mysterious engine shut off
#1
01-07-2009, 07:57 PM
Unregistered
Posts: n/a
mysterious engine shut off
1993 Accord LX 2.2 - It developed a problem of shutting off after 5 to 15 minutes of driving. It shuts off immediately. No sputtering. Nothing. Sometimes it'll restart immediately and other times it'll take 10 minutes. When it does restart it starts immediately, no hesitation. I replaced the ignition switch, did a tune up (plugs, wires, cap, button), and ignition coil. No change. Any ideas?
#2
01-07-2009, 10:46 PM
RE: mysterious engine shut off
From your description I'd be most suspicious of the electrical part of the ignition switch.
You can drop off the steering column shroud [screws underneath] and look at the solder joints on the back of the switch.
Also, many times you can let the key back from the 'crank' position slowly and the engine will keep running.
A sure sign of a bad switch is that the TACH drops straight to zero when the stall happens.
The BLACK/yellow wire at the dist plug is from the ignition switch, so it is a good place to check for power when the car won't start
You can drop off the steering column shroud [screws underneath] and look at the solder joints on the back of the switch.
Also, many times you can let the key back from the 'crank' position slowly and the engine will keep running.
A sure sign of a bad switch is that the TACH drops straight to zero when the stall happens.
The BLACK/yellow wire at the dist plug is from the ignition switch, so it is a good place to check for power when the car won't start
#3
01-08-2009, 06:36 AM
Unregistered
Posts: n/a
RE: mysterious engine shut off
Thanks for the reply, but I already replaced the ignition switch. When the stall happens, I've messed with the key in all kinds of positions and such. No difference. Is there a likely chance that it could be the ignition control module?
#4
01-08-2009, 07:33 AM
RE: mysterious engine shut off
It could be the ICM (aka ignitor) but it could also be flaky wiring from the ECU out to the distributor. The distributor cant fire on it own, but needs the trigger signal from the ECU.
Ive heard that many parts stores (AutoZone, etc) can test ignitors.But if the problemis intermittent, it might just be OK for the test.
Ive heard that many parts stores (AutoZone, etc) can test ignitors.But if the problemis intermittent, it might just be OK for the test.
#5
01-08-2009, 06:43 PM
Unregistered
Posts: n/a
RE: mysterious engine shut off
ORIGINAL: hondadude
Oh sure....NOW ya tell the whole story.......[sm=headbang.gif]
Oh sure....NOW ya tell the whole story.......[sm=headbang.gif]
I just replaced the ignitor tonight and took a short drive. No issues yet. I plan to take it into work tomorrow, so that will be the true test.
#6
01-08-2009, 07:19 PM
Unregistered
Posts: n/a
RE: mysterious engine shut off
Ok heres how to fix your problem, 100% problem solved.... Please, Please trust me on this cuz it's correct... I just copied amd pasted this below cuz i hate to write it over every single time so i have it saved and just paste over and over for all the people wth the same exact problem. hope you'll listen... here you go....
I can honestly say if your car is shuting down on you while your cruising down the street or highway it has to be without question your distributor (not distributor cap). I had what appears to be the same problem you are experiencing with, i changed the spark plugs, and fuel filter, ignition coil and nothing. It's a piece that's inside the distributor that causes this i forgot what it's called but the price of that piece alone is only a couple of bucks cheaper than just getting the entire distributor all together than saving money so it's best to just get the distributor and be done with it.
Does your car sometimes give you trouble when you try to start it after it shuts down on you. If it does it's the distributor. This is a common problem with Accords and Civics and i've had personally had this problem with 2 of my Accords. If this is the case get it fixed ASAP because it will only get worse. It will get to the point where you car gives up and will never ever turn on again till you swap distributors. Mine first started where it would start right away. a couple of days later it took like 15 mins, after that a few days went day it became 30 mins, after that it became a hour, all of this while i'm waiting in the street for all this time i might add, finallly one day i'm driving down the street and it shuts off only to never turn back on again. I left it in a corner in a residental area over night, came back the next morning hoping the distributor had cooled down so much that it had to turn on and it didn't, i ended up having to call a tow truck. Bought a distributor from Advance Auto Parts the same day, put it in the next day, car turned on never to shut off on me like that ever again.
Get it fixed ASAP!!!!!
Just so you guys know if you didn't already know. What the distributor does is simply distribute power to get the engine going, it's like a power supply and if it over powers it starts heating up, well the distributor automatically shuts off when it overheats to protect the engine thereby shutting your car off. When the distributor cools back down it will work again temporary till it heats up again and shutting your car off again. As the days go by the distributor gets worse and worse till it finally goes dead and never works again like in my case.
