I have a 2001 Honda Accord with about 130,000 miles. The car has been stalling while driving it.
The stalling usually happens (but not always) when I’m coming to a stop. There is no warning. It just stalls. If I try to restart it immediately, the engine turns over fine, but doesn’t start. If I wait for about 5 minutes, the engine starts fine.
It usually doesn’t stall until after I’ve driven it for about a half hour or 45 minutes.
Although it mostly stalls when I’m coming to a stop, it has occasionally stalled when I’m driving at speed.
I’m thinking there’s a problem with the fuel line, fuel pump, or fuel injector. The problem is that every time I take it to a mechanic, they ignore what I have to tell them, and try to replicate the problem. Of course, the problem doesn’t occur when they take it out for a test drive, and just throw up their hands.
Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
I think it’s the fuel pump relay or the ignition module. Next time it stalls turn the key from off to run and listen for the fuel pump running for a few seconds. It’s in the gas tank. First, try listening for it when the car is OK.
Change the PGM-FI Relay. It’s known to fail in this manner. It’s a dual relay which powers the fuel pump and the fuel injectors. It costs about $60 DIY.
The distributor fails in a similar manner. It’s about $175 DIY.
You could do a little test to determine which one it is: When it stalls, check for spark with a spark tester. The spark tester could be a little inductive light that you place on a spark plug wire, crank the engine, and watch for the light to flash about every two or three seconds while the engine is cranking.
As you turn the ignition on (II), the fuel pump runs for two seconds. Maybe, you can hear it, and maybe not. Listen. There are test lamps, called 'noid lights, which can check for fuel injector signal.
So, the failure can be pinned to the PGM-FI Relay, or, to the distributor with these simple tests.