Okay so here's the issue. And it's got me going nuts. Almost 2 months ago while driving (any speed, but at first was mostly highway speeds) my car would randomly shut off for a few seconds and then come back on by itself. When I say shut off I don't mean sputters out and dies. It legit just *click" shuts off. There was no CEL. So I replaced fuel pump, ignition coil, cap and rotor for dizzy, map sensor, IAT sensor, (after replacing fuel pump and ignition coil I finally got a CEL for IAT sensor, but once replaced didn't fix the issue), and main relay. I refilled battery to the correct level with distilled water, cleaned all gunk and little corrosion I had on the battery. Checked grounds and all SEEM to be fine. (I cleaned thermostat ground with wire brush but that's it other than looking at the rest. Some are little dirty but nothing id think cause this issue) Now after the last part, being the main relay, she starts up everytime (being the 5 times I started it) but shuts off after a couple minutes. So I'm at a complete loss. Is it the ICM is going out every couple minutes meaning I should buy a new dizzy? Is it distributor timing? I'm just so lost and though I know a pretty good amount about these Hondas I don't know everything and I've never been this stumped and stuck on a vehicle before. Please anyone help!? Also still no CEL'S as of now. If wanting more info just ask, or video I can send it via Facebook or something. Very desperate as 2 months with no car is killing me.

 

Maybe you have a bad ignition. Sometimes the plug on the back end of the lock body for your key loses it basically holding in position click. Get it running, jiggle the key and see if it cuts off..
If it does, they are pretty easy to change if needed, a plug on one end into the harness and 2 screws holding the other end on the body of the lock. Just need to get the steering column covers off.

 

So i meant to say somthing avout that too. My key doesn't turn at all when it "shuts off".. it stays in the running position when it turned off and came back on by itself. Key never moves. Also while the car is running I can wiggle, yank, jiggle anything on the key and it still stays running. And now as of yesterday, she starts up everytime with the new main relay, but dies after a minute or 2. I understand what you mean by the ignition switch though my old Prelude had one go out and the key wouldn't stay in the run position. Unfortunately i don't think it's that. Unless its possible the key can stay in position and start everytime and it's still the ignition switch. I'm not sure though.

 

I didn't put my words right in that last msg but anyways you know what I was talking about.. Was just thinking maybe.. One of my old cars had that problem and the key would just flinch back a tiny bit cutting off but it would stay in the start position just not at the point it needed to make contact.

 

I've checked it a couple times but I'll give it a look once more. But yea i can wiggle it like a mad man and nothing changes. Also when it was shutting off and turning back on by itself I would start jiggling and shaking my key, even hitting my steering column and it never made a difference. But with the amount of parts I've replaced, I'm down to like 2 more ignition items. The distributor, and the ignition switch. But can't figure it out because neither are fully broken so my car starts with no CEL and then just very calmly amd like nothing reacts or makes a noise it just shuts off with the key still in Run position. It's very very odd.

 

Here is a link to a video of whats going on when she doesn't start. And it's nothing special so it's hard to diagnose this. I have noticed that when I go to let go of trying to crank the car over that as the key returns the car/RPM will jump like it was avout to start, other times just the RPM needles jumps barely up. But I can never recreate the problem. So I don't know if it's the ignition switch or something else.

 

Your issue is a real head scratcher.. I meant to ask you, how was it restarting on its own? Would it die while you were rolling then get a bump start back up or would you be stopped and the starter would kick it over again and run without you touching the key?
Is you car manual or auto?
I came across a thread a while back when I was having a distributor problem, someone posted a service chart for testing in the thread which is helpful info - How to fix CEL code#9 cylinder sensor. I know you have no codes but still check.
You can test the resistance across the terminals on the distributor before replacing it.
A few other things you could do is to check for spark physically and get that checked off the list. Check to see if you are actually getting fuel too, maybe the pump is on its way out.
Could unbolt the fuel line to the fuel rail, get a bottle or jar and put it in there and give it a few cranks to see if anything is coming out.
If those all check fine, maybe look into the ecu, open it up and check the capacitors. Look for any that may be leaking or do a continuity test on each one.
Just keep narrowing the problem down and hopefully can get this figured out.

 

i did check fuel pressure exactly how you explained it a couple weeks ago and it was fine. I replaced the fuel pump so it's brand new. Old one was fine but didn't know that until after I replaced it and didn't fix anything. We did check for spark and were losing spark somewhere. I'm sorry I forgot some of this info. It's been 2 months and hard to remember everything I did until it's mentioned or I remember lol! We lost spark initially at the coil, so I replaced it and she started right up but then died again couple min later. There was one day about 2 weeks ago where I drove the car for 2 hours after it not working for a month, and then it died 5 minutes away from my house and started doing this again. So I'm gonna replace the ignition switch today/tomorrow and see if that does it. I will get back to you for sure. If it's not that I'm hoping the distributor which I'll test later (need a new 9v battery for my multimeter lmao) thanks for all your help so far! Will be back with more info on the ignition switch

 

Knowing more info now, I'm almost starting to think your ignition switch is probably fine. It should at least start after cranking.
Definitely test everything in the distributor first. Go buy that dollar store 9v battery! My mind keeps thinking the problem is in there somewhere. If that checks out good then hmm. At least clean the ground connection on the chassis from the battery.
You have power, all grounds are good, everything is plugged in, it cranks, air + fuel are present, soo..

