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Did a bit of research here… just trying to pinpoint…
This is not my car, working on it for my sister.
So the 1999 civic with 1.6 and MTX sometimes hard to start, sometimes fires right up.
Two years ago, a shop replaced the distributor, plugs, and wires.When it does start, it idles alright. Here is a twist though –
so I was letting it run, a couple times gunned the gas, and it started stumbling badly.
If i take up the RPM slowly it does alright.More often than not it has a harder time starting after it has ran for a little while then shut off.
Where to begin?
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If you don’t have CEL’s and the codes are clear, check the fuel pressure. You might try some starting fluid when the engine is hard to start to see if you can prove fuel is the issue.
So after checking and resoldering the main relay, didn’t make a difference.
The car is in the garage and I noticed the symptoms get bad when the engine is warm.
As in – the warmer the engine, the less likely it is to start. When it does start, idle seems fine but gunning the engine can stall or kill it.
Distributer contacts are clean, coil resistances are within specs at room temperature, two years ago a shop replaced the plugs, wires distributer and cap.I don’t have a way to check the Ignition control module.
The engine needs three things to run: air, fuel, and spark.
If the car is drivable, then spark is not likely the issue.
Check if the air filter is clean or clogged.
Check the throttle body plate movement. Also check TB cable tension.If those are okay, then go after fuel delivery. This would include fuel filter, fuel pump, FPR and injectors – in that order.
I see problems with aftermarket ignition parts on Honda’s all the time. Just do a quick search above and you’ll see plenty of posts about this on the forum. The worst offender is aftermarket distributors. You MUST use OE parts on Honda ignition systems in order for them to work properly. I’m not saying that’s what your problem is but it’s not helping matters I’m sure.
It sounds like it might be a timing issue. I would recommend you check the mechanical timing of the engine by removing the valve cover and upper timing cover to inspect the marks. If the belt is loose or the marks are off correct them and recheck for your symptoms.
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