Power loss.
 

I have a 1996 Honda Accord LX 2.2L and it has started to shut off as I am driving in town or on the highway. I changed the fuel pump, ignition wires, spark plugs, and the battery.
Is there anything else I should check that may be the problem. I have the fuel filter on hand, but I don't want to change it out if that isn't the problem.

There are a few things that could be causing this but you will need to test them....just replacing stuff gets expensive pretty quick.

Can you describe what is going on when it cuts off.....do any of the warning lights come on, does the tach jump around "funny" right before it dies.

They how long or what process do you have to go through to get it started back up.

It'll make no noise; it'll run fine until it shuts off, usually after work or when I get done with school. Once it shuts off, no lights come on, and when I go to start it, it'll just crank, but it won't start. It usually takes less than 5 minutes for it to come back on.

First I should say I'm assuming there are no stored codes in the ECU - or the Check Engine Light is not on

To me it sounds like you are either losing spark or power to the fuel pump.

When you insert the key and turn it to on, the CEL should come on for a few seconds and then go off. ALSO the fuel pump should run for those same few seconds. You will need to turn off everything that makes noise (radio, blower motor, door shut, ect) to hear it.

I would learn how to listen for it while/when the car is acting fine.....then when it dies on you. Turn the key all the way "off"/out, then turn it to on and see if you can hear it and watch the CEL.

Next is testing for spark when this happens....which I know can be fun if you are by yourself. Who is going to turn the key to start when I'm under the hood checking for it :shrug:

If you have a spare/old spark plug, what you can try is puling one of the spark plug wires, insert the plug into the wire then lay it on the valve cover with the metal part of the plug touching one of the valve cover bolts/nuts......then try starting the car as you look through the windshield, under the hood as it is open and see if you can see some spark from the plug.

I've changed the fuel pump a few days ago. Even the RPMs drop to 0 as I drive for a short distance and the car will shut off. I also noticed that one of the wires wasn't connected all the way to the distributor cap, but it would do the same thing once that wire was connected. Could that be the problem or could it be something more than that?

Where I'm going and what I'm trying to test out is:

Main relay - this supplies power to the fuel pump. These can develop "crack" in some of the contacts over time. When they get hot - either being shut up inside a warm car or after running for a while - the contacts will not make contact anymore and cut the power to the fuel pump.

Next, inside the distributor is the ICM. Same thing can happen with it. It can get hot and when it does it will stop "pulsing" the coil - thus no spark.

Again, just trying to narrow down which it might be instead of just replacing parts on a guess.

UPDATE: I changed the distributor cap and the rotor. I'm going to test it out tomorrow morning and see if that'll fix the problem.

While stranger things have happened, I'm betting the new cap and rotor will not solve your issue.

UPDATE: After switching the distributor cap and rotor, the car has not shut off while driving, and drives fine now.

Keep us posted.

UPDATE: I did the coil test on it, and noticed that when I removed the ignition wire to cylinder 3, the car would struggle to stay on. When we did the test again, it shut off completely. Any ideas of what that could be? A buddy of mine that lives in Reno told me, after explaining what it was doing, that it could either the distributor or the ECU. What do you guys think it could be??

It sounds like cylinder 3 is firing properly; what happens with you pull the plug wire (one at a time) to the other cylinders?

Only cylinder 3 was misfiring, because all of the other cylinders were working fine. Once I tested cylinder 3, the car was struggling to stay on. I did the test on the same one after I had checked the other ones, and it shut off completely. When everything was back in place, I went to go start it, and it didn't start right up.

That doesn't make any sense; if you pull the #3 wire and the engine struggles without that cylinder firing, then the issue is with a different cylinder.

Are you sure it isn't that cylinder only?

If the engine slows down causing it to chug when you pull the spark plug wire, then that cylinder is firing.

I asked this earlier; what happens when you pull the wire of the other cylinders?

A small change happens to the motor when one of the spark plug wires are removed. When I put it back on, it goes back to normal.

So pulling 1, 2, and 4 causes less of a slowdown compared to 3? Sounds to me like you've got three bad cylinders and one good one.

So what do I do there? Is the cylinder head bad or do I change the gasoline?

Gasoline will not solve your issue. The first thing I'd do is a compression test; preferably a cylinder leak-down style of test.

mine does the same
 

My 95 just started doing the same on the1st hot day this year. Thought maybe bad gas or water in the line just bought a new fuel filter to put in. Also was just reading about fuel relay going out

LOSS of power in 1996 honda accord 2.2 vtec
 

Okay, so this is my first time on here. Mayne someone can offer some advice. I have a 1996 honda accord with a 2.2 liter vtec. Well, shortly after I bought it about six months ago it started losing power. So I took it to a honda specialist and them tell me there was no first gear, that it was starting off in second.
Before I continue I want to point out that my car is automatic. But, anyways I had the tansmission replaced but it's still bogged down. It feels kind of like I'm pulling a trailer. Anyone have any ideas?