Shuts off while driving

MUSICGENIUS83

MEMBER
1998 HONDA ACCORD
2.4L
AUTOMATIC
300,000 MILES

I've been repairing the car listed above for the last 18 months. The transmission is less than 2 years old and I have replaced just about every part that has to do with that air fuel mixture for the EVAP system. For a couple months at least once a week my car has been stalling and having trouble starting intermittently especially when I would take a big hill or put my foot into it pulling out onto a Main Street it would shut off while I was driving. Can I have to leave the car sitting for about 10 minutes before it would restart then it would putter I average easier time getting it started when I pump the gas pedal twice, but I have a fuel injection system so that doesn't make sense to me why it would start easier. So after replacing so many parts and having no codes I came to the conclusion that the pump was over 20 years old so it needed to be replaced. When I replace the pump for 2 weeks my car ran better than ever it flew up hills it got on the freeway quicker than ever before the shifting wasn't so hard and I was getting better gas mileage. Well, the other day I drove to Home Depot and it started fine and drove all the way there fine but when I came out it not start after 5 minutes I hit the gas pedal and it started but it immediately shut off twice. When I had this problem before the car would start at all and when it did it was ready to go now it seems to be starting up and then shutting off almost immediately after puttering and shaky. It has a very good Idle, hardly no shaking sometimes you can't even tell the engines on it so quiet. I'm kind of at a loss as to what could be causing this.

7 Replies

KASEKENNY

MECHANIC
18,907 POSTS

Let's start with checking the fuel pressure when this is happening. I suspect the injectors are leaking which is actually stalling the engine and causing a no start until the fuel evaporates and then it starts.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-check-fuel-system-pressure-and-regulator

Also, you pumping the gas pedal will just let more air in so if that is helping with starting the engine then you are evening out the air fuel ratio.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/engine-stalls

You can try doing a clear flood start and see if that helps as well. This is where you hold the accelerator to the floor and start the vehicle. If it starts then you most likely have an issue here. All this does is cut the injectors when you are cranking the engine so that means you already have fuel in the engine in order to get it to start.

Lastly we need to pull the plugs and see if they are fouled. See below for more detail on what damaged plugs look like.

If you can get some pictures of the plugs as well that would be great.

Thanks

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Monday, April 12th, 2021 AT 7:52 PM

JACOBANDNICKOLAS

MECHANIC
109,747 POSTS

Hi,

Have you checked the fuel mixture to confirm it is within the manufacturer's specs? Also, when it won't start, have you checked to see if there is spark to the plugs?

When you say it stalls and then won't start for some time passes, it sounds like the crankshaft position sensor may be bad. When they start to fail, heat affects them. Once they cool enough, the vehicle starts again.

Do me a favor. Take a look through this link. It describes the most common symptoms related to a bad crankshaft position sensor. Read through it and let me know if it seems to mirror what you experience.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/symptoms-of-a-bad-crankshaft-sensor

If the sensor is bad, you will lose spark to the plugs. Also, if you have a live data scan tool, you can check for an RPM signal. No RPM signal usually is related to this sensor.

Here is a link that shows how to check for spark:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-test-an-ignition-system

The easiest thing to do is see if it starts for a couple of seconds using starting fluid. If it does and then stalls, chances are it is fuel-related. If it doesn't change at all, then it is likely ignition-related.

If you determine the sensor is bad, here is a link that shows in general how to replace one:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/crankshaft-angle-sensor-replacement

If you look at the attached pic, it shows the sensor-specific to your vehicle. This one is a little more involved because the balancer belt (timing) needs to be removed.

The first pic below is how the sensor is replaced once the belt is off. The remaining pics explain how to remove and replace the belt.

I hope this helps. Let me know if you have other questions and what you find.

Take care,

Joe

See pics below.

