i bought my cl used about a month ago, it was so much quicker the first week, compared to the last three weeks i've owned the car. What are the causes of loss of power, is there anything that i would be able to check out myself before taking my car to the dealership and bein like "yo its slower..." any input would be much appreciated.

 

Sometimes the car doesn't get slower, you just get use to the speed.

Things you could check,
Air filter
Check to see if the actuator is still working (search very helpful topics)


Maybe its the gas.

 

gas? i put 91 in it, nothing less...

 

Fire, fuel, or filter is what I was taught....some one once said cars with computers can be reset and then "learn" how you drive...might look into this also...

 

sounds like actuator, may also be those great honds engines, so inconsistent. sometimes they are just fast and sometimes the car is so slugish. but I knoiw what you mean. just for the hell of it, unplug your battery for 4 hrs straight, then drive it aroiund hard and shut her down. then next few days she will gain some power back, just have the navi and radio codes ready. see if that works.

 

or the weather
cooler air=more power
hot air=less

 

yup if you are in southern California today 100 degrees. You are lucky if your car felt as fast as Civic hybrid.

 

So I wasn't just plugged into the Matrix...as far as the computer then...

 

I think you get used to the power!

 

Rondog

What you say makes sense. the Honda engines are so inconsistent. Sometimes my TLS feels so fast, and sometimes so slow. What gives? It really does feels sluggish like a hybrid civic can pass me by. By far I am not an agressive driver, yet for a six cylinder engine to be so inconsistent is hard to figure out. Maybe its the absence of no low end torque?

 

yeah, my tl-p has been feeling like that too. Some one told me that it may be the Denso plugs.

 

It might be the time of the year they change fuel mixes in your state. I know that in Jan/Feb in denver I always think my Jeep is running like crap because of the winter gas ... by April, she runs fine. My CL didn't seem to suffer from the same problem but she's got a lot more power then the Jeep. How's your gas mileage? That can be an indicator. Also, the first week, you would have been running on the dealers gas ... now, your running on your stations gas. Might be something there ...

 

All i know, is i like the power, dont like losing it, its going to the shop if it acts up once more

 

As mentioned, the cars don't like hot weather. The difference in power is obvious between a 60-degree day and a 90-degree day.

The other power robbers were mentioned as well:

Air filter -- check for clogs/dirt/etc.

IRMC -- actuator will kill close to 20HP and a lot of torque (you lose power up top if the actuator stops working). It will NOT throw an engine code. IOW, you won't get an error code or warning light if it stops working.

Gas – try to switch stations for one fill-up.

As for other stuff:

If the engine is really messed-up, you should get a MIL/CEL (Malfunction indicator/Check engine light) popping on if something is really screwed-up (misfires, some sensor that is going away or dead, etc.)

It is very easy to get "used" to a car's performance level and it just won't feel as fast on certain days. You'd really need a G-Tech or some kind of instrument to eliminate the human perception issues that come with "seat of the pants" measurements.

All of this has been mentioned in the thread

 

Thanks you Eric, that does pretty much sum up everything. In addition to getting use to the feel and compound that with an approaching summer, there may also be a contributing factor. If you vary 10% from the changing weather alone, that is a significant difference on a 260+ HP car versus say a 160 HP car. Granted the percentage change is the same but you will normally feel it more in higher powered vehicles.

My Typhoon would vary what felt like 50 - 100 WHP going between summer and winter. The CL is less susceptible.

As for inconsistency and those who feel it is Honda/Acura engineers, what did you previously drive?? The car is tuned for all conditions, some of which may not yield optimal power. Try a forced induction car some time; that is a real change in power with changing ambient conditions.

Lastly, about adjusting and it has been beat to death. I will be providing a video showing how quickly the ECU can sense and adjust accordingly.