Stalling while idling?

2001 HONDA ACCORD
286,000 MILES • 3.0L • V6 • 2WD • AUTOMATIC
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PB62
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
Hello, I am disabled only driving around town. Have the oil changed every three months. It is taken care of by a mechanic I've had for years. Recently it stalled while waiting at traffic lights. No service engine light comes on. All electric still works. I usually wait a while then it restarts. This has happened four times now. The first two times were a few weeks apart. Today it happened twice within a couple of hours when out doing errands, so tomorrow it goes (back) to the mechanic. When it first happened, he kept my car for a few days. He drove it, took it home, no issues. When I spoke to him today, I told him it's no longer safe for me to drive. He agreed. He mentioned possibly changing the main relay. Today a police officer seeing my DP plates and emergency lights, stopped and restarted it for me by turning the key to accessory and back about five times. Any feedback is appreciated.
Jan 3, 2023 at 3:41 PM
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JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • Experienced Mechanic
  • 110,240 POSTS
Hi,

The only thing I can think of that cycling the switch like that would be to rebuild fuel pressure. However, the problem in and of itself sounds related to a crankshaft position sensor.

When the vehicle fails to start, we need to check for spark at the plugs.

Here is a link that shows how that is done:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-check-for-ignition-spark

I realize that may be difficult for you, so do this if you can't check for spark. When the engine is cranking and not starting, pay attention to the tachometer. Check if it is moving a little when cranking. If it doesn't move, then suspect it is the crankshaft position sensor. If it does move, suspect it is fuel related.

Take a look through this link and let me know if you feel it mirrors what you are experiencing:

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

Let me know what you find.

Take care,

joe
Jan 4, 2023 at 1:33 PM
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