Please help ASAP... very odd problem w/'98 Civic!!!!

[primalauto]

I hate to be the new member who just comes on asking for advice... but that is how i found this site... happy i found it too... looks great... anyway onto the trouble...

okay here it is... i was driving in the rain... lots of puddles...

my car stalled on me (98 civic HB)... it started immediately again but it was choking... not holding any revs... sounded like it was not getting any air or not getting any fuel... it went about another hundred yards and died...

i had it towed... air filter was dry and distro cap was also dry...

it is now turning over occasionally and then immediately dying.

also there is a clicking noise that sounds to be coming from right by the glove box which clicks when it is starting to turn over then turns into a humming for a couple seconds when it dies... which i now believe to be a relay pack...

i have been hunting for parts diagrams because i removed a relay pack to the right of the glove box and i want to find out what it control;s and see if it is related to the problem..

any help you may offer would be greatly appreciated!!!


thank you.

[Sulsa]

I would check out that noise first thing. It does sound like a failed relay. I'ver heard relays fail and make sounds similar to what you are describing.

On the other hand, the relay's odd behavior might be just a symptom of a larger problem, if something else is cause it to act that way. A loose wire, corroded connection, or a short circuit(wire with voltage grounding to frame), could cause that.

I'd start by determining the cause of that noise (get a friend or two to trace it while you start/turn over the car).

If it is a relay, figure out which one it is, and what it switches. Relay's are pretty cheap, try replacing it. If it's several of them at once, it probably a bigger porblem with your voltage system, i.e. battery&cables, alternator, voltage regulator (if civics have em), or wires that feed power the relay box.


If it's just one, and it still does it, it's probably a problem in the circuit that engergizes the coil in the relay, i.e. the wire that tells the relay to open or close. Trace that wire back and make sure there are no breaks/loose connections in it. (helps tons to have a hayne's or Helm's manual with numbers for each connector, wire colors, and general location). Sometimes the big connectors with like 20 wires in them can get a bit loose from vibration. Try holding them in different positions with the car on.

Test the device controlling the relay, Haynes or Helm's manual will tell you what voltage or resistance it should have and when.

A Helm's manual is probably the best thing you can buy for your car if you intend to work on it yourself. Far surpasses any other manual I've seen, and the dealerships use them. They have great troubleshooting guides as well. A bit spendy, (paid $65 for mine) but well worth it when you think of what you saved in time and repairs.

A Haynes manual is only a DISTANT second. Much cheaper at like $10-$15, but often wrong, and not anywhere near as thorough.

I won't ever buy another Chilton's manual. They are all but worthless, imo.

One last thing, my SRS(airbag) system in my Integra is located behind the glovebox. All the wiring and connectors for SRS should be bright yellow. Don't mess with this stuff unless you know exactly what you are doing. You'd hate yourself for accidentally setting it off, and pay serious $$$ to have it serviced.