1998 Honda Civic DX shuts off while driving
Asked by peachy41 Jul 18, 2011 at 03:10 PM about the 1998 Honda Civic DX
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
I have a 1998 Honda Civic DX with app 175K miles. While driving, my engine light will come on and the car will completely shut off. I will try to start about 3 to 5 times but it will not start. Eventually, the car will start and the engine light will go off. I have had 2 mechanics check my car trying to re-create my issue but it does not happen so no one can give me a definite answer as to why this is happening or what needs to be repair. I have been told it could be my fuel pump, distributor, iginition switch, distributor module. I don't want to spend unncessary monies until I am certain what the issue is. Any advice would be helpful?
13 Answers
Had a similar experience in a 2000 civic ex. Turned out to be the distributor module. According to my mechanic, the plastic outer casing of these modules is two pieces, with a rubber seal holding it together. Engine heat degrades the seal over time, and heat, water, etc. contaminates the electronics causing first intermittent power failure, then total failure. My wife was coming home from work on a very busy Dallas, TX highway when the car just died!
i got a 98 civic dx and fixed the same prob. took the main relay apart the solder was cracked resoldered it now its fine it was a $5 fix for soldering gun
shaunirwin85 answered 9 years ago
I have a 98 honda civic dx n I've replaced everything which in that case I mean ignition coil,plugs,wires distributor cap,rotor button fuel pump,fuel filter,air cleaner,fuel pressure regulator and now ignition and it still shuts down....I'm a pretty good mechanic but I'm at a loss can someone tell me what it is?
A) ignition switch part # 18-0636
1990_EFPIRATES answered 7 years ago
Had these problems in my 1990 sedan lx timing belt needed to be replaced but also note pcv valve 4 bucks at auto zone mass air flow sensor o Reilly auto parts idle air control valve fuel pressure regulator and fuel pump fuel injectors can be a combination or just one of these causing this I started with the relays easy and cheap start to diagnos because power from the ecu provides trouble codes led blink blink blink
Okay so I have a 98 Honda civic dx coupe. I've change the whole exhaust system, fuel filter, fuel pump, spark plugs, and wireset. It shut off on me still, so I took it to my dad mechanic and he told me it was my distributor so he said he'll take care of it. I come and get it couple days later and he told me it was good and it shouldn't shut off on you. Put a used distributor in there when I told him to put the new one I ordered for it. Could that be the problem or could it be the fuel injectors?
I have the same problem, I have changed everything, except distributor, new one 7 years ago my 1 mechanic had it a month found nothing wrong he never drove the car just started and idled it for a month map sensor he said still stalls. took it to another place they said plugged cat, that was worse car blew the new cat I almost puked on my way to work going up hill the egg smell oh my god. they said all is good car ran like crap. they said all was fixed but it died again last night I just called them to tell them it died again, Now I have to save more money before i go back to them, this is a real inconvenience that they can figure it out cause their is no check engine light for them to just correct the problem for them. I am frustrated it has been 3 months 1800 dollars and still stalls.
I have a 98 Civic, it’ll start up and drive then it’ll die and won’t start back. Hey can get up the next morning and it will start. Is this the distributer, module, or the coil pack, I’m hoping it isn’t much wrong
Guru9ZJZJX answered 3 years ago
My car is a 98 civic ex with a vtec engine. Distributor was supposedly replaced with a new one after the vtec engine was put in. Car runs good. But after i drive the car for about 30 minutes, it either shuts down on the freeway and or doesn't start back up. After about 5-10 min it will start back up and drive me till i get back home (30 minutes). What can be the issue? Should i buy a code reader?
My 98 civic has done this before about 5 years ago, the mechanic replaced the distributor and it still failed. They figured out that it was the main relay. About $50 and very simple to install. Under the glove box you can find it and plug in a new one. I’m waiting for my new one to get here because it failed again after 5-6 years of 115 summer heat.
Bberge1998CIVIC answered about a year ago
My car would shut off intermittently. Sometime it would be as much as 4-5 times within 20 miles. It's manual transmission and would usually start right back up leaving the clutch out. The longest time to not crank was about 10 minutes. OEM JF50 Main Relay was installed and it has not cut off since. Installed about 500 miles ago.
