2001 Honda Civic having problems accelerating?
 

2001 Honda Civic with only 21,000 milesNo problems with the car until recently when I've noticed I really have to push down on the gas to get it to accelerate. I can hear the engine kind of struggling, too, especially on an incline. Ride is not as smooth, either. No recent maintenance except for oil change. Could it be the fuel system needs to be cleaned? TiresPlus todl me they could do it for $89.99, but I'm hesitant to pay for something that might not necessarily be the root of the problem. I wish there was a way to get someone to physically look at the fuel injection without charing me $50 for a "diagnostic engine" test. What's my best bet? I heard Autozone does a free engine scan...would it be worth it to buy some fuel cleaner and see if that helps?

Could be the intake filter, using bad gas, more weight in the car, and/or the heat outside. You should definitely get it checked out. There are a lot of places that do cheap or free diagnostic tests, you should look around your area.

check the timing, brakes, clutch and fuel system.

Sounds like a dirty fuel filter. If you feel comfortable replacing it by yourself it would be a cheap thing to try. Be careful and read up on how to do it becasue they are under pressure with gasoline.