Car just DIED while driving... - Honda Prelude Forum

lamboguy · 08-19-2003, 09:25 AM

Hi Folks,

So the dealer replaced the main relay last year because the car wouldn't start. That helped for a year, but now we're having the same problem -- or at least a similar one.

What is happening now is that the car starts ok, but we just took it out for a spin and after 2 minutes it died while shifting from 2nd to 3rd.

Coasted over to the side of the road, and tried restarting it. It wouldn't start. Turns over great, but nothing -- won't start. Came back 30 minutes later, and it lights right up.

Do you think this is still the Main Relay? Should I just go a buy another one and swap the old one out? Or is it possible that that won't fix the "died while running" problem...

Thanks so much!

Fred

PS: That's my first Smilie...how'd I do?

4bidden · 08-19-2003, 10:01 AM

I'm interested also....I had this happen to me about a month ago but it hasnt done it again.

go pre · 08-19-2003, 11:32 AM

i had the exact same problem and it was the igniter. if i remember right, there's a procedure in the helms manual for checking the igniter using a multimeter.

my symptoms were the exact same as yours. one day the car just died sitting at a stop light. then it wouldn't start up again, but half an hour later it started. this kept going on and the car would just die randomly and not start back up.

i've never replaced the main relay but after replacing the igniter i've had zero problems.

also, since you replaced the main relay only a year ago i'd say it's more likely that it's the igniter rather than the relay.

lamboguy · 08-19-2003, 11:48 AM

It's funny you should say that, because my first thought was "it's the igniter" -- cuz that's the same problem I had with my Supra.

Maybe I should pick up a helms manual, that's a good idea, especially if it has that multimeter procedure. (That procedure's not listed anywhere on this site, is it?)

Thanks,
Fred

4bidden · 08-19-2003, 12:39 PM

If anyone finds out how to test the ignitor, post it up, I'd like to check mine.

lamboguy · 08-19-2003, 01:36 PM

Wow, I just looked at the Chilton's manual at Kragen. It doesn't even talk about the main relay or the igniter! At least, not that I could find... I'll start looking around for that Helm's manual

Fred

lamboguy · 08-19-2003, 01:38 PM

Hummmm....did you mean Haynes manual?

cantdrive55 · 08-19-2003, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by lamboguy
Hummmm....did you mean Haynes manual?

Haynes doesn't make one for us. www.helminc.com

PatrickC1026 · 08-19-2003, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by go pre
i had the exact same problem and it was the igniter. if i remember right, there's a procedure in the helms manual for checking the igniter using a multimeter.

my symptoms were the exact same as yours. one day the car just died sitting at a stop light. then it wouldn't start up again, but half an hour later it started. this kept going on and the car would just die randomly and not start back up.

i've never replaced the main relay but after replacing the igniter i've had zero problems.

also, since you replaced the main relay only a year ago i'd say it's more likely that it's the igniter rather than the relay.

I did have the same problem on my '92 Si about 3 years ago while I was driving on a freeway at night. It won't start when the engine was warm but no problem if I waited for a while. After replacing the ignitor, no more problem.

shiftgearz · 08-19-2003, 02:51 PM

I had that problem with my old engine, I was driving and the car died, it did that a lot but when i tried to restart, it wouldnt fire up so I coasted into the side of tha road and kept trying but it wouldn't start. Then I got it towed and was waiting for my h22a to come in, then it fired up after like 3 weeks of just sitting in front of the shop.

lamboguy · 08-19-2003, 03:04 PM

>>Haynes doesn't make one for us. www.helminc.com<<

Thanks, I'm guessing that's why the dealer didn't have one. I'll check on the helm's one...but it sure is sounding like igniter, simply by popular vote.

BTW, the guy behind the parts counter didn't need to look up the price and availability -- he has it memorized. He said it happens all the time. So...why isn't this guy working in service? They couldn't figure it out...

