Civic hot weather problem
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Civic hot weather problem
Hey guys,
I have a problem with my 99' Civic. In hot weather, I cannot keep my car running. I will start it up, and it will either die right away, or drive for like 30 seconds then die. This ONLY happens in hot weather. I never had this problem in the winter, and it is very annoying. It started at the beginning of April and I did some research to try and figure it out. After doing a fair bit of searching I narrowed it down to the problem meaning my main relay. It makes sense too because Honda main relays are very heat sensitive and when the joints get old and crack it is hard to stay running. I replaced it one week ago and thought I fixed my problem. It has been hot all week even on the day I replaced it, so I thought problem solved until today. Driving home from work, I got about 100 meters from my job and it died. I started it up again and right away it died. I repeated this step about 30 times until I let it cool down for about 5 minutes, and then it ran. WTF? If this isn't my relay, what the heck is it?
Thanks a lot!
I have a problem with my 99' Civic. In hot weather, I cannot keep my car running. I will start it up, and it will either die right away, or drive for like 30 seconds then die. This ONLY happens in hot weather. I never had this problem in the winter, and it is very annoying. It started at the beginning of April and I did some research to try and figure it out. After doing a fair bit of searching I narrowed it down to the problem meaning my main relay. It makes sense too because Honda main relays are very heat sensitive and when the joints get old and crack it is hard to stay running. I replaced it one week ago and thought I fixed my problem. It has been hot all week even on the day I replaced it, so I thought problem solved until today. Driving home from work, I got about 100 meters from my job and it died. I started it up again and right away it died. I repeated this step about 30 times until I let it cool down for about 5 minutes, and then it ran. WTF? If this isn't my relay, what the heck is it?
Thanks a lot!
#3
Re: Civic hot weather problem
I do not know if this will help or if it is even a reach but I had this same problem on my 67 Cutlass. (I own a 95 Civic...so I can post here). But anyways, on my Cutlass I had the same problem....cold weather....can drive all day...when it would heat up it would die. Since this is a show car, I really did much care to badly since I rarely drive it. But one day I decided to look into it and come to find out it was the coil. Now my 67 has an external coil and the Honda has one built into the dist. But in essence what was happening was the coil heats up and will no longer produce spark untill it would cool off. When it dies on you.....pull a spark plug and see if you are getting spark. Like I said its a reach..but who knows may be your issue.
Good luck!
Good luck!
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Re: Civic hot weather problem
Distributor coil does sound like it could be the problem. What I do not understand is the hot weather. Doesn't the coil heat up when your drive all the time anyways? So how would external (environmental) temperature effect it? Like in the winter time it is completely fine, but in the summer not at all?
Bump for more information on this, I want to get to the bottom of it.
Bump for more information on this, I want to get to the bottom of it.
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Re: Civic hot weather problem
There is no CEL. Yes the car stalls immediately after starting. The fuel pump primes and the spark plugs are new. If this is any help, when I am driving and it stalls out, the gauges (speedo and tach) go all crazy and jump around for a second or so then the car shuts off. Does this have a connection?
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Re: Civic hot weather problem
The igniter is probably bad in the distributor. Buy a manual and test the distributor components with a multimeter.
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Re: Civic hot weather problem
You say the igniter? Or the coil? I am confused at the difference between the two. I still do not understand how those two things connect with the problem happening ONLY in hot weather?
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Re: Civic hot weather problem
Igniters tend to fail when they get hot.
This is not always the case.
Test both the components out.
If you buy a new distributor, it will come with both components anyway so it doesn't matter which one is bad. It's an internal coil and an integrated ignitor. So if you do find either component seperately, they're usually MORE money than a whole distributor assembly.
I got mine from distributorking. It works great and comes with a lifetime warranty.
This is not always the case.
Test both the components out.
If you buy a new distributor, it will come with both components anyway so it doesn't matter which one is bad. It's an internal coil and an integrated ignitor. So if you do find either component seperately, they're usually MORE money than a whole distributor assembly.
I got mine from distributorking. It works great and comes with a lifetime warranty.
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Re: Civic hot weather problem
Yes but wouldn't they get hot all the time because the car us running? Regardless if it is winter or summer? Or does the weather heat outside contribute to the overheating?
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Re: Civic hot weather problem
No it will rev to about 3 grand or less if i give it full throttle and die right away. Sometimes not even at all it will rev.
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Re: Civic hot weather problem
When my TDC sensor/ignition module went out in my distributor, the car would only rev to 3.5k. I'd look at the distributor.
#16
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Re: Civic hot weather problem
Man oh man hondas are weird like this I had this problem with my 89 civic si it happend few years ago back in 05-06 It would die right after i would start it up and then it wouldnt start for about 2-4min it sucked ***... I forgot how i fixed it tho.. I also had a draining power issue ended up being a bad fuse box engine compartment code 20 i think... But about the car dieing after start up or while driving i would say check the thermostat ground clean it... Also the dizzy could be the problem.. Change the dizzy and clean that ground and see if that helps..
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Re: Civic hot weather problem
Obviously, as the ambient temp gets hotter, the heat under the hood gets hotter. I doubt it's very hot up in Canada at this point anyway? How "hot" are we talking? 60 degrees F?
When my TDC sensor/ignition module went out in my distributor, the car would only rev to 3.5k. I'd look at the distributor.
When my TDC sensor/ignition module went out in my distributor, the car would only rev to 3.5k. I'd look at the distributor.
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Re: Civic hot weather problem
And it's not so much that the car won't rev past 3K, but more so that that is as high as it will rev with my foot pinned before it dies.
#21
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Re: Civic hot weather problem
Tach was bouncing. Go buy a rebuilt dizzy, trust me, been there done that. Your dizzy is on it way out. I have long story about what it cost me just replacing the igniter the first time, then the coil went and took the igniter with it. Then the bearing went. Should have just bought a rebuilt one at the first sign of trouble.
Get the hint, bite the bullet and buy a rebuild dizzy.
Get the hint, bite the bullet and buy a rebuild dizzy.
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Re: Civic hot weather problem
Sounds like this is the distributor. I have a friend who works at a NAPA, and he gets me all the parts at cost, which saves me a lot. Sometimes the mark up is 50%.
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Re: Civic hot weather problem
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