Honda Accord Stalling

[1QuickSI]

Well seeing as I work for Honda I might be ablke to help

First thing is you said the check engine light came on. This means a DTC was set (Diagnostic Trouble Code) As long as you did not disconnect the battery to reset it, the code will be stored in the cars computer. You will have to go to a garage to have it read though a typical garage wil only be able to read the genaric ODBII codes as if the code is Honda specific then only a Honda dealer that uses the HDS (Honda Diagnostic System) will be able to read the code. The code will point you to exactly what the computer thinks is wrong with the car.

If you are mechanicaly inclined I can show you how to cross a set of connectors that will flash a light on your dash which will give you exactly the code that is stored and then you can cross refrence it with a quick refrence page I made:

http://www.hostboard.com/HondaCodes.html

If you PM me with your VIN I will look it up and search for bulletins/recalls that apply to your car if any exist.

[ManagerJosh]

Quick - the service desk guy held the reset button on the dash and had the light turned off. Would it clear it?

[MRGTB]

I would not rules out the fuel pump playing-up. I've had a car in the past doing the same thing. It turned out the fuel pump was working one minute, then not the next (on it way out).

It' hard to spot becuase we was taking the fuel pump line feed off and testing and all was working fine, but when the car stalled, we tried it and then and no fuel was being pumped.

[dreamer81]

it is fuel pump or fuel filter...

[ManagerJosh]

i've very reluctant to say it's the fuel pump cause I didn't experience any such problem when traveling to and from San Diego.

I'm thinking they tinkered something with the Timing Belt and messed up the installation.

[1QuickSI]

Quick - the service desk guy held the reset button on the dash and had the light turned off. Would it clear it?

The Honda computer generaly trips if engine parameters are +/- 10% of design specifications or it is emissions related. By clearing the code(s) the computer is once again sending the proper signals to the electronics but does not resolve the underlying problem of there is a problem. If it re-occurs I would either have the dealer hook up the HDS and get the real answer as to what is wrong or we can try to just jumper the compuer to spit out the the codes via dash light flashes and have an understanding that way.

[ManagerJosh]

Well, I took the car into the shop this morning. Will see. They pulled up my service records and found there is still an outstanding service bulletin related to my vehicle in regards to an ignition switch.

I find it very unlikely to be that, since I've yet to have problems before I took it to them.

[Wayne Luke]

If it is fuel pump, then the coil would be corroded and it can also be your filter on the fuel pump that clogged and less fuel is entering the carburetor to create the necessary explosive mixture of vaporized fuel for your engine to work properly.

Fuel Injectors.. Cars sold after 1996 in California are not allowed to have Carburetors... Pollution and all that.

[Jose Amaral Rego]

Hard to keep up with Cali, as they can set rules to all things that pollute. I think that is the only state that can override federal regulations about pollution or I miss an episode on Nova

[ManagerJosh]

BTW, if I recalled correctly, if its the fuel pump, shouldn't the car sputter a bit, like its out of gas?

[Dilly]

Not necessarily. It can just lose power or die.

[Zachery]

No the engine can just stall right out, and if it stays dead you're going to be stranded wherever.

[ManagerJosh]

Well, I got the car back. They can't reproduce the conditions to make the car die. .

They had an outstanding service bulletin on my car, so they replaced an ignition switch

[Abusiveelusive]

Since then, I've had my car stall out on me TWICE in the middle of driving. It just happens all of the sudden and I haven't been able to reproduce the proper set of conditions to make the car die out. The two times I have observed it dying was it losing power gradually before it coming to a complete stop. Sorta like a flashlight with batteries dying out. You see the light slowly, gradually, fading away.

Alternator.

[DirectPixel]

I recently took my 98 Honda Accord to the dealer for a bunch of maintenance and they did a whole mess of maintenance on my car...changing the timing belt, water pump, etc.

Since then, I've had my car stall out on me TWICE in the middle of driving. It just happens all of the sudden and I haven't been able to reproduce the proper set of conditions to make the car die out. The two times I have observed it dying was it losing power gradually before it coming to a complete stop. Sorta like a flashlight with batteries dying out. You see the light slowly, gradually, fading away.

I have plenty of fuel (in fact today, I just filled up my car and was coming home before the car died on me in the middle of driving.)

I had to physically turn my car off, wait a few seconds, and restart ignition to get my car going again.

Any ideas? I have NEVER had this problem before, until I took my car back to my dealer and they started poking under the hood. Thoughts?

I had something similar happen to an old car I had before. There are two possible reasons that come off the top of my head:

1. Your alternator (and/or related wiring) has problems.
2. Your fuel oxygen sensor might be broken (or something on that line).

Does it stall only at low speeds?