda Civic EX cars have CVT.
Also I was transferred to the Part department and I gave the guy the VIN again to ask him to order a transmission filter for me. He checked and said there is no filter came out for this car,. Weird.

I will still do the flushes no matter it is CVT or not.
Thank you,
Ming

Hi,

We need to confirm what transmission it is before flushing. I say that because the correct fluid is needed, and at this point, we aren't sure which that will be.

Do me a favor. Let me know the VIN number and I'll try digging deeper into what we need to do. DW-1 is a transmission fluid for a non-CVT transmission. It isn't a transmission type, so I'm confused as well. My manual only indicates a CVT for this vehicle, but I'm not a dealer. They would have more info on the vehicle.

Joe

Since it is not a CVT, I think I cannot use Genuine Honda Fluid 08200-9006 but I can still use the Valvoline Import Multi-Vehicle (ATF) Full Synthetic Automatic Transmission Fluid to flush (The picture you sent shows ATF-Z1 is till good to use )

The ATF-Z1 is for a CVT, and not a traditional type fluid. DW-1 is for a non-CVT Honda transmission.

Joe

Okay. Then probably I cannot use Valvoline since the package did not show DW-1. Another product shows DW-1 on the back and I will use it:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B093R9YZ75
Thank you so much

Yes. It's confusing. The VIN is: 2HGES26711H543064
You said The ATF-Z1 is for a CVT and DW-1 is for a non-CVT Honda transmission. The dealer said it's not a CVT and it use DW-1 but the user manual coming with the car says the following:
"Always use genuine Honda ATF-Z1 If it is not available, you can use a DEXRON III Automatic transmission fluid as a temp replacement"

That's the reason I think maybe the Castrol brand is a safe choice because it works with both types --- CVT and non-CVT.
Thank you so much.

Someone says the transmission type could be on the driver's side door. Mine does not have the info:

Pictures:

Gear Shifter

and front panel

You're not going to believe this. Your vin number takes me to a manual transmission vehicle. Ugh! Have you owned the vehicle since it was new?

Joe

I drove manual transmission car before. This one isn't manual.
I bought it from a close friend. He is not handy and cannot even change engine oil so he cannot modify the car. He is the original owner and if someone else made big changes to the car, he would have told me that.
I thought it over. The chance that two dealers checked it wrong is not big. They told me it is a non-cvt four speed automatic transmission car. So I think I can use either the Castrol or Valvoline fluid to flush the transmission.
Thank you so much.

Hi,

Understood. If possible, could you let me know how things turn out for you? I'm hopeful and interested in knowing if that resolves the issue.

Take care,

Joe

Of course. I think I will finish flushing it in the middle of the next week. Will keep you informed. Thank you so much for all your great help.

Joe,

After letting the car sit for a while, I was even able to drive it up onto the ramps. Then I drained the transmission fluid and added new fluid. Then I testing it, there was no change—the issue persisted.
I'm planning to do it a second time. This time, I jacked up both sides of the car instead of using a ramp. This way I can work on it and can test driving while in my garage. When I started the car, I observed a couple of things. First, the ABS light on the dashboard came on. I think that might be normal since both wheels are off the ground. Second, the driver's side wheel was spinning but stopped after about two minutes. When I revved the engine, it started spinning again. However, the passenger side wheel never moved. I tried manually spinning it, but it didn't help. The passenger side wheel behaves differently from the driver's side—it doesn’t spin at all.
I also watched a YouTube video that showed an external transmission filter located under the air filter box (see picture), but it was for a 2006 Honda Civic. I plan to remove the air filter box to check if my car has one as well.

Thank you very much,
Ming

I checked and there is no external filter for the 2001 model.

The video shows what the setup looks like. After the driver's side wheel stopped, I pressed the accelerator, and it started spinning again. Additionally, when I put the gear in Neutral and revved the engine, the driver's side wheel is also spinning. (not sure if the video can play)

Is it possible that the passenger side wheel is disengaged somehow, and with only one wheel receiving power, there's not enough force for the car to move?

Hi,

If you have one wheel/axle disconnected from the transmission, the car won't move. Power is distributed to the wheel of least resistance. That would be the one not connected in this case.

Here is an easy test. If you question a broken axle or CV joint, place the vehicle in park with the parking brake off and see if it holds. If you can move the vehicle like it's in neutral, we need to check the axles.

Let me know.

Joe

I checked as you suggested. I also went under the car to see. The axle is good.
So still the transmission has problems. The axle end is disengaged inside the transmission.
The first flush doesn't help. I will do another flush to see if it makes any difference.
Thank you very much.

Hi,

If the axle end is disengaged inside the transmission, that is why it won't move. Save the money on the fluid and let's get the axle back into place.

Is there anything you can think of that may have caused the axle to disengage? Does it appear broken?

Joe

hi Joe:
Please correct me if I'm wrong. I think the end of the axle shaft goes into the transmission. I suspect there might be a clutch-like mechanism inside the transmission that connects to the axle shaft. It seems this mechanism might be slipping, preventing power from being transferred to the axle. What I mean is for the system to work properly, both sides of the clutch mechanism must be functioning correctly to engage. While the axle is in good condition, it seems that the transmission part is unable to hook up the axle gear and it just slips.
Thank you for all your great help.
Ming

Ming,

The axle attaches to a slated gear inside. Has it come apart from that point? Could you take a couple pictures of what you see and upload them for me?

Let me know.

Joe

Joe,
It doesn't come apart and looks normal from the outside, but it doesn't spin. I think the slotted gear might be slipping. The unfortunate part is that I searched online, and people say this issue within the transmission can't be fixed.
Ming

I also compared it with my other car and noticed that, although the driver's side wheel can spin, it feels much weaker. It seems like the slotted gears on both sides inside the transmission are having issues, possibly due to dirt buildup. This is a 2001 car with 101616 local miles, and the transmission fluid has never been changed.

This experience has taught me a lesson. I have two other cars, a 2000 Mazda MPV and a 2014 Toyota Camry, both with around 140,000 miles and also without a transmission fluid change. I had planned to do it soon, but after watching YouTube, I found that many people recommend changing the transmission fluid every 60,000 miles. They also say that if a car is well past that point, like over 100,000 miles without a fluid change, it’s better not to do it, as it could cause issues like slipping. Despite it not making much sense to me, given how many people have said this, I think it's best to take their advice.

Hi,

If the transmission fluid is extremely dirty or burnt, you are better off leaving it alone. If that isn't the case, you are fine for changing it.

Let me know if I can help in any way.

Joe