Cheers,

Fred

4bidden · 08-19-2003, 03:55 PM

My buddy cant find a test in his Helms.....anyone here with one want to take a look?

lamboguy · 08-19-2003, 04:43 PM

I just got the igniter from the dealer. They felt so sorry for me (RIGHT!!!) that they gave me a 20% discount, it cost me $76 + tax. So while I was there, and while they were feeling sorry for me, I also bought a tire repair kit, wheel washer, and a tie-rod end removal tool... They were rushing to get me out before I picked up something else. Maybe I should have headed over to the showroom while I was at it.

Anyway, I'll replace the igniter tonight and see what happens. Wish me luck.

Fred

4bidden · 08-19-2003, 05:22 PM

Good luck, now hurry and go install it. It should take all of 20mins.

PatrickC1026 · 08-19-2003, 06:23 PM

Good luck!!! Your nightmare will be over.

4bidden · 08-19-2003, 06:33 PM

My car only died while driving once. I got off the freeway and got stopped at a light. As I accelerated away and shifted to 2nd gear, it died as soon as I pressed the clutch in, but didnt realize it and shifted to 2nd, popped the clutch and gave it gas and it started back up, but the same thing happened in third. At first I thought it was halfway normal since my flywheel spins down a little lower than the next gear and will give a little jolt.

Even though it only died once, its been running like poop for a while.

go pre · 08-19-2003, 08:52 PM

from page 23-94 of 1992 prelude helms manual:

1. remove dist. cap, rotor, and the inner cover

2. disconnect the blk/yel, grn, yel/grn, and blu wires from the igniter unit

3. turn the ignition switch on. check for voltage between the blk/yel wire and body ground. There should be battery voltage.
-If there is no battery voltage, check the blk/yel (yel) wire between the ignition coil and the igniter unit.
-If there is battery voltage, go to step 4.

4. Turn the ignition switch on. Check for voltage between the grn wire and body ground. There should be battery voltage.
if no voltage, check the

ignition coil
grn (blu) wire between the ignition coil and the igniter unit

-if there is battery voltage, go to step 5.

5. check the yel/grn wire between the pgm-fi ecu and the igniter unit (section 11)

6. check the blu wire between the tachometer and the igniter unit.

7. if all tests are normal, replace the igniter unit.

ok, that was probably a waste of time typing all that out...
but basically, my problem was that I wasn't getting spark. I tested the resistances on the ignition coil and they were fine. then i did steps 1-4 above to check that the igniter unit connections were ok. i didn't bother with 5 and 6 because they seemed hard and probably weren't the problem. since the coil was functioning and all the wires going to the igniter that I checked were getting voltage, i concluded that the igniter was bad. obviously if you fail one of those tests above then it is either a short in the wiring somewhere, or a problem with whatever is sending voltage through that wire.

Si_g · 08-19-2003, 09:01 PM

I had the same problem myself, i shifted from 3rd to 4th, and it shut off, so i rolled to the side walked, unplugged my msd coil and hooked it back up to the stock coil, and it started perfect. The next day, i went to look under the hood, end noticed that one of the bolts on the negative pole of the MSD coil was gone, therefore the wire was comin off of the coil. so i replaced it, and havent had a problem since. My advice would be to keep your stock coil under the hood, just so u can plug and unpluge at easy if ever something is wrong.

lamboguy · 08-19-2003, 09:17 PM

Thanks for those instructions! Just heading out now to tackle the beast.

Best regards,

Fred

junkytri · 08-19-2003, 09:58 PM

i have the same exact symptoms on my car
my problem was that the distributor was having problem. The ignition module is ****ed up and it would start but then after a while it overheats or something and dies. Then you let it cool down and it starts again.
This is a test to see if it is indeed that problem.
Let it sit for an hour or two until it starts.
Drive it and floor it to redline and look at th tach to see if it flies everywhere. If it does then it's your distributor and not your ignitor. Your car probably has over 100k miles and it's time for a new distributor. Advance auto parts sells them for 165 dollars.
you probably has a cel light on. Check what it is. If it is code 9 and/or 15 then it is probably your distributor. 15 might mean your ignitor but i doubt it.