Verinoxx

I have a 99 honda civic ex and it keeps shutting down on me while im driving. It shuts down on the freeway or idling at a stop light. The radio and lights will stay on but the engine just stops. When I try to restart it will start then shut right back down a few times until it stays on. Other times it will come back on after one try. was hoping someone can tell me what i need to do to fix this. Thnx

Former User

Have the ICM inside the distributor tested at an auto parts store. Call around to find stores that will test it.

Verinoxx

Ill give it a try, there a ton auto parts store where i live one of them is bound to test them. thanks

Verinoxx

Nope still didn't do it. I replaced the whole dam distributor and the thing still keeps shutting down.

lynxs1981

Have you checked the fuel pump, or fuel pump relay?

Pothole987

perhaps the Main relay is getting bad?

EJeff8

Vac leak? If you want to see if it's this, take off your intake and press your hand over the TB while the car is running. If it stays on, car has a vac leak, if it dies, you're fine. simple =]

Targa250R

Does the engine otherwise run fine? If so, the most likely causes of this problem are the ignition control module (a.k.a. ignitor) or the ignition switch contact assembly.

You said you replaced the entire distributor. Did you replace it with a new one? A known-good used one? A remanufactured one? Often times, a remanufacturing company will not replace the ignitor when servicing the part as long as it tests okay, however just because it will test "within spec" on a bench doesn't mean it will run the car properly. I've seen plenty of reman distributors from chain parts stores come straight out of the box with problems.

'98-99 Civics had a safety recall issued on the ignition switches. Call your local dealer and ask them to check if the ignition switch recall was performed on your vehicle. Have your VIN ready. If it wasn't done, they will replace your ignition switch free of charge. If it was done, it is possible that the replacement switch has gone bad; some dealers will replace the switch a second time under the recall, but other dealers will not - it depends on which dealer you call.

A main relay problem is also possible, but unlikely. A bad main relay will cause hard starting or stalling immediately after a start, but very rarely will it cause the engine to stall while driving or idling. Denso fuel pumps almost never fail in my considerable experience, so I would rule that out for now.

I suspect you may have a bad ignition switch based on what you described; normally a bad ignitor will not allow the car to restart immediately but will instead need a 10-15 minute cool-down period after stalling before it will allow the car to restart. Can you get the engine to hesitate or stall easily if you jiggle the key in the ignition switch a bit? Have you ever noticed if the gauges and warning lights flicker off for a moment when the car stalls? When you are having difficulty restarting it after a stall, can you get the engine to stay running by holding onto the key rather than letting it go?

doneking

I had the same problem on my 99 Civic. Here's my thread.

https://honda-tech.com/forums/honda-civic-del-sol-1992-2000-1/1999-civic-lx-dying-stalling-2809649/


DK