I can honestly say if your car is shuting down on you while your cruising down the street or highway it has to be without question your distributor (not distributor cap). I had what appears to be the same problem you are experiencing with, i changed the spark plugs, and fuel filter, ignition coil and nothing. It's a piece that's inside the distributor that causes this i forgot what it's called but the price of that piece alone is only a couple of bucks cheaper than just getting the entire distributor all together than saving money so it's best to just get the distributor and be done with it.
Does your car sometimes give you trouble when you try to start it after it shuts down on you. If it does it's the distributor. This is a common problem with Accords and Civics and i've had personally had this problem with 2 of my Accords. If this is the case get it fixed ASAP because it will only get worse. It will get to the point where you car gives up and will never ever turn on again till you swap distributors. Mine first started where it would start right away. a couple of days later it took like 15 mins, after that a few days went day it became 30 mins, after that it became a hour, all of this while i'm waiting in the street for all this time i might add, finallly one day i'm driving down the street and it shuts off only to never turn back on again. I left it in a corner in a residental area over night, came back the next morning hoping the distributor had cooled down so much that it had to turn on and it didn't, i ended up having to call a tow truck. Bought a distributor from Advance Auto Parts the same day, put it in the next day, car turned on never to shut off on me like that ever again.
Get it fixed ASAP!!!!!
Just so you guys know if you didn't already know. What the distributor does is simply distribute power to get the engine going, it's like a power supply and if it over powers it starts heating up, well the distributor automatically shuts off when it overheats to protect the engine thereby shutting your car off. When the distributor cools back down it will work again temporary till it heats up again and shutting your car off again. As the days go by the distributor gets worse and worse till it finally goes dead and never works again like in my case.
Yep, you were right on. Just as a heads up, my faulty "new" distributor was also from Advance Autoparts. I originally had a faulty coil and decided to change the entire distributor assembly because it was cheap from Advance. It worked for about a month then I started having issues with it. Took back the distributor and exhanged it, and it fixed the problem. Figured it was a good place to start after i had verified timing, fuel pressure, spark, etc etc etc..... So if you start having the issue again, I'd take it back and get another. Lifetime warranty......
Yeah i did take it back once. My 94 Accord wouldn't turn on so we thought the distributor had gone again so we took it back to Advance Auto Parts and got another one because of the Lifetime Warranty. That didn't fix it so we figured it was the starter because my 95 Camry had a dead starter, went back and bought the starter, put it on the accord and the car turned on. At least i have a much newer refurbished distributor in the car.
hehe
But i'm selling the Accord cus i got myself a 2001 Civic, 2 weeks ago.
hehe
But i'm selling the Accord cus i got myself a 2001 Civic, 2 weeks ago.
#9
06-10-2009, 03:25 PM
From your description I'd be most suspicious of the electrical part of the ignition switch.
You can drop off the steering column shroud [screws underneath] and look at the solder joints on the back of the switch.
Also, many times you can let the key back from the 'crank' position slowly and the engine will keep running.
A sure sign of a bad switch is that the TACH drops straight to zero when the stall happens.
The BLACK/yellow wire at the dist plug is from the ignition switch, so it is a good place to check for power when the car won't start
You can drop off the steering column shroud [screws underneath] and look at the solder joints on the back of the switch.
Also, many times you can let the key back from the 'crank' position slowly and the engine will keep running.
A sure sign of a bad switch is that the TACH drops straight to zero when the stall happens.
The BLACK/yellow wire at the dist plug is from the ignition switch, so it is a good place to check for power when the car won't start
The tach dropping instantly and subsequently loosing power to the engine, and all of a sudden the engine coming back to life within seconds is exactly what is happening to me. and very scary. I've read this whole thread and I suppose I should diagnose one by one. However I feel I should check the ignoition switch first. I have shook the key while driving, but nothing odd happens.
Should I remove the steering colum shroud? what exactly am I looking for though? WIll the solder be loose. If it is what is the fix?
thanks
#10
05-28-2012, 12:59 PM
engine shutoff
My 94 accord is doing the same thing.... And because I am a female, the guy at advance auto parts just told me the best thing for me to do is to take it to a reputable repair place... I'm not only frustrated, I'm pissed because they think I am stupid and can't work on the car... HELP,,, I have to date replaced the fuel pump and filter ( because advance said that's what it was) I replaced the ignition switch... What started all this crap was it started to crank a little funny so I thought I would get it tuned up... to include spark plugs, wires, distributor cap and rotor button.... each time I drive it, it gets worse... town is 17 miles away and it shut off 4 times. I finished shopping started home and it didn't shut off one time.... 