car randomly keeps on dying one me. when im driving its fine, but when i come up to a redlight it just dies. owner before me changed the distributor thinking it was itbut still has same issues. fuel filter maybe... cat maybe..? alt maybe..? check engine light is on but it has to do with the v-tec not kicking in. i was thinking maybe i should seafoam the engine up real good to eliminate carbon buildup. hopefully it'l help with rough idle. any tips..?

 

That is a start. When was the last tune up.

Spend time cleaning the TB real good (both sides of the butterfly, and the edge). Then I'd go for the IAC.

Then if the issue is still there, might start inspecting/cleaning the egr system.

 

First it would make since to pull the codes and let us know what they are.
But in general maintenance terms...

1.) New tank of gas + Seafoam.
2.) Clean FITV, IAC valve, TB.
3.) While all thats apart, clean the egr ports.
4.) New plugs and wires ( ALWAYS NGK... Hondas love them.)
5.) New Dizzy cap with rubber seal + rotor button.
6.) And maybe even change the oil for conscience sake.

And vtec should have nothing to do with your car dying seeing as it normally doesn't kick in till like 2,300 rpms to 3,000 rpms or something like that.

There are write ups on how to do all the stuff mentioned above in the 1990-2002 FAQ.
Or you could just buy the manual and do it that way.

 

Keep an eye on your dash lights the next time it acts up and make sure they don't flicker. If they do you may need an ignition switch. Pretty common failure item on Honda.

 

it does flicker... thats the first thing i noticed. how does that have to do with the ignition switch though..?

 

will do. new ngk plugs was the first thing i did... iridiums.

 

the kid before me didn't really do much to the car.... just common oil changes for the past 2 years. so far ive done, pcv, oil change, air filt, and plugs, cap rotor. im gunna look into cleaning the egr valve. depending on if i could buy a new gasket alone or not.

 

The ignition switch supplies power to numerous things on the vehicle including: intstrument cluster, main relay, ect..... It's the main source of power for a lot of electrical items, just look at a Honda wiring diagram. Dash light flicker is the thing to look for when an ignition switch is suspected. It sounds like that's probably what you need. It's a very common failure item, and Honda has several saftey recall bulletins pertaining to ignition switches.

 

thanks for the info Justin... after a do a full tune up and check out the egr i'l start on the ignition switch swap. hopefully i get this issue resolved. i plan on keepin the accord so i dont have to get into car payments and i could save for a down payment on a house. god is good.

 

A good way to check if the EGR ports are clogged is the supply power to the pink wire at the egr connector and then ground the black wire with the connector plugged up and engine running. That opens the EGR valve completely and if the ports are clogged the car should shut off or come close to shutting off. God is good all the time.