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ashg11485 · Oct 22, 2007, 06:34 PM

My 98 Honda Civil LX has recently decided to shut off while driving. I could be driving for three minutes or three hours, it has no preference. It sometimes will turn back on when I restart it, and sometimes not so much.

I took it to the shop where they gave it an engine tune up and a new distributor, but the problem still persists.

I know there was a recall on the ignition years ago, but I'm not sure if that has anything to do with it.

Just sick of going to the shop having them have no idea and my car shutting off on the highway.

Thanks Guys,
Ashley

charlotte234s · Oct 22, 2007, 06:44 PM

It sounds like an electrical problem to me, I had a Honda that would often overheat because of a short in its electrical/computer system. I believe 98 models have the same kind of systems, so I would suggest seeing an electrical specializing mechanic and having him take a look? I'm no expert on cars, so I could be wrong, but it's worth a shot if you can't get an answer about there being an engine problem.

DONJ303 · Oct 22, 2007, 07:05 PM

Originally Posted by ashg11485

My 98 Honda Civil LX has recently decided to shut off while driving. I could be driving for three minutes or three hours, it has no preference. It sometimes will turn back on when I restart it, and sometimes not so much.

I took it to the shop where they gave it an engine tune up and a new distributor, but the problem still persists.

I know there was a recall on the ignition years ago, but I'm not sure if that has anything to do with it.

Just sick of going to the shop having them have no idea and my car shutting off on the highway.

Thanks Guys,
Ashley

I work in a Honda shop and it is very common to have ignition switch problems with this model. Call your local dealer with your VIN # (17 digits) to see if yours is recalled. I am starting to see the need of a second switch replacement on higher milage cars( ones that had recall done already). The one other common thing is a main relay, causes problems usually only in hotter temps and higher interior temps. Good luck, Don

minnie12 · Oct 22, 2007, 10:38 PM

Hello...
I had this same problem at the beginning of the year with my honda and it was the ignition switch... we paid over 500 bucks looking for the problem and that's all it was... hope this helps

Duane in Japan · Oct 22, 2007, 11:34 PM

If the car will not start right away, you will need to be prepared to check for fuel pressure and spark to determine which one or both is missing, that will help a lot with troubleshooting.

I also agree that the ignition switch could be your cause, very common, what else dies when the engine dies, if the key was not moved then everything should still work if it was an engine related problem, there may be two power circuits so some things may work and others may not, finding the things that don't work (besides the engine) and we can see on a schematic how they are related to the ignition key switch.

ashg11485 · Oct 24, 2007, 05:01 PM

Thanks for the help guys.

After three days of the Honda Dealer looking at it, they decided it was the ignition recall. We'll see if it works when I pick it up tomorrow... :cool:

jhernandezsr · Feb 7, 2008, 02:15 PM

So... was it the ingnition switch?

evanfaria · Jan 23, 2010, 08:34 PM

I have a 98 civic as well and tonight I was driving and the car just turn off on me while driving at 70km/h in 4th gear. Then tried boosting the battery but every time I tried to start it the engine didn't even turn at all. Some possiblilities I thought of was that the battery is officially dead cause the engine won't turn or another possibilitie is timing belt because it was ready to go. What do you guys think?
By the way the engine didn't go off with any bangs, just turned off.

kevin296 · Feb 15, 2010, 07:48 AM

I had a similar problem with a VW. It ended up being a melted busbar. It relays a lot of the electrical work from the battery to the rest of the vehicle and has fuses in it as well. It took quite a while for them to find the problem, but when all was done it cost about 300 dollars to fix. The part itself isn't very expensive, but labor and diagnostics took a while.

Razboy30 · Sep 23, 2010, 10:58 AM

I have a 96 Honda Civic Coupe. Surprisingly enough it would turn off only when I make a right turn when approaching a traffic light that requires me to stop / see / and turn. When I stop at other traffic lights with my wheels parallel to the pavement, works fine. Two mechanics advised changing spark plugs to no avail. Worse part is this life threatening incidents surface during the colder conditions (less than 60 degree F)

TxGreaseMonkey · Sep 23, 2010, 11:06 AM

Razboy30, try replacing the Ignition Control Module (ICM) and coil, since you are due for a change anyhow:

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/cars-t...tml#post265896

redpath1 · Nov 5, 2012, 08:52 PM

I have a 99 civic. Been battling this issue for awhile. ICM changed--no help. Changed entire distributor which includes the coil--no help. It starting to "feel" like the ignition switch to me. That's next...

tdigg · Jun 14, 2013, 04:14 PM

I had the same problem, I replaced the main relay -- it looked like the solder had cracked and could allow for short circuits / open circuits.. but the problem presisted.

I called Honda, they have a recall on the ignition switch which can be a cause all the problems you are talking about. I would recommend calling your local honda dealer's service dept. with your VIN # to see if they have replaced the recalled part.

Pretty much the ignition switch shorts out, making the car think the key was switched off (which can happen at anytime.. ) and it will start up again once it doesn't short out anymore -- which could take any length of time.

panguyen · May 9, 2014, 05:27 PM

My 1999 Honda Civic would suddenly stall while driving, engine completely dead with no power steering, but the radio remained on. At times, it would take up to 35 cranks for it to start, again. It used to happen a lot in hot weather, but then started happening all the time. Often, it wouldn't start right away. It would turn over, so it wasn't the starter, but the engine wouldn't remain on. Had to crank it like 3-4 times for it to start in the mornings. Also, when I got it started, it would die when I shifted into reverse or drive.

Got the trottle body cleaned, replaced the distributor, replaced the fuel filter, but the problem persisted. Took it to the Honda dealership. Spent $150 to diagnose it, and it turned out to be the ignition switch. There was a recall on the ignition switch many years ago, and I had already gotten it replaced by Honda, but apparently, the ignition switch went out, again. Got the ignition switch replaced for $160, and that completely fixed the problem.