Please help..........
Its a 1996 Accord 2.2L non-VTEC, 175K mi.
All faults are intermittent.
Faults include:

1. A few months ago and even yesterday after 50 deg F or less overnight, it would start fine then die suddenly within 1 minute, RPM"s dropping to zero when it happened. Car would start back up just fine, but might die same way 1-2 more times, finally warming up and then run/start fine with heavy, city-job driving all day. Never happened after car warmed up completely in driveway.

2. A couple of weeks ago, sometimes when starting warm or cold, a single "click" of the solenoid could be heard with a no-start. This is still happening, maybe 1 out of 15 startups. Car then starts up fine. In last week, this no-start "click" has happened twice in a row a couple of times. Recent new battery with clean connections. Battery terminals just cleaned, and all battery cables and connections checked and tightened.

3. Last week while driving on city highway, car has a light vibration @ 60 mph due to motor mounts disintegrating I'm sure, and twice in one day at this speed only, I could feel a sort of hesitation or cut-out in the transmission. At least that was the effect, but it could have been a micro-second power failure. Car never died, but transmission would "re-grab" very quickly and proceed normally. Not sure if I imagined this. Main problems are the no-start and cutout problems. Yesterday, I "jumped" out into a lane, turned off A/C switch for more power, punched accelerator, and RPM's dropped with a vengeance.....car struggled to stay alive and finally revived within 1 second.

Never any CEL's or codes stored.

I'm thinking these are interrelated, and definitely something electrical which is failing intermittently during startup and normal operation. Would this rule out a starter switch? Because after starting, the starter switch is out of the loop, right? I have replaced faulty ICM's before (can an ICM cause all 3 of these events? Even when car is cold?), and recently replaced cap/rotor/plugs.

Would a complete distributor replacement be a good first idea, considering mileage on the vehicle? Some have suggested an ignition switch, but I cannot re-create problem by jiggling the key at all, other than turning it back 1/4 turn, which shuts off ignition as normal.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you!

 

I moved your thread to the general tech help section. Please read the forum rules and do not post help questions in the DIY section.

 

My bad. Thank you, redbull-1. Won't happen again.

 

Similar happenings with mine. Replaced a relay under the dash next to the steering column on the right side? It would heat up and cause my 96 2.2 to shut off or not even start. Ended up replacing the ground cable and starter also. There were some transmission complaints for this year. Carcomplaints has some crazy things to share. Is there a way other than it getting hot to test that main relay under the steering column besides heat?

 

The common problem with the main relay is solder-joints on the printed circuit board inside the "relay". They get hairline cracks and lose continuity. If you know how to solder, you can simply re-melt all of the tabs on the PCB.

 

Relay solder points.....sounds good. Is that the starter relay? Or is it called something else? I will look into that. Have seen exact problem in other, older vehicles. Transmission certainly has its piccadillos, but in my case its mostly rough shifting at times. At least its always there when I need it. I perform Honda transmission fluid drain/refill procedure twice a year.

 

RPM's dropping to zero when engine stops at highway speed suggests intermittent ignition switch (no power to ignition or gauge panel). The ignition switch assy is a common fault.

If no-start condition is present, notice whether Check Engine, Alt, Oil lights are on (they should be). If not, intermittent ignition switch assy failure is likely.

good luck

 

Well, maybe a bit confusing with 2 people. But the relay that commonly fails is the "main fuel relay" which switches power to the fuel pump. It's not related at all to the starter circuit.

So with a non-start condition we have to start with asking whether the starter is spinning the engine or not.

Starter spinning properly? then we look at lack of spark vs. lack of fuel. One possible reason for lack of fuel is a bad main relay.

Starter doesn't crank the engine? Then maybe battery cables, bad starter motor, etc. There's other things in the starter system like neutral-safety switch, or clutch switch, etc...

 

Not confusing, but thank you! I spoke too soon about relay name, looked it up in my service manual.....PGM-I Main? I'll pull and check it out. Will also inspect starter contacts. Considering replacing the positive battery cable assy. Will order online, tho.....$95 @ Honda dealer. Ouch!
I will also try to get to intake port inspection. Auto Detective Weekend....Cool. Thanks to all!

 

You have two problems. One has to deal with the starting system. The other is a stalling problem.

Your single click with the starter is very indicative of worn contacts. If your accord is an automatic, then you would have to buy the solenoid/contacts as an assembly. The OEM part number is 31210-P0A-004. Honda doesn't sell them, but search google shopping to find aftermarket sellers. The manual transmission starter can have the contacts replaced inside.

The stalling problem could be from a number of sources. Don't just guess at the problem (like assuming it is the main fuel relay), then throw parts at it. Diagnose first.

I would start with the maintenance items first, because. When were the spark plugs, distributor cap, and distributor rotor changed? What brand of spark plugs did you use?

Another common running problem is with those accords is clogged EGR ports. Here is a good video on how to clean the ports. It may not solve the problem, but your car will run better.