Hey guys, not looking for specific answers here, just a couple hints on where to look for the problem.

I have a 2000 civic si, with a built motor pushing 15psi making 420whp. the only mod that i feel may be persistant to the thread is my hondata s300 so everything else will just be a waste of time to type.

I drive the car regularly, it is my current DD. For the past few weeks my car has been idiling horribly, I took it to the tunner and he said that it was running a bit lean so he evened it out, it seems to help when the car is warm so I thought we were in the clear.

On the way home last night I was just putsing down the highway (litterayl doing 50 just cruising) when I took my exit ramp slowed to about 30 and started my decend, the car stays on, but my throtle doesn't do anything (I was thinking maybe my throtle cable just mysteriously snapped) then 2 seconds later the car turned off (great just what I needed right now) I pull over to the sholder and let it sit for a minute and try to start her up again. A very wierd sound that I have not heard before came from the right side (if you sitting in the car) of the dash dirrectly right of the glove box. It tried to start about 3 times, then after that it does absolutely nothing. It no longer cranks or does anything. The battery is fine. The distributer cap smelt like burning plastic???

I am going to have to find out whats wrong with it when I have free time, but any ideas on what the problem could be are greatly appreciated.

My Thoughts:

-I originialy thought my distributer has been going out recently - so I got to check that

-I don't think a starter will make the car just turn off on the highway.

-When the car was trying to start back up, the speedo was going crazy (does that happen when certain things go bad, besides like speedo sensors)

-My clutch is way to weak for the power I am pushing, myabe the clutch went out completely and froze up.

-Have a deffective Hondata program

Anything you all got, please let me know.

 

Check fuse #15 under the dash.

 

fuse 15 seemed fine.

Another piece of the puzzle, the car push starts ok and the engine runs perfect once its on. Which is pushing me towards starter, but why would it turn off on the highway if the starter went bad???

up for help

 

when you have the key in the on position does everything in the car turn on (radio, dash lights) if it doesnt check your battery cables or maybe even your alt. ive had that happen before to me, i was driving down the road and one by one things started shutting off and my spedo went crazy too (electronic spedo) then it wouldnt start

 

It sounds weird but the starter would dis engage after you started it. So it would most likely not be the problem.

 

everything works electrically (radio, dash, lights) wierd **** going on...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by innes887 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">when you have the key in the on position does everything in the car turn on (radio, dash lights) if it doesnt check your battery cables or maybe even your alt. ive had that happen before to me, i was driving down the road and one by one things started shutting off and my spedo went crazy too (electronic spedo) then it wouldnt start</TD></TR></TABLE>

i was thinking the same thing. bad alternator, bad battery, bad ground, bad alternator fuse. something along that line.

 

It sounds like an electrical short somewhere. I have a friend with a CA18DET in his 240sx (stock ecu) and his car did almost the exact same thing. He had just added some switches and lights inline with some main power wires including power to his fuel pump. A week after he did it, he tried to start it up, and some relays went nuts, the speedo was jumpy, and the engine eventually died. Even after bypassing all the switches and lights the problem was only temporally fixed. It was only after he two of us ripped the harness apart to put in a fresh fuel power wire and remove some stuff he wasn't using, that we saw what a horrible job of wiring the previous owner (of the motor) did, and what looked like the results of an electrical short. We found some wires exposed by friction and heat, and some other splices that had be comprimized. After we finished and loomed up the new harness, his car has never run better.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by pennies_hatchie &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

i was thinking the same thing. bad alternator, bad battery, bad ground, bad alternator fuse. something along that line.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Check your ground wires where they connect to the thermostat housing. Make sure they are clean and tight. Bad grounding in this area can cause symptoms you describe.

 

just a possibillity but if the starter is out which is what it sounds like, it could be shorted internally causing excessive battery drain and killing battery. thats why speedo goes crazy cause it doesnt have enough electricity to work properly

 

Just wanted to let everyone know that the problem was the starter... new one in and it starts no problem.

However another problem now has arrose. It seems as if I have a vacume leak somewhere, but I have searched exstensivley and it has not been found.

The new problem is as follows, cars runs ans starts properly until you rev it up, at exactly 2200 rpms it falls flat on its face then continues where it would have left off, and does it again at every 1000 rpm intervals after that. Any suggestions of what to look for. I've checked all of my vacume lines, and couplers, and hoses, nothing seems out of whack.

 

sounds like you might be sucking a vacuum line shut actually