# '98 Honda Civic engine shuts off

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-honda-civic-engine-shuts-off/30028>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** civic, engines, honda\
**Created:** [May 4, 2009, 7:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-honda-civic-engine-shuts-off/30028 "2009-05-04T19:29:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![RitaMay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@RitaMay](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RitaMay)\
**Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 7:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-honda-civic-engine-shuts-off/30028/1 "2009-05-04T19:29:18Z")

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Any ideas what’s causing this? Our mechanic has no clue since they can’t replicate the problem and have their diagnostic equipment tell them what it is. It happens when the car is hot or cold; with the a/c on or off; happens at any time while the car is moving or if it’s idling. Yesterday it shut off at a red light. I was able to start the car again, but not the a/c & radio. When I got home & shut the car off myself & turned it on again, the a/c & radio came back on. Help! I’m about at my wits end, it’s been going on for months.

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**Author:** ![RitaMay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@RitaMay](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RitaMay)\
**Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 8:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-honda-civic-engine-shuts-off/30028/2 "2009-05-04T20:53:25Z")

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Update - we’re replacing the distributor & main relay system, just guessing this might be the problem. Anyone with any experience with this? Would love to hear about it.

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**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\
**Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 9:31pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-honda-civic-engine-shuts-off/30028/3 "2009-05-04T21:31:13Z")

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Before you replace the distributor and the main relay, I would strongly suggest that you have your mechanic take a look at the ignition switch. At this point, I think that your mechanic is simply “throwing parts” at the problem, hoping that something will eventually work. That can be very expensive, especially on an 11 yr old car–relatively speaking.

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**Author:** ![Cougar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cougar/32/21348_2.png) [@Cougar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cougar)\
**Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 11:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-honda-civic-engine-shuts-off/30028/4 "2009-05-04T23:21:14Z")

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Relays can cause an intermittent problem. The fuel pump relay may be another one to check out.

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**Author:** ![RitaMay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@RitaMay](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RitaMay)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 3:14am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-honda-civic-engine-shuts-off/30028/5 "2009-05-05T03:14:08Z")

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Thanks for your reply. We changed the ignition switch a couple of weeks ago when the key got stuck in there. Yes, we are throwing parts at it, don’t know what else to do. It’s still cheaper than buying a new car! Any other input/comments/suggestions are greatly appreciated.

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**Author:** ![RitaMay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@RitaMay](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RitaMay)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 3:21am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-honda-civic-engine-shuts-off/30028/6 "2009-05-05T03:21:09Z")

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Thanks. Will look into the fuel pump possibility. I don’t think the new distributor and main relay did the trick. What a guessing game this is.