My 93 Hatch has a JDM B18C swap. It'd been running fine for the last year and on 1600 mile trip recently the engine cut out on me 5 hrs from home. It just died. I pulled over, cranked it over a few times, and it restarted. Drove 5 minutes, happened again, restarted it, drove 5 hrs and 3 miles from the house it cut out and would not start. I'd been having this intermittent no start problem sometimes like if I stalled it. It would take a few tries to get it started, but it always did. I changed the fuel pump relay right before the trip.

So got a 3 mile tow to my house and the next morning I started diagnostics. So I have a fuel pressure regulator and had good pressure, so its not the fuel pump. Took off a spark plug and tested it....no spark. Took off distributor and rotor, checked coil, and I had spark. So I looked at the rotor and distributor and since they were none around my local places, I sanded the contact areas with superfine sandpaper.....car started right up.

I ordered a new distributor and rotor from Acura for a B18C. I had looked at the JHPUSA.com site, got the part number, but ordered it from acura dealer due to shipping price. I put them on today. I removed one plug at a time and attached them to make sure none were out of sequence. It took a few cranks to start, but then took it for a 5 minute ride with no issues, till I was going up the hill to my house, it quit right in front of driveway. Restarted back up. Now. Where do I go next. Plug wires are new from last year. I did not do any testing to the coil other than to verify there was spark.

Any ideas?

Thank you

 

Post the CEL codes.

 

So you just swapped coils over from the bad dizzy?When you tested spark was it strong, like a bright white spark? I'd try to find a friend with a known good coil and see if that helps.

Also have you checked the ICM?

 

Its on OBD1. The CEL is not on. It has a phearable chipped ECU. Not sure the CEL works at all other than as a shift light.

When I tested the spark from the original coil it was blue....as I recall.

No. I just replaced the rotor and distributor. The coil had spark.

 

The Codes sticky thread describes how to pull OBD1 codes.

 

When it dies, look if the oil and battery lights come on. Common for ignition switches to lose contact and make the car cut out while driving. If the switch has cut out, the lights will not come on like they should whenever the key is on and the engine is not turning.

If you get to a situation where it dies and will not restart, test for spark and check the fuel flow when it is not in a mood to start. With an intermittent problem you have to wait for the problem to occur before meaningful tests can be made.

 

yep, distributor would take awhile to restart. sounds more like the switch