Dear editor,
[dropcap]M[/dropcap]y 2003 Honda Civic car (Automatic) has clocked only about 92,000 kilometres. But recently, whenever I drive it, I feel I am on low gear; it drags badly. Before I take it to a mechanic, kindly give me a clue as to why it is suddenly behaving like this. Is it a serious problem? Thank you.
Sincerely yours,
Maureen Lawrence
ANSWER
Dear Maureen,
It could be a bit tricky diagnosing this problem without driving the car. However, I suspect your brake caliper. Since your car is Automatic, you could experience a drag, if your automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) is low. Please check the fluid level while the engine is running so as to get correct reading. Low ATF fluid could prevent your transmission from changing up into a higher gear, which would cause dragging and continuous driving on a low gear.
This is important. If you discover ATF oil is low, buy the manufacturer-specified ATF and top it up before getting it back on the road. Otherwise, you might ruin your transmission.
Technical Editor
