My car runs fine, until it decides to just die. You would think someone reached over and turned the ignition off. If you try and start it, it seems like it wants to start but does not. After many attempt it usually starts and runs fine until it happens again, and that can be a day or days before it happens again, randomly, is what is making me crazy. This may seem crazy but it seems like something is heating up electrically, and after it cools down it starts again. (I had a Nissan Sentra which also ran fine until it just quit, same conditions, after it cooled down a bit, it ran fine again until it stalled. I found out that there was a diode or something that was faulty in the distributor and Nissan sent out a service bulletin that identified the particular Distributor and what diode to replace, I did it myself and it ran fine until I sold it years later. Under these conditions where I am at the side of the rode trying to re start, everything else electrically seems to work just fine, windows, power seat , radio, wipers, fan etc. I'm driving my wife's car now and she is not real happy, please tell me what I should be checking and or replacing, thanks for any help you care to offer---be well.

 

Do you have any warning before the car shuts off? Does it cut off when hitting bumps or making turns? Right after it shuts off, does the check engine light turn on and do you get the beeps like when you first put the key into the ignition and turn the key to the II position, but do not try to start the car?

Can you get the car to stall out by shaking the key when the engine is running?

 

Thanks for replying to my post, the short and sweet answer to your questions is "NO" to all inquiries, still puzzled. Taking to local dealer is , with little $$$ is last resort, thanks also for the referral reponses to other similar problems.

 

No, what PA was trying to do is get you to do some diagnosis. The ignition switch on these cars can and does fail, giving the symptoms you describe. What he was trying to do was eliminate it (save you some money). Intermittent problems are the hardest to diagnose, because they don't happen all the time. Sometimes you have to wait for it to "act up", then do some testing.

 

I guess my trying to be brief in my response is the frustration thus far on this problem, your gracious response adjusted my thinking, and some first-hand diagnosis IS in order. I will make an effort to look into the problem from my end. I did buy a replacement "ignition switch" some time back but got lazy and it just sits there, I will install new switch in the next couple of days, and at least eliminate one potential cause of my problem, and move on from there. Again, thank you for setting me straight as to the intent of the post you mentioned, thanks.

 

Hopefully you bought the electrical part, and not the mechanical part, as yours might need the electrical side.
On another note, I do understand your frustration, as I had a 97 Accord decide to quit the day after I bought it. It took me about 6 weeks to fix it on my own (wasn't getting power to the injectors). I was getting ready to have it sent to the dealer for repair, when I found my problem. In those 6 weeks, I replaced the ECU, the distributor, the 2 sensors by the crank pulley, along with doing a timing belt set and spark plugs (NGK). It would run on starting fluid, but not on it's own. I ended up selling it 2 years later after I fixed my new to me 99 Accord that needed a lower pulley and key, along with having the timing reset. It had "bad motor" on the windshield when I bought it. After fixing that, I replaced the rusted thru in places fuel tank, and the entire exhaust system. This past summer I replaced the brake lines (under the car) along with the fuel lines. Needless to say, rusty cars need more work than you'd expect.

 

If you already have a replacement for the electrical part of the ignition switch, that's a good thing to try.

Wiggling the key is only a good test if that makes the engine stall. Unfortunately, if wiggling the key doesn't make the engine stall, that does NOT prove your switch is good.