8OOSTED

I have a 94' LS with 305,500K miles (I know it's crazy) that keeps dying and not starting randomly. It all started a few days ago when it turned off while I was driving down the street about 35 mph. I pulled over and couldn't find anything wrong and tried starting it after about 10 minutes. It started and then died about 20 seconds later. I moved the spark plug cables around at the distributer cap, and it started so I figured it was just a loose connection. Then today while I was on my way to court, at just about the worst possible time, it dies in the middle of traffic so I push it into a parking lot. I pulled out the wires from the dist. cap one by one and put them back in but the metal connectors on the cylinder #1 wire ripped off. I used some plyers and put it back on and it ran for the next couple miles and got me to court. Then after I got out of court it started and died right away, I took out the damaged wire again and tried to push the connecter back together with plyers. It started and died again. I then waited an hour before starting it again, and it started. It got about a mile up the street, died, and wouldn't restart. I had to get a ride home.


Details:

It will crank over strong but not start
I can hear the fuel pump turn on
I can hear the injectors turning on
It seems like its getting worse as my tank is getting lower but I haven't had a chance to fill it up because it keeps dying.

I thought it might be the bad wire but I reconnected it pretty well and it runs strong... when it runs at least. The only thing I can think of is that its either distributor or possibly fuel pump related.

EDIT: It was the ICM (Ignition Control Module) inside of the distributor.

TheAsian

Try changing out your fuel filter. What you are describing sounds like it is struggling to get fuel. I would consider getting the fuel pressure check out it.

LS Fuel pressure spec is 40-47psi.

What I am thinking is your fuel filter is clogged up causing a lack of fuel issue, you have a weak fuel pump, or a bad FPR.

8OOSTED

The fuel filter is brand new. I've heard old distributers will stop working as they heat up and you have to wait for them to cool down to work again. If that was the case, would I need a whole new distributor or can I just change some of its internal components for it to work again? I'll try checking the fuel pressure if I can get it home

jasoncanseeoh

Well, how long ago was your fuel pump replaced?
You could have a bad battery if you ask me.... alternator not charging the batt. possibly?

sde780

main relay?

dayungking

are you also paying attention to your engine temp? does your fan continue to run after the engine shuts off? sounds like when my friends civics fan wasnt comin on someone was messin with it and forgot to put it back to its original state. glwt

TheAsian

Main relays are a common issue, I would try a swapping w/ someone and seeing if you issue goes away. if it dose buy one.

KGB_JDM

i had this problem in my 97 ls....it cranks but doesnt start?? check fuel filter to make sure that you are getting fuel to the motor, then check for a spark from the plugs. When i did this i didnt have a spark, so i took off the dizzy and i replaced the ignition coil and ignition module...try that...it could be the main relay also...gl with the fix i know its a pain

8OOSTED

From what i've gathered, it could be either the ICM or the main relay. I've heard there's three main relays under the dash, is there one that tends to go out or how can I find out which one it is?

jasoncanseeoh

It's just the big grey box lookin thing. Should be right behind the latch to pop your hood. You seem like a smart enough guy to figure it out.
I'd like to apologize if this is all useless. Lol.

I've only heard of one, and this is the typical one that goes bad.

Da9austinRacing

no it wouldnt die after start.
its the main fuel relay

P1X1

I think its your distributor. Try this - when your car dies again, pour some cold water over the distributor (to cool it down), wait one minute and then start the car - if it starts fine - its your distibutor (or just ignition coil in it).
btw. main relay only starts the fuel pump, so he could only cause trouble starting the car.

jasoncanseeoh

OP, what's the news yo?

beseman

Are you serious?????

vroomvroomparty

If it will not turn on at all, after some serious cranking, check your ignition coil, if it DOES start then dies, it could be an IAC valve, or a vacuum leak. My guess would be to the MAP sensor, if you can get it to start, get a can of sensor kleen and spray very lightly toward the intake manifold, if there is a vacuum leak, the engine will jump in rpm. If this does happen, you can then isolate the leak by spraying individual hoses. If it's the ignition coil, then you need a new one, and while youre at it, swap your cap, rotor and plugs, use NGK as those are the most compatible with honda engines. Hope some of this helps, I've been there before

P1X1

Yeah, Im serios. The ignition coil failure has identical symptoms as described - the car often dies when the engine is heated and starts fine when it cools down (or doesn't start at all if its totaly dead). The thing with water is just to cool it a bit so that you dont have to wait for 20 - 30 min. for the engine to cool down. Can't do no harm if your dizzy gasket is fine.

