We own a 1992 Accord LX 4cyl. Recently it has been giving us trouble. It started out as the car not starting for a while. Most recently it has started stalling while driving. There is no sputtering or anything it just dies and the CEL and OL and BL all turn on. I will coast to the side of the road, turn the car off and remove the key and start it back up again and drive until it happens again. I did the diagnostic bypass thing and here are the codes I got: 4, 8, 15, and 20. Some of these might be old codes saved from forever ago. From reading other posts in this forum I want to check the Ignitor/distributor? Wiggling the key while it is running does nothing btw. I could not find a thread to figure out how to test my ignitor. I am new to this field so I apologize for my lack of knowledge. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

 

I would start with checking all the battery and alternator connections, u could also reset the battery to clear the codes and see what codes re appear and go from there.

 

It sounds Fuel related if i were to guess....wouldnt hurt to replace the Fuel filter

 

Thanks for the replys. I do not think it is battery related because i never lose electrical power even when the car dies no lights go dim, the engine just cuts out and the tac drops to 0 immediately. I will check the connections just to be safe though. I will also check the fuel filter and see if the pump is working tonight.

 

Where "carsick" was going with the battery - was to "clear" all the codes. You can also pull the backup fuse in the under hood fuse box.

Reason, one or two of those codes could be the issue you are having but you stated they might be left over from something. So since you have the current codes, clear them and drive the car and see if any/all of them come back.

IMHO - I would not change the fuel filter.

 

Id also check the connections at the alternator, though it sounds like ur battery is getting charged....just brainstorming. Im starting to think that if it was Fuel related you'd probably have more of a sputter when it stalls out on u and it wouldnt be as easy to restart...

Im curious what codes reappear after u reset the battery...

 

Thanks guys, I will do some troubleshooting tonight. I will be back after I have reset the battery etc.

 

ok so I just reset the ECU and drove it around the block several times. It did not stall or have any problems. I checked the codes again and only got a 20 code. Will the code pop up before the problem happens again or do I have to wait for it to die while driving again to get the code?

 

I had a older car that did the same thing but it was some issue with the ignition/ distributor overheating. There was a shut off sensor to prevent it from getting too hot. I sold the car so I never had the chance to fix it but the guy who bought it said he had to replace the entire distributor. Wires inside and everything. Don't know if this will help or not it was alot older

 

The battery light is actually the charging system indicator. If there is a problem with the charging system (e.g., alternator), the charging system indicator may come on; and many times other indicator lights may also be present like what you previously saw. With the Code 20 - Electric Load Detector trouble code present, this would lead me toward the alternator, connectors, or cables as the source of the issue.

Honda's utilizes a dual mode charging system to increase fuel efficiency and reduce drag on the engine at start-up. The ECM determines charging based on info. from the ELD. The ECM can control alternator charge modes (high or low output)

Many parts shops in the U.S. can test the charging system for free.