My 2002 TL-S with 20K miles seems to have lost some of its zip. Have I redlined too often or have I just become immune to the power?

I don't race but I do occassionally avoid some of the ignorant and un-courteous drivers out there. This sometimes leads me to race the engine a bit pushing the rpm's close to but never above the redline.

I was challenged by a potential rock throwing Celica GTS the other day and rather than hear that annoying little chipping sound that accompanies a car cutting me off, I slipped it into SS-3 and put him in my rear view mirror. I was expecting to see him fade but he stayed pretty close.

This started the same doubts I had about 2 years into my 1999
V-6 Accord, which were that my aggressive driving style has caused me to lose power.

I decided to perform a home-made 0-60 test like the ones I have been fixated with from Motortrend for the past 16 years. My results of 7.8 are most likely due to my crude starting, accelerating and timing methods, but my doubt and concern is still there.

The engine still runs as smooth as silk and I don't notice any other problems other than the higher rpm power loss. Is it my imagination? Is it bad gas? What can I do to find out if my car still has what I fell in love with for the first 18k miles?

 

Have your IMRC checked. If its not opening, you'll loose high end power. Also, try running a bottle Techron through your tank. I was having pinging on my CL-S and cleaning it out with Techron felt like it added 30hp.

 

...and also clean your air filer and check your plugs too.

 

Thanks for the advice...what is the IMRC?

 

I think it might be that your used to the car as oppose to driving it on day 1. I doubt you will loose power over time, in fact, I think your engine will perform better once it's broken in i.e. better gas mileage. You can try the Techron, clean air filter, or maybe even new spark plugs, but I think it's your imagination. Oh, another thing to consider is the climate and elevation. I drove in high elevation with cold weather, the car felt like it was a 4 banger.

 

Intake Manifold Runner Control. It's a little electric motor/solenoid mounted over the rear valve cover on the type S. It opens up a valve that changes the flow through the intake manifold to take advantage of the "Helmholtz effect" created by intake pulses of adjoining intake runners. It creates a kind of natural supercharging effect. The IMRC opens at around 3,800 - 4,000 RPM.

 

Im not sure if its part of the IMRC ... but have your dealer service/clean out the throttle body ... I'm not sure if this part of any of our reccomended service.

TLS RULZ

 

Check 2 things....Fuel releated and Temperature!!!!

Try using a fuel cleaner and flush your radiator. Also replace stock filter or clean aftermarket filter.

I'm pretty sure is releated to temp or emissions(fuel).