I know main relay usually cause start up issues but my car normally starts fine but as I am driving it will sometime sputter will driving a set speed and when I let off gas u can tell power is gone and giving it gas does nothing then all the sudden it will kick back in and start running as if it was running normal. And when I pull up to stop signs my car will idle down and just die out instead of stopping at 900rpm where it normally idles. When I restart it while stopped I turn key all the way off then back on it start 9/10 times without trouble and idle like nothing happened. What I'm wondering is I haven't found where a main relay would cause stallin out while driving or not ? I never had a main relay go bad and haven't found where an issue would relate to the main relay but I figured I would ask

 

No that's not a sign of a bad main relay.

 

I've taken apart an old relay and noticed old solder points cracking.... They DO in fact go bad with time and will manifest itself in strange ways. Also check for a loose ground at the thermostat. Mine was loose and did weird crap like totally unpredictable, intermittent no-start problems.

 

ill check grounds but i did that a long time ago forget grounds etc and it would do that **** but i did think i would forget that again since the past problems lol but ill check it out cause it cuts out and bam takes off again

 

Grounds are fine checked them all it did act like something would come loose then connect because it misses cuts out then fires again and runs I'm going to check distributor wiring make sure it's fine since I converted car to obd1 and make sure no shorts main relay had no cracks in any soldering points and didn't smell burnt or we so I'm still searching

 

Change fuel filter lately? (my 91 does this @ stops/hard corners-SUX!) 20+ yr old fuel tanks/fuel systems collect trash,rust,etc...) I have an aftermarket billet AEM filter underhood,and on muh 3rd filter element since installing it! (fram ch6069 btw for those wondering part number for the AEM filters replacement element) I even swapped tanks awhile back b4 selling muh 88. (and replacement may have been same shape,ha ha)

Try turning ign off when doing this (still in gear,rolling for few seconds-then turn ign back to run position,no need to crank-unless an auto that is! If it clears it up til next stop sign/corner - then you have trash in tank/filter(s).

There's also a "sock" filter in tank on bottom of oem pump that can "suck up" trash/partially clog until fuel pressure turned off via ign switch-thus why it'll clear @ times. (I'm about to install a whinebro inline like muh sedan has (gsl392) ,keeping stock intank pump as a pickup-after replacing "sock" filter,then run some replacement SS fuel lines as last resort since I'm EXTREMELY tired of it-lol.. G'luck!

 

yeah i thought of pulling pump out and checking that as well. this car sat since well the plates expired 12/05 and i just got it started summer last year and started messing with it again a few months back and replaced fuel filter and everything on top half complelly taken apart and cleaned in parts cleaner and tanked on head and manifold. i also drained fuel tank all 6 or 8 gallons into out oil drain off a car lift and it was basically orange in color and stunk then i put 4-5 gallons shell 93 in it and a half bottle of sea foam i heard thats the best for cleaning up water in fuel system and to help clean everything else up? and well last time on way home i think alternator is going cause tach and all the gauges started ****ing up and well get home car wont turn over as soon as i get home!!! wow one thing after another lol i been charging it since 6 tonight so i will hopeuflly pull it out tomorrow

 

I hate when you feel like you've just fixed one thing and another problem presents itself.

Best of luck.

 

well low and behold another problem existed backed out garage last week and parked it hour later when to start it every thing came up but wouldnt click or start for nothing battery dead come to find out alternator was only putting out like 2 amps i believe lol from being checked at autozone well i slapped a new one on friday gonna check out my issues now that it will have full electrical power which im being told could have been my issue all along fingers crossed

 

Well? Was it all due to low juice, or what?

 

alternator didnt fix it started up idle gauges and everything worked pulled up to street and gauges started going haywire so i turned backa round and it started cutting in and out so i think i found one thing wrong but something else is still wrong obviously

 

fuel tank and pump fixed the miss and sputtering and dying out but now my guages still going all over place going to check my wires today and find out whats next

 

My civic is doing the exact same thing is it stick or auto? And why did you have to replace the fuel tank. Did you buy the whole fuel pump assembly or just the fuel pump

 

tangerinebeast , 04-05-2012 08:23 AMI know main relay usually cause start up issues but my car normally starts fine but as I am driving it will sometime sputter will be driving a set speed and when I let off gas u can tell power is gone and giving it gas does nothing then all the sudden it will kick back in and start running as if it was running normal. And when I pull up to stop signs my car will idle down and just die out instead of stopping at 900rpm where it normally idles. When I restart it while stopped I turn key all the way off then back on it start 9/10 times without trouble and idle like nothing happened. What I'm wondering is I haven't found where a main relay would cause stallin out while driving or not ? I never had a main relay go bad and haven't found where an issue would relate to the main relay but I figured I would ask