[SandyRussell]

My Civic has had this for about a year. Usually fine for the first trip of the day. Then upon restart, after about 7 minutes driving it dies, comes back, dies, comes back... The engine is running but no power (for about 5 seconds). If you leave your foot on the gas it will then lurch back up to speed and repeat this process over and over. If you take your foot off the gas it "resets" and will pick up speed but will die again. I feather the gas to travel during these episodes. After a few minutes of this it is usually fine for the rest of the trip. Matting the accelerator right to the floor helps but as soon as you let up it dies off. Has had 2 tune-up (plugs, wires, rotor, cap) but no change. I think it is fuel delivery related.

[TxGreaseMonkey]

Replacing the Ignition Control Module (ICM) and coil should solve the problem:

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

[SandyRussell]

I took my car to Honda for a diagnosis. The coil had burn marks across it so they replaced it and said it was fixed. On the way home it acted up again. Honda had it for 2 days but couldn't figure out what was wrong. They wouldn't replace the ICM - said that wouldn't be the problem. It worked fine for just over a week but started again today. I'm going to ignore it for a while I guess.

[TxGreaseMonkey]

Whom are you going to trust--Honda or TxGreaseMonkey? I say bet on TxGreaseMonkey. Of the two components, they replaced the least significant. Prove me wrong. Never settle for poor performance, especially when your life, as well those of others, are at risk. It will only get worse, where you get stranded in traffic or it dies on you in the left lane of the freeway. Do a search on this site and uncover the number of people who've had bad Ignition Control Modules (ICMs) in Hondas with similar symptoms to your's.

You definitely have a distributor problem, in my opinion. Have them install a complete Honda distributor, if you want. Replacing the ICM and coil, however, is sufficient in most cases. These are the two most problematic components in Hondas of your generation, of which the ICM causes the most problems (by far). I recommend replacing them every 120,000 miles or 10 years, whichever comes first.

Buy your own ICM at AutoZone, go to a reputable local repair shop with my instructions printed out, and get them to install it. Otherwise, just instruct Honda to do it. I'm 95% certain this will solve your problem.

Also, ensure that the fuel filter has been changed in the last 60,000 miles, as Honda recommends.

[SandyRussell]

I took your advise and changed the ICM. It ran great for about 10 days but now it has gone back to its old tricks. It only kicks out for about 10 seconds shortly after starting the car - usually just on the drive home after work. The engine never actually dies but it just craps out like you've taken your foot off the gas. I'm thinking now that it has to be the fuel pump or in the delivery system. I think I'll let it be for a while (and save up for a while).

[TxGreaseMonkey]

Assess whether you feel the problem is that the engine idles too low. Once the engine reaches normal operating temperature, adjust the idle speed to 700 rpm, if warranted. Adjustments can be made with the throttle cable. Loosen the inside 12 mm nut and tighten the outside 12 mm lock nut.

Did the mechanic apply a thin, even coat of heat transfer compound to the back of the new ICM? If he didn't, it won't last long. If he did, and the problem persists, replace the PGMFI Main Relay. Over time, cold solder joints develop on the printed circuit board. During the heat of the day, the solder joints separate and cause the main relay to fail, which controls power to the fuel pump. It's located right of the glove box, along the wall of the right kick panel. Easy to replace. The ICM, coil, and main relay are the three components responsible for most intermittent engine problems with Hondas.