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Hey guys, I’ve got a completely stock Automatic 1992 Honda Civic LX. So lets begin the story about 3 weeks ago. My idle dropped down very low almost to 0 while at a stop with my foot on the brake, the idle is normal if the car is parked or in neutral with my foot off the brake. I didn’t have any time to look into it. Then about a week ago while driving in stop and go traffic the engine shut off after coming to a stop, when the engine shut off the engine light came on, It took about 4 tries to get the car running again (Turning the car completely off and starting it again) but it started up and I continued on. Yesterday I was driving to work on the freeway when the car shut off on me while moving on the freeway at 60MPH. I’d like to note that when the engine shuts off I lose power steering and the brakes only work for the initial pump. At this point I believe I may have not one but two problems:
-Ignition switch
-Some sort of idle problem
Is it possible these two problems are related?
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It might just be a simple vacuum leak. You might take a propane torch (unlit of course) and turn the gas on and trace around all the hoses going into the intake and throttle body. Look for sudden engine speed changes.
The brake issue could be a vacuum problem as well as the brake booster is “powered” by engine vacuum.
Is the check engine light on ? ( what I mean is it on all the time when the car is running ? ) if so you need to pull the code(s) even if the cel isn’t lit up you should still check for any codes. these symptoms are very similar to what was happening with my 89 civic Lx. turned out to be the crank angle sensor on its way out ( it did set a code )
Check your battery terminals for a loose connection or corrosion? Vacuum leak maybe but it would happen all the time. It’s more likely a failing part like a dying fuel pump or battery. Since you got a check engine light have you tried to pull codes? Any AutoZone will help pull codes for free. I don’t know what kind of diagnostic system you have (pre OBD-II) but at least worth a shot to see if there are any relevant codes.
@pcmd – yes i also was thinking that and i am cooling down my engine right now so i can try to locate a vacuume leak according to eric’s video, thank you for reminding me!
@619 – no CEL during normal operation only when the car dies out and when it does cYou describe the car suddenly quitting while in motion. Does it cough and sputter, then die over 20 seconds or so? Can you keep it going for a while by giving it gas? Or is it a sudden death, with no warning? What are the gauges on the dash showing? Or does the dash lighting go out and everything dies abruptly with no warning?
Sounds like a cam / crank angle sensor problem to me. I seriously doubt it is a vacuum leak. A vacuum leak would never cause a car to stall, especially going 60 mph. At higher speeds, vacuum leaks aren’t even a big deal. (Unless its outrageously big, like the brake booster hose came off or something. And even in this case it wouldn’t cause the engine to stall out.)
EDIT:
Also, assuming the idle problem and the stalling problem are separate, you might want to check the condition of your battery and its terminals. Clean off the terminals, if they are dirty, with baking soda and water and a brush. Also have you battery load tested, as well as checking its voltage. It NEEDS to be load tested in order to get a proper idea of the condition of the battery.I am still betting on the crank or cam angle sensor though. Let us know!
To me it sounds like it may be as simple as a dirty throttle body. I know some of the GM’s I work on like the 00-06 trucks for example are bad for this. They get gummed up around the throttle blade and will only idle at 400rpm or so, and sometimes if you let off the gas quickly they’ll stall. Were you on the throttle when it cut out at 60mph?
lol you guys wont believe what i found. looks like the previous “repair man” left an old distributor cap srew inside the distributor. i guess it finally got caught in the rotor causing everything insid to go nuts. looks like the rotor made contact with the plastic cover shattering it. there were bits of plastic everywhere inside but everythign looks useable so ill try start off with simply replacing the rotor and plastic cover but im not sure if that affects the low idle problem…
I’m sure it does actually. That screw probably goes to the rotor itself so don’t loose it because it’s a special screw and not all new rotors come with them. I would start by replacing the rotor and cap, the plactic piece is just a shield, put back what you have and don’t worry that it’s broken. After you replace this stuff check to see if your other issues exist. Don’t adjust the idle screw to correct an idle issue, instead start by looking for vacuum leaks. I’ve also done a video on this.
its a sudden death and the dash looks as if you just turned the electronics on in the car. btw checked for vacuum leaks, none at all
thanks eric ive checked for vaccume leaks which i have found none, reassembled the distributor checked the battery air filter fuel pressure and also cleaned the iacv unfortuntely the problem is still there low idle and dying out. i did however hear sort of a vacuum leak type sound like an air intake sound by the driver side headlight but was not able to locate any leaks with my trusty can of carb cleaner. i see the idle screw as a kind of final resort and dont like to touch it so im gonna leave it alone. what should i move on to next? the ignition switch or igniter? ive read that failiure of those parts can cause the symptoms i am having. btw your videos have been extremely helpful im one of those guys that take alot of time reding repair procedures but never get to do them so i hve a limited amout of hands on experience but you videos show exactly what needs to be done for example ive read how to spot a vacuume leak but i had no idea how the sound im looking for sounds haha sounds odd
Ignition problems wont’ cause an idle problem like that in my experinece, if you had an ignition problem it most likely would not run at all. With ANY idle issue it’s often a mixture problem and if you didn’t find any vacuum leaks you might want to check the IAC again (cleaning them really doesn’t cut it) as they are known for those types of problems. Also make sure your timing is correct as that could also contribute. Lastly check the PCV by pinching off the hose going to the valve to see if the engine runs better, I’ve seen these come apart internally and cause a massive vacuum leak that is hard to find, I recommend replacing it with an OE unit as I’ve seen some issues with other makes. Keep us posted.
I had a 96 lumina that idled real low and died every so often. I got raked over the coals, they charged me for a MAP sensor replacement, and some other thing i cant remember. Bill was like $450, it helped for a day and then the same problem came back. They finally found the problem, a simple vaccum leak from the pcv valve to the valve cover. Doh!
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