SOHC_civic_si

Hey guys,

I have a problem with my 99' Civic. In hot weather, I cannot keep my car running. I will start it up, and it will either die right away, or drive for like 30 seconds then die. This ONLY happens in hot weather. I never had this problem in the winter, and it is very annoying. It started at the beginning of April and I did some research to try and figure it out. After doing a fair bit of searching I narrowed it down to the problem meaning my main relay. It makes sense too because Honda main relays are very heat sensitive and when the joints get old and crack it is hard to stay running. I replaced it one week ago and thought I fixed my problem. It has been hot all week even on the day I replaced it, so I thought problem solved until today. Driving home from work, I got about 100 meters from my job and it died. I started it up again and right away it died. I repeated this step about 30 times until I let it cool down for about 5 minutes, and then it ran. WTF? If this isn't my relay, what the heck is it?

Thanks a lot!

1992Si

Vapor lock ?

Check the gas cap. When the car does this, listen to see if there's a vacuum when you remove the cap

pdeminter

I do not know if this will help or if it is even a reach but I had this same problem on my 67 Cutlass. (I own a 95 Civic...so I can post here). But anyways, on my Cutlass I had the same problem....cold weather....can drive all day...when it would heat up it would die. Since this is a show car, I really did much care to badly since I rarely drive it. But one day I decided to look into it and come to find out it was the coil. Now my 67 has an external coil and the Honda has one built into the dist. But in essence what was happening was the coil heats up and will no longer produce spark untill it would cool off. When it dies on you.....pull a spark plug and see if you are getting spark. Like I said its a reach..but who knows may be your issue.

Good luck!

TravisCadello

yea, when it does this your coil is probably hot and dont wanna work fully. creating a weak spark.

SOHC_civic_si

Distributor coil does sound like it could be the problem. What I do not understand is the hot weather. Doesn't the coil heat up when your drive all the time anyways? So how would external (environmental) temperature effect it? Like in the winter time it is completely fine, but in the summer not at all?

Bump for more information on this, I want to get to the bottom of it.

SOHC_civic_si

Bump... I am looking for more information on this.

Former User

Is the CEL ON?

In some instances, does the car fail to restart immediately after a stall? If so, do these two tests:

(1) Turn the key to ON(II) and listen for whether the fuel pump primes for 2 seconds.

(2) Check for spark at each plug (click here for simple method).

SOHC_civic_si

There is no CEL. Yes the car stalls immediately after starting. The fuel pump primes and the spark plugs are new. If this is any help, when I am driving and it stalls out, the gauges (speedo and tach) go all crazy and jump around for a second or so then the car shuts off. Does this have a connection?

B serious

iTrader: (1)

The igniter is probably bad in the distributor. Buy a manual and test the distributor components with a multimeter.

SOHC_civic_si

You say the igniter? Or the coil? I am confused at the difference between the two. I still do not understand how those two things connect with the problem happening ONLY in hot weather?

B serious

iTrader: (1)

Igniters tend to fail when they get hot.

This is not always the case.

Test both the components out.

If you buy a new distributor, it will come with both components anyway so it doesn't matter which one is bad. It's an internal coil and an integrated ignitor. So if you do find either component seperately, they're usually MORE money than a whole distributor assembly.

I got mine from distributorking. It works great and comes with a lifetime warranty.

SOHC_civic_si

Yes but wouldn't they get hot all the time because the car us running? Regardless if it is winter or summer? Or does the weather heat outside contribute to the overheating?

IhateworkingoncaRs

When it starts up, before it stalls will the engine respond to throttle?

SOHC_civic_si

No it will rev to about 3 grand or less if i give it full throttle and die right away. Sometimes not even at all it will rev.

B serious

iTrader: (1)

Obviously, as the ambient temp gets hotter, the heat under the hood gets hotter. I doubt it's very hot up in Canada at this point anyway? How "hot" are we talking? 60 degrees F?

When my TDC sensor/ignition module went out in my distributor, the car would only rev to 3.5k. I'd look at the distributor.

nihad

iTrader: (2)

Man oh man hondas are weird like this I had this problem with my 89 civic si it happend few years ago back in 05-06 It would die right after i would start it up and then it wouldnt start for about 2-4min it sucked ***... I forgot how i fixed it tho.. I also had a draining power issue ended up being a bad fuse box engine compartment code 20 i think... But about the car dieing after start up or while driving i would say check the thermostat ground clean it... Also the dizzy could be the problem.. Change the dizzy and clean that ground and see if that helps..

SOHC_civic_si

Believe it or not there is lots of places in Canada that gets much hotter than places in the U.S. And to answer your question it has been roughly 20 degrees C, which is 68 F, for much of the week.

SOHC_civic_si

And it's not so much that the car won't rev past 3K, but more so that that is as high as it will rev with my foot pinned before it dies.

SOHC_civic_si

Bump

B serious

iTrader: (1)

Bump? Does that mean you checked the distributor?

68 degrees F is not "hot", btw.

1992Si

Tach was bouncing. Go buy a rebuilt dizzy, trust me, been there done that. Your dizzy is on it way out. I have long story about what it cost me just replacing the igniter the first time, then the coil went and took the igniter with it. Then the bearing went. Should have just bought a rebuilt one at the first sign of trouble.

Get the hint, bite the bullet and buy a rebuild dizzy.

SOHC_civic_si

Sounds like this is the distributor. I have a friend who works at a NAPA, and he gets me all the parts at cost, which saves me a lot. Sometimes the mark up is 50%.

1992Si

That's called, "having friends in the right places"

I hope you buy him lunch every now and then.

jdeacon

sisters civic does the exact same thing. ill i have to do is take the gas cap off, put it back on and itll start right up

SOHC_civic_si

I work at a lube shop during the summers while I'm not at school, so he gets oil and everything at cost. Works out nicely.