My wife has a 1998 Honda Accord LX 4 Cyl with 70,000 miles.

Over the last few months, the entire car will just lose all electrical power. The gauges go
dead, etc. Sometimes it is while starting car, sometimes while driving. It only lasts a second or two and then power is restored. This only happens every week or two, it is so rare and unpredictable that I hate to go have it analyzed at the dealer. I am assuming I will pay for a diagnostic and get the dreaded "unable to duplicate" remark. So I figured I would start here and see if anyone has any ideas of what I should check first?

Thanks.

 

Sounds like voltage drop....battery good? Alternator?

 

The battery is pretty new and has tested fine when checked.....I will have an alternator test done....thanks.

 

the battery, alternator and starter have been checked and all are good.....

another detail, is when power is lost, lights and radio still good power....

Any ideas?

 

Me thinks you are having a computer shut down...
Call your dealer and ask him if your model car has had this happen and tell him your cars symptoms..

Let me know if I'm thinking in the right direction...

WheelBrokerAng[8D]

 

also check your main relay..hondas tend to have problems with these.. i found that out myself

 

I had a problem like that and it got so bad that it would complete stop the engine. what I did to fix it was change the ignition switch out and after that it ran fine.