So as I posted yesterday for a friend thinking it was a main relay problem but evidently it wasn't. This is what he wrote me with today:

Thanks, I found that site about the main relay the other day and I resoldered the joints ,all of them and it still did the same thing : - (
well this is what I have done I replaced the ignition wiring and key assy as a unit also cleaned all the grounds in the engine dept area also put new battery cables, I replaced the distributor assy because that did go bad originally I had Autozone check the charging system and he said it was good I still want to check the alternator contacts brushes and the ELD under the fuse box after that if it still does the same it's going to a shop. so the symptom is while driving day or night it will just die or cut off no lights would come on the dash to let you know that the engine died so after pulling over you turn the key off and then click it to see if dash lights come on but nothing so either you have to wait a few minutes it varies or remove the bat cable and reseat it and sometimes I can start it and make it home or repeat several times as you can see this can get annoying so any help you can get from your contacts as what to check would be helpful,
Thanks


So can anyone help with this problem or have any ideas what it could be?

 

those are the simple things to check... to me it sounds like you are at the point of making it die and start probing everything with a volt meter.
It could be something silly like a loose connection of bad connection in a plug, it could be the fuse box going bad...
You really need to know what looses power and what doesn't.

is it the ignition that's cutting out or is it dieing of fuel starvation? (timing light on a plug wire then make it die... if the light stops flashing right away it's ignition, if it keeps flashing till the engine stops turning then it's fuel)

 

The headlights, taillights, and hazard lights are independent of the ignition switch. Is power to these systems also lost when the problem occurs?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Relic1 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">those are the simple things to check... to me it sounds like you are at the point of making it die and start probing everything with a volt meter.
It could be something silly like a loose connection of bad connection in a plug, it could be the fuse box going bad...
You really need to know what looses power and what doesn't.

is it the ignition that's cutting out or is it dieing of fuel starvation? (timing light on a plug wire then make it die... if the light stops flashing right away it's ignition, if it keeps flashing till the engine stops turning then it's fuel)</TD></TR></TABLE>

All he said was that when the car shuts off, so does all the power on the instrument panel like the CEL, etc.


<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by RonJ@HT &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">The headlights, taillights, and hazard lights are independent of the ignition switch. Is power to these systems also lost when the problem occurs?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Not sure, I will ask.

 

would thid happen to be a 1996 and up civic?if so i had similar problems and it was the wires bbehind the bracket that holds the intake manifold to the block. on the back of motor. that bracket wears the wires out and makes them arc. common problem on the 1996 civic and up chasis. just a thought

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by H22hatchin &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">would thid happen to be a 1996 and up civic?if so i had similar problems and it was the wires bbehind the bracket that holds the intake manifold to the block. on the back of motor. that bracket wears the wires out and makes them arc. common problem on the 1996 civic and up chasis. just a thought </TD></TR></TABLE>

Interesting. I wasn't aware that this problem could also lead to complete loss of power. Nonetheless, here's a link that describes this common problem in more detail:

http://autorepair.about.com/li...d.htm

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by H22hatchin &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">would thid happen to be a 1996 and up civic?if so i had similar problems and it was the wires bbehind the bracket that holds the intake manifold to the block. on the back of motor. that bracket wears the wires out and makes them arc. common problem on the 1996 civic and up chasis. just a thought </TD></TR></TABLE>

Sorry, it is a 92-95 Honda Civic Automatic.