I recently purchased a 94 Honda Civic EX with 125,000 miles on it. The car has an automatic transmission. My problem is this: When the engine is not completely warmed up, the car refuses to accelerate properly. It may not accelerate past first gear for a few seconds, or the engine may die while I already have some speed and slow down. After a couple of blocks, it will suddenly regain power and speed up. After this, it will accelerate and shift perfectly fine.

I am afraid that the problem will get worse, and the car will refuse to accelerate in the middle of an intersection or while merging onto the highway. Help!

Here are two suggestions:

. Replace the Ignition Control Module (ICM) and coil:

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/cars-trucks/faq-how-troubleshoot-repair-maintain-hondas-selected-other-vehicles-46563-4.html#post265896

These are the two most problematic components on Hondas of this generation, which are responsible for a host of stalling, dying, erratic engine performance, and starting problems. I recommend replacing them every 120,000 miles or 10 years, whichever comes first.

. Change the transmission fluid.

If the problem persists, focus on the Variable Speed Sensor (VSS). It's located on top of the transmission, close to the firewall.

The transmission fluid has already been flushed out and replaced with the kind from Honda... I'll see about the other. Thanks!