hondaNoober

Ok guys, I have been working on this car for 2 days straight now and can't figure this out.

Here's the story, and the most I know.
I do apologize if Im leaving some thing critical out.

I just bought this ls/vtec swapped 98 hatch.
I have receipts for the engine assembly and it is bored .20 over for what thats worth.

It is a PR3-3 head ( I think its a b16 has a normal looking manifold anyway, the head has the stamps (8/9), and a b18b1 block, that is using what I assume is the factory obd2 wiring harness with a jumper down to what reads as a P03 that is chipped.

Anyways, I bought this car knowing it had a few issues.
The main one being that the car completely stalls out.
I have searched and searched for days before I started working on this.
the issue:
Car will completely at random cut off and die.
I don't believe this is fuel related as the car completely shuts down, I would assume the fuel pump shutting off would lead to a stuttering issue as there would still be some residual fuel going through the line.
This isn't the case. Complete ENGINE shut down, meaning I still have full power, I can crank it, everything seems as normal.

This issue is very periodic so its is really hard to diagnose.
I am pretty positive it is ignition related. I caught it one time while parked pulled a plug quick and cranked and saw no arc.

After the car sits for anywhere from 1-5 mins it starts up and runs great. However it does seem to be little under powered, however this could just be my expectations.

First I replaced the ICM, I bought a 99 si ICM and it didn't fit, this is how I discovered I had a GSR Dizzy as I am told the LS would need to be chopped to work, and mine seems to be intact.

ICM did not solve the problem

next I replaced the ignition coil
It seemed to help? However problem still happened.

Next I replaced the Main relay..

Still no fix.

Next I started tracking the dizzy wires, some are kind of chopped up so I investigated but everything is soldered and good.

I went through everything in the car and while it was idling I shook and tapped, I banged the ecu a bit, I shook the engine wiring harness connections.
I could not replicate the issue.

I let the car run and unplugged the TPs and it responded accordingly.

Did the same with the IACV same thing. Responded properly.

Could my distributor itself still be bad?
I figured if the coil is new and the ICM thats pretty much it minus the cap/rotor/wries/plugs, and in my head if one of those last ones were to fail the car would start missing not just die and then restart.

I have literally spent two entire days trying to figure this out.

And before I attempt to put on a new dizzy and make my first attempt at timing a car I want some feed back. I have never timed a car but have done lots of research, is there an easy way around this?

What else could this possibly be...
I am due back to work after tomorrow so I really want to get it trustworthy and not be driving waiting for it to die..


Thank you guys!!

DA9nEF9

What ecu are you using to run it? I may have a couple suggestions for you

hondaNoober

I believe it is a p03 with a chip, I have zero idea what chip or what tune,
I had an ek h22 before and it makes this car seem like a moped, Im not expected the world here but it does seem a tad sluggish in the terms of performance if that is any help.

hondaNoober

Im almost considering hardwiring the dizzy straight back to the ECU plug (before the jumper) just to rule out a wiring issue in this harness.
The issue again is I can drive it for an hour with no problems or even 2 hours. its really being a bitch. lol

DA9nEF9

I don't think p03 is an ecu code. it could be to do with the ecu and/or chip. figure out what ecu you have. Also, are you running obd1? you probably have a conversion harness. Common socketed ecus include the PR4,P28, and P72. Which are all obd1

hondaNoober

let me double check really quick, and I am using a obd2 engine harness ( i assumed stock but could be wrong) and I have a jumper harness down to an obd1 Ill post back in a sec with what it is. thanks for your help man

hondaNoober

it is a P06 ecu

hondaNoober

which google says is a 92-95 DX ecu?

DA9nEF9

Interesting, i dont have experience with sohc ecus. I would open up your ecu and check the socketing job. Also check out your conversion harness and make sure it is operating properly. No CEL's? Also, check all your fuses.

hondaNoober

Ive checked all the fuses, had the ecu open and the socket/job seems to be well done, and no CEL's.
However the odd part is everytime it dies it does throw a code as it is doing it, but then upon restart it immediately goes away.

DA9nEF9

I know when I had obd0, when i got a CEL I would turn off the car and it would store the code and shut the CEL off. But with obd1 it should keep the engine check light on at all times. that doesn't sound right. If you have access to another cheap ecu i would try it. Also, check the IACV and TPS.

hondaNoober

I checked the iacv and the tps by unplugging them and watching the car react accordingly (i.e.: high idle/ bog/die)

Here is something, maybe a new lead and I find this really really weird.

So I am using a jumper harness to go from OBD2 to the OBD1 P06.
So one would assume I am using a obd2 engine harness obviously right?

Well I was looking around my distributor and I noticed some loose wires, then I noticed I am running a jumper harness from an OBD2 Dizzy down to a OBD1 engine harness....
This doesn't make sense at all, why would I have a 2-1 ecu jumper, then a 2-1 dizzy jumper.... Im guessing someone butchered this harness to holy hell and back...

That being said I went to unplug the jumper and like 3 of the wires came out of it....
Guessing loose connection. So I am going to wire-bypass this jumper and just go straight from dizzy to harness.

This car is starting to make more sense.

Maybe I should just buy a new engine harness...

DA9nEF9

Yes i think the distributer is your problem then. You need the distributer to be obd1. I think the simplest way to correct your problem without hacking about is to get an obd1 distributer and get a clean uncut engine harness.

hondaNoober

Incase anyone comes across this, The issue was the distributor jumper harness.
It was shitty made, I snipped it and hard wired it. problem solved.