NickH93

Hey all,

Having yet another issue with my CRX. D15B2, MPFI swap.

I was sitting in a parking lot on Monday, I started my car and the motor just turned off. No electronics or lights when out, the motor just shut off. It started again after turning the key, and turned off again. I started it one last time and drove it home.

Later that night, the engine starting cutting out for about .5 seconds at random intervals when doing 55+ MPH. It got to one point where the engine shut off for about 4 or 5 seconds, and with my foot the floor, nothing would happen. Then it just came back on and continued randomly cutting out for .5 second at a time.

When my RX7 had these exact same symptoms, it was a fuel pump starting to fail and it was fixed after replacement, so for that reason (and for others, which I won't bother explaining) I put in a new fuel pump. I also replaced some leaky fuel lines, and put in a new filter. Seemed to work yesterday after driving around for 10 miles, but today it did the same thing where it cut out twice for .5 seconds on the highway.

So I can rule out the fuel pump failing, and I can also rule out the wiring on the MPFI swap (checked all wires, solder joints are good, and wires are all taped and heatshrinked). Also I should add that I recently replaced the ignitor in my distributor, and I still saw RPM signal on the dash. Not sure if it could be a distributor issue if I am still seeing the tach work when it cuts out.

Any ideas? Where to start? Thanks everyone.

NickH93

Put 200 miles on it today after repairing a bad solder joint on the main relay. Car still kept doing it (of course, it all started in the last 10 miles to home) and eventually just stopped running and wouldn't start. I bypassed the relay with some jumpers, and it ran enough to get home, but died twice more in the parking lot after I got home.

Relay was making all the proper clicks, and the fuel pump was priming, it just would crank with no start. When I jumped the connections to the main relay with some wires, it ran. Strange, even though the relay sounds like it is doing what it is supposed to do. I'll just replace that and go from there, unless anyone has any other thoughts.

NickH93

Sorry to add so many replies, but another update. I jumped the main relay connections with blade connectors (perfect fit) to test and see if that's the problem, and the car engine died before I even left the parking lot. So it may not be the main relay, and it isn't the fuel pump.

CrxChicken

not that this is the answer but I would replace the main relay if you are repairing it and having problems. Your fix might have worked and it might not be the problem but for the cost its not that bad to replace it

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since you are losing all power .. it could be your ignition or ignition circuit...

do you lose radio and everything.. lights .. dash lights .. just straight out dead?

The main relay only controls ignition and fuel .. you can find a diagram but i figure you already did if you repaired yours.

I am having a problem with my car Check Engining with an O2 sensor light but I replaced the O2 sensor and it still does it... and then i pulled the o2 connector during one test and it didn't cause a code.. i am just really stumped on that .. hoping its not my ECU

but if you are losing power to everything idk might be your ignition

NickH93

Yeah, I will replace the main relay anyway, since it did have one bad solder joint (not that I don't trust my own soldering work. Lol)

I replaced my ignitor a couple of months ago, because it went out on me then. When that happened, my car just suddenly quit, and my RPM signal stopped. Luckily I had another coil lying around from my old distributor when the car was DPFI. (same coil inside)

Happy to report that it made it to work with that new coil, which is a great step up from not making it out of the parking lot the night before. I'll see if it has any problems later today when I leave work and it is hotter out.

As for your issue, I'm not sure what to make of that. I'd check all the wiring from the o2 sensor to ECU, and if I remember your post correctly, you already popped in a new O2 sensor. If you know your wiring is solid, and you've got a confirmed good o2 sensor, I'd see if there is anyone around you who had a spare ECU you could test the car out with.

CrxChicken

Every time i do something on the CRX its like someone saying its the hardest thing you will ever do..

removing the crank bolt...
trying to reach that dam Main Relay without slicing your wrist..

i found a used ECU .. I am replacing my vacuum lines now.. always under estimate the length to buy at the store.. DPFI is what I have .. they are pretty solid.. a lot of people like the 87 carburated crxs for dependability but honda must have had some good engineers in the late 80's early 90's



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NickH93

Any input would be appreciated, please. Here is an update/summary.

Engine randomly cuts off, sometimes hard to restart for a long time. No CEL codes. Fuel pump still runs when car doesn't start. Issue is NOT speed dependent as I first thought. No electronics shut off, it just acts like the key is in the on position. (Battery and oil light, waiting to crank). It's just like turning the engine off with the key.

Replaced:

Fuel pump
Fuel filter and lines
Ignitor(a month prior)
Coil
Spark plug wires (a month prior)

Ef4doorwagon

As some one mentioned, your ignition might be going bad. Mine was bad on my EF, the wiring underneath where the steering wheel is.

NickH93

I will check ignition circuit/switch and wiring and report back. Update:

New main relay came in today, tested 100% okay on the bench, but when new relay is plugged in the car, the second click after the key is on(when the check engine light turns off) doesn't happen and I do not hear the fuel pump prime. The car will crank, but it will never start.

However, when I bypass the main relay with blade connectors and wires, the fuel pump turns right on, the car starts and then sometimes it'll die out as described previously. But as I said, the main relay I have has passed all the tests (using the test procedure all over the internet) Would the ignition switch or circuit have any effect on the main relay?

Also, when driving today (jumped the relay and took it out to see if I could find anything else out about it) the car died when I was rolling, and I immediately dumped the clutch and it restarted. As it was restarting, it was making some awfully loud noises (I can't describe them, as it happened kinda fast) and the CEL came on. Code 3 (MAP sensor) any idea why that happened? Could it be related or just a fluke?

I apologize for being long-winded, but I figure the more specific I am, the better.