Lethal ignition failure

[masterjedijay]

Hi, I really need some advice with this problem before I have a serious accident.

While driving the vehicle, the engine just quits. There is no stuttering, stalling, or engine misfires, it quietly just quits. Sometimes it will start again staight away other times no ignition lights come on until I have finally coast to a stop and try to re-start. I then can try 10 times or more to get the ignition lights on and all runs okay and may happen minutes, hours or days later. It can sometimes happen when cold on start up with no ignition lights again until numerous turns of the key. It dies at high motorway crusing speeds, overtaking, low speeds and at junctions (had a couple of scary moments already). It is impossible to predict when it will cut out - weather and road conditions are not consistent when it fails each time. There is on occasions, especially at motorway cruising speeds, an early warning as the speedometer sudden drops randomly before cut out.
As a starter I have replaced the ignition switch but even though cold start seems really good so far, its still happening when shes warmed up. Not sure what to start to look at next but the relays etc come to mind. Not convinced its the immobiliser but it could be?

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks

Jonathan

 

[davidpingu]

Hi mate. If everything is going off it sounds like a dodgy battery to me. Try that first as these cars are really fussy with battery health. If its not that it's going to be the next link like bad battery contacts so try cleaning up the terminals and connectors etc. from what your saying though it definately sounds like it battery related. Think the only fuse that will knock everything off is the 100amp one in the engine bay fuse box and that is the one that comes direct from the battery.

 

[dc5-2ltr]

Speedo converter??

 

[C&S Evo7]

Battery, or a connection, how old is the battery?


Speedo converter won't stop the car from running, it just stops vtec and the speedo.

 

[masterjedijay]

Thanks for the suggestions folks. Battery is 6 weeks old but it was doing it before the battery was replaced. I will double check all the connections and wiring though. In fact I have had this odd issue since April last year but it was so infrequent I didn't really put it down to anything. Its just recently over the last few months its becoming more frequent and especially after a long drive when the car has been running for a couple of hours. I was going up to Warrington a few weeks back and after a fill up at a service station it started really playing up while I was in the out side lane doing considerable speeds. Played up for a couple of days after and then settled down again.

Jonathan

 

[davidpingu]

It's got to be a connection then. Has it had any after market wiring done? Amps wired in etc? Isn't the battery earthing point open to the elements? Could it be that. Right hand side of the engine bay low down underneath airbox and battery sort of area?

 

[rozanator]

i have had the same issue for the last two days! my battery wires were pretty loose on the battery terminals so not sure if that may be an issue? mine doesnt have quite the correct battery i think. if you have any info on this i would be grateful to hear it!
cheers

 

[hightower]

what about an immobiliser issue, cant remember on the dc5 but on my dc2 no dash lights come on until the immobiler button is pressed.

 

[rozanator]

that was my only other idea as to what it could be as my alarm does play up.. sometimes goes off randomly.

 

[masterjedijay]

Thanks for all the posts. Yep you were right folks it was the immobiliser - even though this was new and fitted only last year when the original one failed terminally. The Honda garage did a bypass on the igintion cut off and hey presto no further problems. The immobiliser was replaced completely on warranty so didn't cost me thing. Safe reliable driving at last!! Big thanks goes out to Dunstable Honda and Joe the engineer who as ever is a star!!

Jonathan