My 92 Accord with 160k miles occasionally has erratic gear shifting (needle going up and down on tachometer) followed by it dying. It then takes repeated attempts for it to crank. I will rev it for awhile during these attempts and it will rumble pretty loud and then die again. This doesn’t happen that often, only enough to be annoying, and it’s mostly happening going up coverleaf interchanges. I have had it checked out by a mechanic and he says he doesn’t know what’s causing it, but he says there is the unlikely chance it could be the catalytic converter getting caught in something. The catalytic converter is on its last legs.
If the tachometer needle is bouncing around this usually points to a problem in the secondary ignition. (igniter, worn distributor shaft, etc.)
I’d pop the dist. cap loose, grasp the rotor, and check to see if it has any sideways play in it. There should be none to barely noticeable if at all. If it’s noticeably loose the dist. is bad.
Other possibilities could be a failing fuel pump, failing ignition switch, or faulty main relay. It’s not likely the converter at all.
This car is at the right age for a worn out distributor.