The mileage on my beloved civic ex is 187K. Within the last six months, I have replaced the under-the-hood fuel filter and this fall replaced the battery (with one power size greater than specification), in preparation for winter driving. There were no obvious (to me) engine starting or running issues, I did these as preventive maintenance. Now in cold NH winter weather, it started up, with a few more cranks (?) than a new battery might be expected to provide. I give it a minute or two for the idle to drop, then start down the road. Within a mile, engine power cuts out, is unresponsive to the gas pedal, then stalls. Re-Start attempts fail, until the car has been sitting for a few minutes. Then it starts right up, runs beautifully for the rest of my around town errands. A few days of this and then engine wouldn't start at all.

Guided by my Service Manual I ordered and replaced the fuel pressure regulator. While I was in there, removed the distributor to replace leaking water hose, and replaced my distributor cap and rotor. I was careful to mark the distributor position, to replace in same orientation. Started right up, with no extra cranks, engine runs smoothly, with no stalling for a few days.

Now I am back to stalling a mile down the road, wait a few minutes, starts up and runs with no problem for the remainder of my around town errands.
Is this related to temperature sensing and point to the PGM-FI relay or intermittent malfunctioning fuel pump? Would someone kindly point me in the direction of one of those diagnostic meters so that I might collect good diagnostic information from the car? Or can someone walk me through a diagnostic tree? Thanks so much!

 

Every owner of a 92-95 should resolder their main relay, but usually this causes failure to start but not stalling once started. Quick check for relay function is to turn the key on but don't crank, observe the CEL cycle on and off and the fuel pump prime.

Very often a tendency to suddenly stall on the road is an intermittent ICM, causing no sparks until it cools off. Everything about the car will seem normal, CEL cycles etc. except the engine will not start until it cools off.

You need to get to where it will not start, then test the fuel and sparks. You have to do tests during a time when it will not start, obviously everything will test OK when it does start.

 

Thanks so much for your response. OK, the CEL ( same as MIL?) came on in Start position II, I heard the fuel pump prime, CEL/MIL went off. Sent the key to crank position and engine started right up. I let it idle to see if it would stall in my garage instead of a mile down the road. It did not. It is above freezing today and I made a 12 mile roundtrip with no problem. If this occurs only below freezing is that an indicator which points to ICM sensors rather than fuel pump?

 

Also could be a bad ignition switch. When the engine stalls, do the cluster warning lights turn on?

 

If by cluster warning lights you mean (I have to learn this language) low oil pressure and charging system lights between the rpm and speedometer, then yes they come on immediately. As I coast to a stop, and then try to start, it won't. Wait a few minutes (or for the tow truck guy to step in and start it right up) and it will run perfectly for the rest of my around town trip. So it seems to be during that early period of engine run time that the hiccup occurs.

Do I understand then that, after the car is started with the key, the ignition switch continues to play a role with the rest of the ignition system?
Thanks so much for your feedback, I love learning about this stuff!

 

Yes the ignition switch must hold the circuit closed to keep the engine running. This is why you can stop it by turning the key off.

If the oil and battery lights come on when the engine stalls, that does mean the switch is OK though.

When it will not start, turn the key off then turn it back on but don't try to start. See if the check engine light acts normally-- it should come on for 2 seconds when the key is turned on, then go off, while the oil and battery lights stay lit.

 

Thanks so much for your advice. Over the last few days, even as the temp has dropped it has started and not stalled. I will be back when I have something to report.

 

One week of good fuel delivery behavior ended today. After 3-5 minutes garage warm-up, at 1 mile down the road, forward power hesitated slightly. 5 seconds later, RPM's went to zero, car kept running, but did not respond to gas pedal, no dash indicator lights came on. Car coasted like that for another 5-10 seconds THEN OIL, BATTERY and SRS indicator lights came on. Once pulled over I noted the indicator light pattern, turned the key off for 5 seconds, then turned the key to 2nd position, listened for the fuel pump, watched the SRS indicator turn off, then turned the key to start. The engine started for 1 second, then stalled. I then waited 3-5 minutes. When I tried again, it started right up, settled in at a smooth, warmed up 1000 RPMS and took me reliably around town on my errands. I have replaced the fuel pressure regulator, and while I had the distributor removed to replace a water hose, replaced the rotor and cap. Would so appreciate your suggestions on where to look next. Thanks!

 

Still trouble shooting my stalling problem. Got through the summer and the early warmth to our NH winter before the engine stalls after 3-5 mins engine warm-up, no-start for 5-7 mins then starts fine and runs great for the rest of the day. After my last post on 1/15/17, I removed and inspected my main relay. I could see no obvious cracks or funny-looking solder points, so did not mess with it.

Now, scanning youtube for re-soldering main-relays I saw a guy who soldered his relay for a volvo. He said that for computer mother boards he popped the mother board into a 350 degree F oven for 3 mins to re-melt all the points, since soldering them all was unrealistic. Would putting my main relay through that process be OK? To my mind it would determine and solve a hairline crack problem IF 350 degree F is the melting point of the solder used on the relay AND if that temp does not damage other components...)

If the relay is ok, I will move on to the ICM ...

 

Use a soldering iron on it. Putting the board in an oven is for more modern stuff with surface mounted components especially computer chips with BGA connections-- which are underneath the chip and thus impossible to reach directly. Doesn't apply here.

When it will not start, does the CEL and fuel pump cycle on for 2 seconds when you turn the key and don't crank? Does the ignition system fire sparks?

 

Thanks! Will do that CEL and fuel pump assessment today; How would I check for ignition system sparks? Is there a way to do that with just myself? without an assistant?