My 97 Accord 111900 miles, Randomly stalls. Suddenly I have manual steering and breaks. When this will happen, the dash lights go off, it beeps, then silence…no blinker, wipers stop…radio and headlights often continue working…seemingly just as I’ve pulled over to the side of the road, the dash alights once more, then after putting it in park it often just starts right up. Not always, sometimes I have to wait a moment (and a few tries), and it may repeat this process a few times or not, and then run problem free a week or two…almost but not quite in quasi-predictable intervals. Its SEEMS to be more likely to happen if its idling, as in coasting up hill, or when stationary, and if it is a poltergeist…it deplores rainy weather.
My 97 Accord 111900 miles, Randomly stalls. Suddenly I have manual steering and breaks. When this will happen, the dash lights go off, it beeps, then silence…no blinker, wipers stop…radio and headlights often continue working…seemingly just as I’ve pulled over to the side of the road, the dash alights once more, then after putting it in park it often just starts right up. Not always, sometimes I have to wait a moment (and a few tries), and it may repeat this process a few times or not, and then run problem free a week or two…almost but not quite in quasi-predictable intervals. Its SEEMS to be more likely to happen if its idling, as in coasting up hill, or when stationary, and if it is a poltergeist…it deplores rainy weather.Any suggestions?
You may have a failing ignition switch.
For reasons that I will never fathom, a huge percentage of car owners never bring their cars back to the dealership when a recall is announced. And, based on the press release below, it would appear that the doofus who owned your car back in 2002 may have ignored a recall notice that relates to the condition you are experiencing.
Since recalls never expire, I suggest that you phone the service dept at your closest Honda dealership, give them your VIN, and ask if there are any open recalls on your Accord. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was more than one recall, after all these years.
5/23/2002
American Honda Motor Co., Inc. today announced a voluntary recall of certain Honda and Acura models to replace an ignition switch which may cause the engine to stall.
The recall involves about 1.3 million of certain 1997 to 2000 models of the Honda Accord, Civic, Prelude, CR-V and Odyssey. Also included in the recall are some 1999 Acura TL sedans and certain 1997 to 1999 CL coupes.
The situation is created by electrical contacts within the ignition switch that wear prematurely causing the switch to malfunction. An affected vehicle will likely experience difficulty in starting for a period of time prior to experiencing any engine stall. Normally, the vehicle can be restarted immediately.
Owners of affected vehicles will be contacted by American Honda and asked to take their vehicle to an authorized dealer to be repaired free of charge. The repair involves the replacement of the electrical contact portion of the ignition switch while retaining the original lock and key assemblies.