CeReal

^ p1x1 while crazy, he is right. i bet its your distributor. another 360 bucks lighter.

P1X1

Crazy or not, it worked for me.... didn't have to crank for 30 minutes and kill my batteries and than wait for the tow truck to get home. For what I know, if you dont get spark on any cable, its the distributor (and it rarely dies instantly, first it dies on high temps but gives a spark when its cooled).
NHF for that "crazy", I hear that a lot
Oh.... maybe somebody thought I suggested poaring cold water over the engine.......No, no, nooooo, just over the distributor (and the same dizzy still works on my car, I only changed the IC in it).

asifbychance

pull th fpr vac line and plug it... drive it, does it run better?

fcm

8OOSTED You need to determine if it is a fuel problem or a spark problem, because of the symptoms you are having it could be either one and the cause can be many, you need to narrow it down a bit.

A quick simple test is, the next time it stalls/fails to start and after trying to start the engine immediately remove a spark plug and see if it is wet with gas, it will also smell of gas, if not it is a fuel problem, if it is wet with gas ground the spark plug to engine and have someone crank the engine so you can check the spark.

Determining if it is fuel or spark will make troubleshooting a little easier.

An intermittent fuel problem will generally not "cut" the engine off instantly, it will loose power and sputter to a stop, and when trying to start will sputter/fire and almost start or start and run very ruff and stall, unless the fuel problem is with the injectors.

Although you said, "I can hear the fuel pump turn on" and assuming you mean you can hear it prime when you turn on the ign. switch, does not automatically mean the PGM-FI Main Relay is good, the "main relay" is a misnomer in a sense as it is actually two relays in one package, [located just above the hood release] the PGM-FI Main Relay contains the fuel pump relay and the injector relay, the fuel pump relay is controlled by the injector relay and the ECU/ECM the injector relay is controlled by the ign. switch

The fuel pump relay supplies power only to the fuel pump the injector relay on the other hand supplies power to the fuel pump relay, [internal] to the injectors, ECU/ECM and a few engine valves/solenoids/sensors.

Now with all that said and because you hear the fuel pump prime, it is unlikely the problem is the PGM-FI Main Relay, but still possible if it is the injector relay that has a problem.

Again because of the symptoms I have to agree that it is a distributor, [spark] problem, both the coil and the ICM are susceptible to heat induced failure, causing the type of symptoms you are having intermittent stalling, failing to start, [fire] when engine warm, starting once engine cools off, running strong when working, not firing at all when not working.

The first thing to do is to make sure the connections to the coil ands ICM are good, a poor connection is also susceptible to heat and would result in the same symptoms, so remove dist. cap, pull the rotor and the "leak" cover if equipped, undo/unplug the terminals to the coil and ICM and make sure the terminals are clean and that the connections are tight, a pair of pliers can be used to "tighten" the terminals if they seem loose, reassemble and see if the problem is solved, if not I would replace the coil as it is cheaper then the ICM and much more likely to to be intermittent, [work, not work then work again once cooled off, and although the ICM can also be intermittent they generally just go.
Now I have to go and work on my own 94 Integra. 94

PS. cooling off the distributor is not as "crazy" as it sounds, P1X1 has a point about not having to wait for engine to cool down and water would work, I would use/have used compressed air as you can pop the cap and cool down the coil and ICM directly, if you can then start the engine it points towards the coil or the ICM being the problem and because everything is still hot it will not take very long for the temp. to go up in the distributor again also sortening the time to confirm the problem.

HondaPartsHero

sounds like ignitor check here

http://techauto.awardspace.com/ignition.html

8dxhatchy8

i just fixed this problem in my ls, it was the icm in the dizzy (ignitor) 50 bucks at the zone and runs like a champ now..

Amazin1988

I have same problems now. I get spark fuel I've changed everything that would deal with that and it starts maybe for a couple seconds then shuts off. Injectors are spraying, timing isn't jumped dizzy was changed 7 months ago just changed Rotor and cap even main relay I'm so lost help.