i have a 98 civic LX automatic. While driving occasionally the rpms drop to zero and car wont start for about 5 minutes. The engine will crank, but it will not start. The brake pedal will activate the brake lights, bit it will not activate the shift lock solenoid. During this time, the engine will crank but not start. After 5-10 minutes, the break pedal will start activating the shift lock solenoid and the car will start. While the car will not start, I tested the distributor and found both the Ignition Control Module and the Ignition Coil were getting power, but the Ignition Coil was not firing. I replaced the coil and the car started fine. While test driving, the car died again and it was stuck in park. Looking for any ideas?

I also have a transmission problem, but I believe it is unrelated. The transmission will go into a sort of false neutral after heavy driving (fast hwy speed or hills) After shifting the car into park and waiting for a period of time, it will start driving again. I have checked the two small screens in the shift solenoid, but they are clean. The transmission fluid has always been full synthetic Honda approved, and it is full.

Recent service included:
Timing belt change
New Distributor Cap and Wires
New Spark Plugs
Valve cover Gasket
Transmission oil change

 

Is the Check Engine light on, and if it is what are the codes? Any pending codes? Also, it sounds like a failure that is aggravated by heat soak... as the car runs, something gradually gets hot enough to expand or otherwise change and fail... then as the heat dissipates, the part returns to operability. I had an ignition coil fail this was once.

 

Thank you California98Civ, The check engine light does come on when I am having the starting trouble, but it then turns off when the car starts again. The check engine light is currently on even after the car was able to start again, but the parts store could not get a reading. Their reader just kept giving an error.

I thought that the heat could be causing a failure when the engine is up to temp. I tested the ignition coil, and it was bad according to the ohm readings, and I replaced the Ignition coil.

 

Sounds like a bad fuel pump, check the readings from it when it won't start.

 

FYI: Not shifting and not starting are two separate problems.

No starting --> Sounds like the fuel pump fails to prime. Can you confirm?

This can be caused by a bad main relay or a bad ECU. Bad main relays were much more common for 92-95 Civics. One of the capacitors in the ECU may be bad, though some electrical testing would be required to verify.

 

Update.

I believe the not shifting and the not starting are two problems caused by the same malfunction. It will crank but not start as long as the shift lock is stuck in the lock position. As soon as the shift lock will release by pressing on the break pedal, it will start.

When the key is placed into the ignition and turned on, I can hear the fuel pump start up.

I had the check engine codes read, and it was the throttle position sensor and the idle air control valve, both of which I previously removed and replaced. I cleared the codes and they have not returned.

I have driven this car on several trips totaling about 150 miles per leg. I drove at highway speeds and stop and go traffic for 150 miles before turning the car off at my destination. I have also driven this car for 8 miles and it died while driving. It does not seem to be heat or distance related.

Someone suggested that this problem may be caused by a failing body control module. I do not know anything about the BCM.

 

Possible ignition switch problem. Test it.

 

what the heck is the body control module....