This is my desperate attempt to avoid taking the car to a shop, which is starting to look like my next step. I'm not a good mechanic, and if it doesn't work I get frustrated but I am too stubborn and cheap to take it to someone more knowledgeable. I just wish someone would point and tell me what to change to make my car run again. Anyways... enough with my problems and on to the car problems lol.

I bought the car in Aug '11 with 250k miles on it, ran great. Went away for a month in september and when I came back the the car ran for ~5 min then died and wouldn't start back up until the next day. It ran fine after that. Had the water pump, timing belt, and valve cover job done in feb. It threw a P0420 in Apr/May, but still ran fine. In june, I went away for 2 weeks and when I came back the car did the same thing again, ran for ~5 min then died. Only this time, the next day it did the same thing. I got it back to my driveway and parked it. Over the next couple of weeks, I gave it a few test runs in the driveway and it got worse. Now it won't start.

I replaced the main relay (after reading about how to listen for the fuel pump, which seems to be working), the coil, and the igniter. I read that those are common parts to fail but they didn't fix mine. I'm tired of throwing parts at the car. Can someone help point me in any direction? And if that direction is straight to a shop, then so be it. I just hope I didn't do more harm than good at this point.

Edit: I tried spraying engine starter in the intake while cranking but it didn't do anything.

 

Check for codes. Go to the common diy thread on top of the gen tech help forum and open the link for checking engine codes. Your 97 has the OBD1 connector like older accords, so you can check using a paperclip, if you do not have an obd2 scanner.

Do you have a volt meter and/or a timing light?

 

Next time no-start condition occurs, notice whether Alt, Check Engine, and Oil light are coming on when keyswitch is turned to On. If not, the problem is likely the ignition switch assy. Easy DIY repair.

good luck

 

It cranks and all of those lights come on. I'm almost certain it's not the ignition switch. I've been advised by a guy at work it could be the distributor but I want to be sure before I do anything else. I do have a volt meter.

 

You need fuel and spark to make an engine run. One step at a time to diagnose.
Yes - No answers
When the car won't run, jump out and stick an old spark plug in one of the plug wires and lay it on top of the valve cover so it is grounded against one of the 10mm castle nuts. Then peek under the hood and crank to see if you have spark.
If you have spark, put the plug wire back, and then spray some carb cleaner into the throttle intake tube and crank to see if the engine briefly runs.
Stop throwing parts at the car !!! Diagnose Diagnose Diagnose

 

I sprayed engine starter in the intake while cranking and it did nothing, not even a hiccup. Because of that I feel confident that the car has an ignition problem. Thanks for the input though.

 

OK, next you can check to see whether the distributor is getting power when you turn the key ON. One wire - maybe black/yellow - should have +12v when the key is ON. I'm pretty sure this comes from the ignition swith, not through the main relay.

 

Just me but did you open the butterfly in the throttle body and spray the "fluid" in?

Yes PA, the BLK/YEL wire is the one that should have 12v to ground with the key on/pos II.

 

I actually used the brake booster vacuum hose to spray the starting fluid directly into the intake manifold.