89 DX hatch as stated completely stock d-seires
I slammed on the brakes, let this jerk by and half way through getting back up to speed the car beings to bog and stutter when I'm try to accelerate. It eventually shut off after I tried to get back into the throttle.

After waiting a couple of minutes I tried starting it again. It would not idle, gets a couple of weak puffs in and that's it. Sprayed some starter fluid where the intake tube connects and it spits it back out.

 

check and make sure your getting good spark at the plugs. check for fuel pressure at the fuel filter. thats were i would start.

 

Yea, I'm going to mess with it tomorrow. Might just be the main relay. It has been throwing a code 17 for a while, off and on, usually only goes when I'm off the gas slowing down in gear. Simply turning the car on and off was turning off the CEL. This is not working now, even after resetting the ECU.

 

Sounds like your distributor rotor came unscrewed... Pull your cap off and check it out.

 

So when you tried the starter fluid, you try to crank it, spray the fluid in the throttle body with open throttle, and it pushed it back out? Is that correct?

 

This is what happens when your ignition timing is off 180* or the sorts. Due to improper firing when intake valves are open thus causing combustion in the intake manifold; the air then expands out where it can (since the exhaust is typically closed when the explosion happens) like the throttle body... Forcing what was going in from engine suction to revert... Extremely simple to understand.

Given mechanical timig could be off but other problems would be evident... or the car would still run - but like pure crap obviously.

 

Ahhhhh ok. I was thinking restricted exhaust. Which is possible. But your explanation sounds likely. Cool ****

 

well we know its not 180 degrees out because it stop working when he was driving the car.

 

It can't be ruled out, by any means. If the bearing on the distributor shaft seizes, it gets very hot. This causes the rotor to start to melt and turn out of position. This actually happened to me on a road trip once.
So pull the cap and have a look in there. Takes 2 minutes

 

cel code 17 is vss sensor.

does your speedometer work?

 

yea i see what your saying now about the rotor. the rotor is molded were it wouldnt spin on the shaft. unless the rotor broke off from the shaft.

 

We have a winner. I love the easy fix(only talkin bout car here...honest)

Thanks for the help guys!

P.S. yes el crap it was spitting the starting fluid back out the intake plenum

 

Please read my entire post... I also said or the sorts... Not necessarily that the car was 180* out but when the problem typically occurs... as a general rule of thumb. I assumed in my previous post what it was anyways - I just entertained someone's question on how a "backfire" works.

OP - I am happy to hear it was a simple repair. I forgot to mention that it is wise to use "blue" thread locker on that Phillips head screw (AKA "medium strength"). This is a common problem for Hondas.