I don't know whether to laugh or cry now!

Today I tried to start the car (its still got the temporary distributor installed – which I found out today is from a 94 Honda Accord) and it looks like its about to start, then starts for a second and then dies!

Yesterday the car worked fine. My short journey consisted of parking/restarting the car 2/3 times and each time it started first time.

What's going on now?

It appears to be the same problem; i.e. a bad distributor. Call this outfit and see what they would charge for a genuine Honda distributor housing for your car:

http://www.trademotion.com/partlocat...?siteid=215070

They have good prices and I have used them a number of times.

Your right it was a bad distributor, he changed the coil in the re-conditioned one he got and it sparked and started the engine. He is now going to take it back out, get the money back on it and I’m going to get a new one.

Unfortunately that is not the end of my problems :-( Since then I’ve taken the car on a few short runs (5-10 minutes each day) for a few days and everything seemed to be OK, apart from me feeling that the brakes were ‘slipping’?? As in when I pressed the brake, it didn’t quite feel right.

Last night I took the car for its first long journey and I noticed that the car was backfiring when I pressed the accelerator. Eventually the steering wheel felt a little heavier than usual and the car was really struggling to pick up speed, it was as if it was going up some steep hill. Then the check engine light came on.

This morning I took it for a short drive, still the same problem car having trouble picking up speed and sounds like its really working hard. Again the check engine light came on a few minutes into the journey.

What could be causing the problem? And is it even worth getting it repaired?

Installing a new genuine Honda distributor should go a long way in correcting performance problems. Just buy the housing from Honda and install your new coil in it. I'd buy a new aftermarket Ignition Control Module and also install it in the new housing. This will save money.

Regarding the brakes, be sure to change the brake fluid every 2 years, as Honda recommends.

So could a distributor which is currently fitted in the car (and appears to be working as the engine is starting and I’m able to drive the car) be causing the engine to backfire/over rev? As well as stopping the car from picking up speed? And causing the check engine light to come on?

I thought a distributor would either work or not work?? Or am I incorrect in this assumption?

Incorrect in that assumption. New aftermarket distributors are huge problem for Honda owners. Over 50% fail out of the box and the remaining ones usually don't work properly for long. Hang around AMHD and see. Backfire could be caused by the timing being too far retarded or bad internal distributor sensors.

You should check what code was thrown.

I'm based in the UK and have seen this distributor on eBay HERE The company seems genuine and have been trading on eBay for over 6 years and they give a lifetime guarantee on the distributor. I called them up and they said that there was a manufacturing fault on all genuine honda distributors which they have fixed with their model?

Is it worth taking a chance on this distributor for £135 delivered (approx $200)?

Personally, I wouldn't buy anything but a genuine Honda distributor housing. In my opinion, all others are suspect and not reliable.

I've also read how certain aftermarket axle manufactures have "corrected" OEM difficiencies. What you find is that instead of an interferrence fit, going into the hub, it is now a sloppy fit. Take it all with a "grain of salt." An old universal truth is, "You get what you pay for."

I will have a search around to see what the prices for a genuine Honda housing unit here in the UK is.

Will keep you posted on how I get on and hopefully this will be the end of the long list of problems encountered so far... lol :-)

After you buy a genuine Honda distributor housing, install your own ICM and coil. That has proven, over and over, to be a cost effective solution that has stood the test of time.

I thought I had resolved the problem after putting in a new distributor. A few days later I did notice that the lights which come on when you control the heating/cooling did not always work, however I though nothing off it as the car was starting and worked fine.

Then about a week later nothing is working?? When I put the key in and try to start the car I’m not getting anything, even the lights on the dashboard don’t come on, the headlights are very dim etc. All the signs of a dead battery. However a brand new battery was put in less than 2 months ago (and less than a 100 miles have been done since).

What could be the cause of this? As I know a new battery should not stop working in such a short period. Could there be anything that would be causing the battery not to charge?

. Check/replace the ignition switch for wear, pitting, or melting:

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/cars-t...tml#post224652

. Test all under hood and under dash fuses with a test light or multimeter:

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/cars-t...tml#post252145

Could that cause my headlights to be real dim? As I test them without the need for having to put the key in the ignition. In the past they would have been bright, now they are probably at around 10-15% brightness.

Yes. Easy job.

Before I check/change the ignition switch, I've just had a jump start and my car worked as per normal (lights on, ignition started etc). As soon as the jump leads were removed and I tried to start the car, I was back at square one, nothing working.

So based on this, is checking/change the ignition switch the first course of action?

If everything worked, after jumping the car, it sounds like you need a new battery.

The strange thing is I put in a brand new battery just before all the problems started and have since done less than 100 miles. So there is no logical way for the battery to be dead within such a short period.

Is there anything that could cause a battery to drain or not charge?

This link may offer some ideas:

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/cars-t...tml#post241804

I have a feeling that the central locking is causing the drain on the battery. As I jump started it for 15 minutes and the car was fine for about 3 days, then I left it without starting it for 2 days and now I’m back to square one.

The central locking has been playing up recently and the first time I encountered the flat battery syndrome (2 weeks back), I heard a repetitive noise on the passenger side door, the noise was as if the lock was opening/shutting. Hence me drawing conclusions to the battery drain being down to the central locking.

Is there an easy was to disconnect the central locking totally? I’m happy to use the car keys to open/close the doors.

Maybe, if it has a dedicated fuse.