cranked started then died

okay so im sorry guys i didnt have the time to search because im about to leave to work. but i went to pick my brother up from school and when i got in the driveway he was in the snow(when he got out he would be in the deep snow).

so i had already shut my car off and i say alright ill move so you can get out where its not so much snow out. so i went to start my car and it cranked started then died. i tried a few moments and cacacacaca(sound of it turning over but not starting)

my brother had a similar issue in his 98 civic though it would start and the idle would drop really low then it would die. it ended up being the icm but the guy we took it to just replaced the whole distributor. so im thinking my icm is going bad or my fuel pump i havent even listened to see if it primes. but ill check and be back on tonight to see what you guys think. also after a while it starts. so i dont feel like its the fuel pump. its running outside right now. alright thanks a ton guys

im back. did you guys figure out anything? ill try to search now.

Take off your driver side knee bolster and find the “Main Fuel Relay” do you here or feel it switching one when the key is turned to “on” position 2 on the ignition switch. if you dont here it switching the fuel pump on then take it off and see about resoldering the joints. Also do you here the fuel pump turn on? Give me some info on your state of fuel. When was the last time the filter was changed? How much fuel in tank? Have you had any severe weather changes that would cause condensate accumulate in your tank?

Also once you have it running try the spray bottle trick around your ignition wires. When was the last time it had a tune up?

i just did the plugs.
wires are good but im probably going to change them.

i was running low on gas and it gets really cold over here by lake huron so it could have been the condesation in the tank. the filter? i honestly dont know man. but i plan on doing that once i get wires too. but the main relay works i dont know if its a bad or broken solder that causes it to hesitate, but it will start eventually.

like i can drive my car fine but if i shut it off then turn it right back on it will fire up tach needle soars like normally i dont mean like soar and redline lol. it starts like normal but just cuts off once the rpm drops.

it doesnt even hold idle when i try to turn it right back on after driving (like after a 10 minute drive and i shut my car off and someone says oh wait out the window i need you to go to the store and im like alright so i get in and try to start it it will do what i have listed above.
but it runs it only does this sometimes. its not constant and i drive my car almost everyday. but its happened probably about 2 or 3 times since i got it. its not a definite problem but i want to see what it is and fix it before it becomes one. or it could just be the condensation in my gas tank. so i just filled it up and ill see how it starts right after i drive and turn it back on. but i appreciate your feedback man sometimes i just cant put two and two together haha

Ok underneath the top coolant hose there is the ECT (engine coolant temp sensor), unplug the harness for that and test your resistance. Or you can try unplugging it next time it happens to rule it out. Also try pulling the MFR and visualy inspect the solder joints and if in doubt re-solder them. Also change your fuel filter. If need be look up the resistance values for the ECT. I know once I had the wires break and that gave infinite resistance which made cold start takes a long time to get the enine going. Maybe you have some kind of minor leak that is causing a tiny short which will drop the resistance, and change your fueling parameters. If you have any other clues you want to make me aware of feel free. Also I am in Vermont so we kind of get the same weather as you so I can kind of imagine how your car is acting.

yeah man thatnks alot but i will do that wheen it happens again ive been driving it and it hasnt been acting weird since i posted this thread. so ill just have to wait and see if i get the problem again

put a fuel pressure gauge on it. place it somewhere you can see, like under the widshield wiper. confirm if you’re in fact dealing with a fuel related issue. this symptom could just as easily be caused by a bad icm. so you need to get your ducks in a row and start from the top to break things down. if you’ve confirmed fuel pressure when the problem occurs, look towards ignition. if no pressure, i’d look to the mfr.
putting a gauge on it gives you a good visual of what’s going on

alright will do boss. thanks

He says his tachometer works while cranking so that leads be to believe it is not a distributor related issue. Jalenda9 just to make variable testing simple for you, try unplugging the ECT next time it happens and make sure the wires are in good condition leading to the ECT. Then stick your head down near the MFR and make sure you hear it cycling when the key is switched to #2 position in the ignition. I had a random “just drove it/ no restart” issue and it ended up being my MFR, and regardless of everything else def change your fuel filter. With these cold nothern climates condensation leads to rust which leads to clogging, and it might just be that it will only start after the system has sufficiently depressurized enough to unclog the filter. Side question: How is your fuel economy?

just because the tach works does not disclude an ignition issue. crank, cam and tdc sensors are also located inside te distributor.
i’m not saying it is this or that. just that a diagnosis with many possibilities is made simple when we narrow them down. feeling for the “3 clicks” of the mfr is easy enough. and common. you can start there. but if you do feel the clicks (you’ll only feel 2, since the third is almost simultaneous), don’t just go off on a tangeant of possibilities. organize a flow chart starting from the top. fuel? or ignition? then further pinpoint from there

thanks to the both of you. i will test and see what it could be. and at bluevtteg, its pretty good i have a bad thermostat i would say 19 to 20 street and probably like 26 highway i havent really been paying attention because i dont go very far

Welfare I thought you said ignitor not ignition. I was thinking since his tach was reading that obviously his ignitor was switching. My bad.

Could also be the timing belt. Pull off the dist cap and have someone turn the key. If the rotor does not spin the timing belt is broken. You can also check by removing the oil cap and look in the hole with a flash lite . Of you see the cam spin the belt is not broken.

^^the car does run still.
the running for a split second, then dying symptom is synonymous with a bad mfr. there are actually essentially 2 relays in the mfr. one circuit for prime. one circuit for run. there is probably a hairline crack in the run circuit solder joint of the mfr

yeah man im gonna check it let you guys know because we thought it was the same thing on my brothers car so we pulled it but it wasnt that. but i know how they can go bad a start starting issues

that’s why if you have access to a fuel pressure gauge, it’s best to just install it. if you can borrow it, all it costs you is time. see if pressure drops off before it dies. then you’ll know you’re dealing with a fuel issue. then it’s almost certainly the mfr running on just the prime circuit and not the run
that mfr is in a bit of a tight spot. a fuel gauge is a lot easier to install. this way you won’t be wasting time because you’re keeping your diagnosis orderly

thanks man i understand what your saying about it being in a hard to get to spot haha. i will invest in a fpg when i get my next check and yeah orderliness is a must with 20 year old cars if you want it to run right

yea just get the gauge. you can find them for next to nothing. then, just leave it on the car. it may come in handy in the future