I own a 1992 Honda Civic VX (purchased new) and am having some problems with hesitation / stalling / quitting when I drive. Here is a brief description:

A few weeks ago I noticed the Tachometer needle fluctuating wildly and experienced some engine jerkiness for very brief seconds only.

A week ago the engine started frequent hesitation / stalling / quitting especially as I accelerated and shifted. I have in the past experienced failure of the ignition module (igniter) and ignition coil. So I replaced these with Honda originals. I also put in new high tension cables, plugs, rotor and cap ( I am due a smog check and decided to do all this in preparation). I took the main relay apart - it looked good and the switching connections all checked OK. I resoldered all the contacts nonetheless. I also checked the voltages to the relay - they are OK. Ignition switch is fine. I checked the Cabin Computer for codes - none. The unit itself checks OK - no codes - steady light - when jumpered. The fuel pump is 3 years old - Honda original. I think the fuel pressure is fine - do hear the pump activate when I turn the igniton switch to standby after which (2 seconds) the CEL dims and the relay cuts off. I will check the fuel pressure at the release point tomorrow am. So what remains are the sensors (perhaps) or something else mysterious.

Just wondering if any of y'all out there have any suggestions. I love the car for its great fuel efficiency and plan on keeping it ad infinitum. THANKS MUCH!!

A couple of additional points - I did check the timing and the timing appears to fluctuate quite a bit and is not steady at the BTDC mark like normal. The stalling seems to come and go if the car hits bumps and also during acceleration @ 1500 rpm and higher when upshifting.

THANKS!

That's a rather odd problem for a b16 honda motor, I recommend taking it to a shop that can plug in the computer and check for pending problem codes, not just the active codes you can get by using a jumper in the diagnostic port. Missfire codes usually don't register as active codes.

The problem is likely with the distributor housing, where one or more of the internal sensors (CKP, CYL, or TDC) are failing. I only recommend genuine Honda distributor housings, since over 50% of new aftermarket distributor housings don't work at AMHD. Install your new ICM and coil in a Honda housing and your Civic will run like a top.

Thanks much for your feedback. Just some more quick questions: I just did a quick check on the resistance values of the CKP / CYL / TDC sensors in the distributor. They check OK (350 Ohms cold). Is it possible that they are faulty at high temps despite the correct cold checks? Also could the ECU be faulty but check OK from the CEL test? The ECU is the original one from 1992.

Just to close this one out - I did get the car up and running. Thanks Tex for the advice to change out the distributor - it worked. Interesting asides - I opened up the ECU and it was spotless - clean! Nothing wrong there - no burned out components etc. The old distributor had some play in the bearing. The sensors measured fine at room temperature but obviously had problems at full temp operation. The car is now running a bit cooler - perhaps on account of the steady timing. I generally baby this car - no hard accelerations and it has lasted me a long while. The old distributor was good for the last 12 years! What fun to drive, and still get 50 mpg+ on this baby after 20 years!

Nice job. Yes, it's the wear in the bearing that a lot of people don't suspect. Since there's not a splash lubrication system, bearing tolerances change when the grease starts to breakdown. This ultimately affects the internal sensors.

On the road, going 55 mph, my 1993 Civic DX has gotten as much as 56 mpg.