I got a 1995 Auto Civic EX Coupe and it ran fine. Has almost 200k on it. My brother didnt drive it for a little over a month and it sat outside in the cold. The other week he drove it and got about 5 miles and it died. Wouldnt start back up. It was low on fuel so I thought maybe it froze. So I trailered it back home, put it in the garage with the heater, and put 5 gallons of gas in it. Jump started it and it started up fine, i let it run for like 5 minutes, drove it around the block, pulled back into garage, idle went low and i tapped the gas and it died. So I thought it was the map sensor, got a map sensor the next day, put it on, started it up, ran fine again let it idle for like 15 minutes then it died out again. Now it wont start again. I still think its the map sensor cause this is typically what happens, wont start for a while, but I have been searching on here and it seems like the alternator could be the problem, but before I go taking that off, Does anyone have any ideas?

 

does it throw a code when it dies???? if it dose dont cycle the key and jump the pins to see what code u have.....if u dont have any codes i would check the idle air control???

 

i would test the alt and also the main relay...it maybe over heating ...thats if you are not throwing a CEL i doubt your map was the problem to start with ..when it dies again you need to test for fuel and spark that will help a lot

 

I know its got fuel, I can smell that. And after a bunch of cranks it seems to crank slower and sounds like the motors soaked.

I will check spark, but im thinking if no spark then its the alternator.

I am gonna swap a main relay in it right now, see what that does.

 

Friend of mine had a similiar problem. Probably distributor related. Check your spark both hot and cold. There is also a way to check the distributor via OHM's resistance upon different terminals of the dizzy itself. On another note, 200k mileage, might be fuel pump. Just becuase you smell it doesn't mean that the pressure is there to back it. Check the pressure if you can too, won't hurt.

 

I took the alternator and got it tested at autozone. It failed the first test. So I had her switch the ground and try it again, and then it passed the second test. They were kinda busy so she couldn't try again. So I am going to go back again later to another autozone where my buddy works and do it a few more times. But failing and passing seems to be how the car is running. Sometimes the alternator works and sometimes it doesnt.

So at this point I am 90% sure it is the alternator.

I also swapped out the main relay and that did not help.