 

okay so after getting a 9v, I think I've gotten it down to the dizzy's ICM or ignition switch. I tried checking for power at the ignition switch but having a broken collar bone currently is keeping me from doing it easily. It did seem it was the switch but I'm not 100% sure. I also did find that someone cut the ignition switch black with white stripe wire and then used a crimp tube to connect them back together. I drove this car for a year and a half before any of this happening so I'd be shocked if it was that wire but odder things have happened. I'm hoping to have more info tomorrow and the car fixed this week. I have surgery on Tuesday so if I don't reply much that is why lol

 

I also figured if I can't get a reading on the ignition switch, I'll just hotwire the car, if it starts, I know it's the switch. If it doesn't, I'd assume ICM. Sounds right in my head. Let me know if there's a problem with that idea hahaha

 

On of the tricks to test if it's the ignition switch is when you start it, let it snap back from crank position instead of just relaxing it back like we normally do. If it shuts off when the key snaps back to the on position from crank position, it's an indication of the ignition electrical switch going bad.

A bad crimp would do it too.

 

well letting it snap back instead of relaxing it back won't do anything because the car won't start astart anymore.
and the crimp was foe the starter wire and she cranks everytime. So idk double checking some stuff and gonna go buy either the ICM or Switch. I'm not getting any signal from the ICM but not sure if it's from the ignition switch or not

 

you can try to clean it to buy some time:

https://www.team-integra.net/threads...eaning.193084/

 

I appreciate the link! If i was broke id def try it. Luckily I had enough to buy both the icm and ignition switch. I put the ICM in and though I can't screw it down to the piece of metal that the thermal paste goes on, it still will not start. I'm not great with a multimeter but I checked for ignition while cranking and wasn't getting any signal. So I'm hoping tomorrow will be the day she starts with the new switch. 900$ later and HOPEFULLY will run. If not I'm legit probably gonna sell the car as I can't figure it out. And I usually never give up. Thats how fed up i am. So let's hope 🙏 lol

 

So I tried both a new ICM AND a new Ignition switch with new ignition cylinder and still have no start. This makes a little over 900$ worth of parts I've replaced. So at this point I'm pretty sure I'm just gonna sell the car Even though she runs so so damn good and gets me over 30 MPG, I just can't afford to keep putting money into parts that we don't know will fix it. So far I've put in a new Fuel pump, map sensor, IAT sensor, ignition coil, ICM, cap and rotor for dizzy, main relay, and ignition switch/cylinder. I also cleaned the grounds in the engine bay (sand paper and all for better connection) cleaned battery wires, terminals and barely touched up the distilled water inside the battery. I've checked fuel pressure, checked fuel filter, checked if injectors are ticking open and closed, I've checked for leaves and other objects blocking air filter and air ways. I checked the TPS sensor aswell and all come to the same conclusion. Car will not start. I gotta double check fuses but because she used to start and then die often I didn't think it would be a fuse. Now she won't start period so I may check the fuses but I highly doubt it. Does anyone have any recommendations for fuses to check, other things to look at or anything that won't cost me money. Because otherwise I'm selling the car unfortunately even though I seriously don't want to I just can't afford this and need a car for transportation like now. This has been so unbelievably stressful over 2 months I don't even know what to do with myself. Any and all help is appreciated as my head is about to explode with frustration. Thank you.

 

Have you done a compression test?

3 things required, air/compression, fuel and spark. I believe you have shown and assured fuel delivery, I would think you have tested for spark and the quality of the spark. So that leaves compression. If that is also good and your wiring from ECU to all the major points is good, then it would be ECU.

Of which I don't recall you ever saying what your car is, year/make/model/trim and mods if any.

 

After all the money put to replacing stuff that didn't need it, should've tested them before replacing.
Did you check and clean the ground for the ecu? Did you confirm you were getting spark? Is your timing belt good and timed right still? Those are really the only 3 things I would think it could be. I would think your compression is fine since it ran before and even if it was a bit low it should still start.

 

I havnt checked the ground for ecu, I'm not getting spark to all 4 spark plugs, ignition coil has resistance that reads right but no power coming from the positive and negative coil terminals. I checked timing but can double check it again I'm thinking it's the dizzy itself. I did try to replace the ICM and ignition switch with no luck still so I think dizzy otherwise maybe the crankshaft position sensor

 

OH MY GOODNESS I FINALLY GOT HER RUNNING!!!!! I should of went with my gut feeling 2 months ago! So other than what I said in my orignal post (all the parts I replaced) I decided to dive into using a multimeter to get deeper into where I'm losing spark aswell as obviously hopefully figuring out what is wrong. So I noticed my coil was fine but I was losing spark at the dizzy somehow. Now I could of swore I wasn't getting a reading from ignition wire FROM the ignition switch because while cranking i wouldn't get any reading. I also checked the ICM and had no power coming from it so I thought FOR SURE it was either the ICM or the Ignition Switch. Well wasn't either. My last bet was either the entire dizzy or the crankshaft position sensor. So I got a new dizzy, hooked it up and without even cranking it hardly she started RIGHT UP! I'm so unbelievably happy after more than 2 months of not starting, losing my job because of it and now we're all back in business! Also get this. Was back and forth to Autozone so much I actually managed to get a part time job there hahahahaha. Thought that was pretty funny. Anyways we're all up and running! Thanks so so SO much to any and all advice! I know we didn't get anyone that mentioned the dizzy or anything but I'm still very VERY grateful to anyone and everyone that took the time to even comment and mention something! Thank you so much! I now can now also open the parts I bought to fix extra stuff like my mirror switch and the AC EVAPORATOR! I was waiting to open them until I knew I could get the car back up and running haha! I'll the happiest man alive right now! Hope everyone has a great night and thanks again to anyone and everyone!