# Why does my Honda shutdown unpredictably? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** civic, honda\ **Created:** [April 15, 2013, 10:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-does-my-honda-shutdown-unpredictably/78714 "2013-04-15T22:36:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Buffalo\_Bill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@Buffalo\_Bill](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Buffalo_Bill)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2013, 10:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-does-my-honda-shutdown-unpredictably/78714/1 "2013-04-15T22:36:45Z")
I drive a 2002 Honda Civic 4 door DX. In 2011 at intersections, the car unpredictably shut off completely and then restarted ten minutes later - this happened twice, spaced two weeks apart. I took the car to two mechanics, one a Honda, where they simulated driving and performed diagnostic tests but could find nothing wrong. I Googled the Internet in search of an answer and ran across a fellow who had experienced a similar shutdown with his car and resolved it by purchasing a new ignition switch. So I tried that, spending over $600 for a new ignition switch with no guarantee that it would work. Everything was find until two weeks when I stopped at an intersection and the car shut down again - the dashboard lights stayed on. A police officer nearby helped me push the car to the side of the road and we then pushed the car back and forth a bit. About ten minutes later, the car started up again as if nothing had happened and everything was OK. I again took my car to the Honda dealer, but they could find nothing wrong, including driving the car around the neighborhood. I am a total loss as to what do to. I am reluctant to junk this car because everything else is A-OK. The car drives fine and I love it because it is manual with minimum digital stuff including manual windows. But I cannot afford to drive this car when there is the chance of another unpredictable shutdown. Any suggestions anyone? Thanks very much, Dan Woodhead San Francisco ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 1:30am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-does-my-honda-shutdown-unpredictably/78714/2 "2013-04-16T01:30:16Z")
Honda guys here have suggested a fuel pump relay under the dash that has a reputation for causing intermittant fuel pump shutoffs. I’m not an advocate of just tryong parts, but it sounds like you’ve tried the correct methods. ---
**Author:** ![circuitsmith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/circuitsmith/32/40376_2.png) [@circuitsmith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/circuitsmith)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 2:32am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-does-my-honda-shutdown-unpredictably/78714/3 "2013-04-16T02:32:45Z")
+1 to fuel pump relay. If it quits again before you replace it try giving the underside of the dash a whack with your hand. If it starts right back up it’s definitely the relay. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 5:53am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-does-my-honda-shutdown-unpredictably/78714/4 "2013-04-16T05:53:37Z")
The PGM-FI relay usually fails when there’s a sudden temperature change in the interior of the vehicle. So I don’t think that’s it. I’m leaning more towards a defective crankshaft position sensor. [http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=2002336&cc=1386277](http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=2002336&cc=1386277) This sensor is located on the engine. So when you stop the vehicle heat builds under the hood and causes the sensor to fail. The computer no longer see’s a signal from the sensor so the computer see’s no reason to operate the ignition/fuel system and the engine shuts off. A quick way to test if that’s the problem is, start the engine cold, and with a heat gun/hair drier point the heat at the sensor. If the engine shuts off, the problem is with crank sensor. Tester ---
**Author:** ![bloody\_knuckles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@bloody\_knuckles](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bloody_knuckles)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2013, 3:02am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-does-my-honda-shutdown-unpredictably/78714/5 "2013-04-17T03:02:38Z")
Isn’t this the vintage of Honda that also had known ignition switch issues? ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2013, 3:11am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-does-my-honda-shutdown-unpredictably/78714/6 "2013-04-17T03:11:53Z")
The OP spent $600.00 to have the ignition switch replaced. Tester