88 civic wagon surging/stalling

My 88 honda civic wagon surges intermittently( feels like the car is
rocking back and forth rythmnically like a heart beat every second when
at around 1500 rpm at lower speeds) and recently began stalling at
highway speeds. I can go a full 2 hour drive and not have a surge, or
at least not one that I notice,or a stall but then it will act up.

When it stalls out it will sometimes start right away and keep running
but more often will stall back out. Sometimes it wont start at all
after its stalled. The fuel pump was not turning on after the stalls. I
took it to the mechanics and they checked fuel pressure, Checked IAC,
checked for vacume leak, replaced the fuel filter, o2 sensor, air
filter, fuel pump, fuel pump relay,cleaned the throttle body and
disrtibutor and checked/cleaned the fuel injector.

It still is surging and I don't want to go through the scare of taking
it back on the HWY to see if it will stall.

My mechanic is at a loss. Anyone have any ideas? I just bought this car
used a month ago and already spent a wad of cash trying to get this
issue fixed.

Thanks for any advice/help

 

Carbureted or fuel injected?

When was the last tuneup (plugs, ignition wires, distributor
cap and rotor, fuel filter, air filter, ignition timing
check)? Were genuine Honda parts used for the electrical
parts of the tuneup? I am not trying to waste money. But if
these inexpensive parts are not well maintained, the running
problems a Honda will have are pretty astonishing.

Last time coolant changed and coolant system purged of air?

Is the oxygen sensor OEM? How old?

How many miles on the car?

See also http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/startproblems.html

 

Has the distributor been updated or is it still the original '88 version?
The pickup coils on the early distributors would come loose and cause
running problems. Honda redesigned them but I don't remember which year
that was.

Eric

 

Its throttle body fuel injected. Tune up was done at the same time as
new breals, fuel pump and fuel filter and new relay and new exast
installed.

Not sure about honda parts.. will ask when I talk to the mechanic later
tonight.


173,000 miles are on the car

THanks for the advice!

 

I think it is still the 88 version....I have all the records for this
car and it does not show it was replaced( I just bought this little
lemon). They did say there was something loose in there and they took
it out?

Woul I need.

 

Take the OEM parts seriously. Even something as seemingly
innocent as using plugs not listed in the owner's manual can
noticeably affect car performance.

All the other items I listed are also candidates for causing
problems.