:confused:
I have a 01 Civic LX and while cruising down the highway 50+ MPH periodically will experience a +/- 1000 RPM drop, the dash lights flicker and the check engine light flickers, then RPMs pickup again and away we go.

Any suggestions on what might be going on here and where we should look for fixes?

Thanks

Greetings and Salutations...

Well from the initial description of the problem that you are having...I would strongly recommened that you have the computer scanned. This can be done for from at places such as Advance Auto Parts and Autozone (they have OBD II computer scanners). This would be a good idea to see if the computer logged any codes, even though the check engine light is not on.

However there are a few things that it could be...

1. The fuel filter could be at the early stages of becoming clogged. When was the last time that you had it changed? Reason for this...the RPM drop could be the result of a fuel starvation problem...and the fuel filter is the cheapest (and easiest) thing to replace.

2. The air filter is really, really, clogged. Same reason as number 1.

3. The fuel pump may be starting to fail. A voltage draw test can be done at a garge (most shop don't know how to do this...you may have to go to a dealer) and if the pump is starting to go (which would be very unlikey), it could get expensive.

4. The Alternator or Battery could be on its way out. A simple load test of the charging system (which any shop should be able to do for a small fee) will show any problems.

There are other possible causes but these are by far the most likely and fairly cheap to fix...well at least 1 and 2 are. Also if any garage or dealer suggests or quotes an expensive repair...be sure to get a second opinion before you get any work done to you vehicle.

Hope this helps.