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Monday, April 12th, 2021 AT 7:56 PM

MUSICGENIUS83

MEMBER
29 POSTS

Okay, so I thought a fuel pressure test kit and the issue I'm having is that when I took the damper off the fuel rail none of my attachments for the fuel gauge out of the couplings actually fit on the threaded piece. I found one that went on a few threads but I felt like I was going to strip it because the threads feel different on the fuel rail than the ones that are on the test gauge attachments. But it fit on snug enough that I thought I could do the test. So I turn the key to the on position are fuel squirted out of the line set is underneath the damper. I sent a picture showing the line that goes on the threaded piece of the rail before the damper even if I found a coupling or attachment that goes to that part of the fuel rail I don't know how I would stop the fuel from coming out of that. Mine in order to test pressure I had the fuel gauge hooked up the best I could to the threaded part of the fuel rail and when I turn the car over fuel squirted out of that line. So I don't know if there's some way of keeping it attached or if I have to undo that line from the firewall and pressure test it from that line instead? But I read online that the Accords have the same issue with finding an attachment.

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Saturday, April 17th, 2021 AT 4:23 PM

MUSICGENIUS83

MEMBER
29 POSTS

Just so you know I'm not sure if this helps a year ago I replaced just about every piece and tube having to do with the EVAP system by the purge canister. I put all new tubes in a new fuel pressure, sensor a new purge canister, new solenoid everything along with the OEM gas cap. In the past few months I've put in a new fuel pump and filter and I've also replaced a lot of the stuff in the engine; spark plugs, the EGR valve, MAP sensor, idle air control valve. I pretty much replaced almost everything having to do with the gas and air mixture the EVAP system in general.

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Saturday, April 17th, 2021 AT 4:35 PM

JACOBANDNICKOLAS

MECHANIC
109,747 POSTS

Hi,

When it stalls, does it start right back up? If you had the tester on a few threads and fuel shot out, pressure doesn't sound like the issue.

Let me know. Also, do you have a live data scan tool?

Joe

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Saturday, April 17th, 2021 AT 6:39 PM

MUSICGENIUS83

MEMBER
29 POSTS

Basic code reader, no codes, no smells, no smoke from tailpipe. Takes 10-15 minutes to restart, until then just keep cranking and spinning, when I finally get it started it dies almost immediately a couple times before staying running. FYI it used to shut off while I was driving it when I put my foot into it really hard like getting on the freeway or pulling out on traffic or taking a hill it would immediately start shaking as soon as I got my foot off the gas and the car will just shut off. Since I put the fuel pump in it doesn't shut off while I'm driving anymore. But it has a shaky idle and basically what it's doing is that I can start my car just fine on a cold start and I can drive it 15 or 20 miles all the way to a store or another city and then when I come out of the store that's when I can't start it. It lets me start it up on a cold start and drive where I need to drive but when I tried to start it back up that's when it doesn't want to start after I've used it for a while. Because of the old car it's always had kind of a rough shake but it has a new transmission and I replace a lot of parts of my body it runs great while it's running. The only weird thing I've noticed is that for some reason no matter what temperature it is outside there is a lot of water coming out of my tailpipe more than usual and when I rev my engine is squirts out it almost looks like a speedboat. In the two years I've had that car I've never experienced that there's always been condensation but it's never been pouring out of the tailpipe.

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Sunday, April 18th, 2021 AT 9:25 AM

JACOBANDNICKOLAS

MECHANIC
109,747 POSTS

Hi,

As far as the tailpipe, is it using coolant? Are there any indications of a bad head gasket? Take a look through this link and see if anything mirrors what you experience:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/head-gasket-blown-test

I really don't think that is the issue, but figured you could look through it.

I have to be honest, it sounds like a bad crankshaft position sensor. However, I need you to check for spark to the plugs when it won't start. Or, if you have a live data scan tool, see if there is an RPM signal when cranking/no start. Here is a link that shows how it's done:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-test-an-ignition-system

Let me know if the spark is lost when it won't start.

Take care,

Joe

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Sunday, April 18th, 2021 AT 5:47 PM