'89 CRX starts then stalls

Your above examples don't work in Outlook Express. But the last line
of your post is what you should be doing so that anyone can see the
complete thread concerning that topic. You can delete unnecessary text
to make the amount posted is relevant. This is called 'snipping' and
you should indicate where this has happened with <snip> or [...].

It is normal practice to use only one subject 'Initial Topic' and reply
to any responce with the 'Reply' facility. This keeps all the posts
referenced to each other and allows searching to be effective

HTH

 

So today I took apart the ignition switch. I MAY have fixed the problem…
but I should not speak too soon since it was an intermittent problem to
start out with. If it keeps working I will post an update in the next few
days.

What I found/did:
After taking apart the ignition switch I found that one of the stationary
contacts on the outer switch was pitted and there was also some slight
accumulation of something like a black powder on some of the other
contacts. There was also a slight amount of “gunk” overall in the switch
mechanism. I sanded the pitted contact until the pit was almost completely
gone (did not remove the pitting completely because I did not want to sand
down the contact too much). I cleaned the switch and all the contacts with
a cloth and stretched by hand the 4 small springs inside the switch so that
they would apply a little more pressure on the contacts. The solder on the
back side of the contacts seemed ok. Overall I canot day that I saw
anything obviously wrong with the ignition switch except perhaps for that
pitted contact.

I put the switch back together and installed it in the car. The engine
started immediately on the first cranck. My diagnostic LED on the fuel
pump electric supply did not show any lapses in fuel pump voltage. I
wiggled the key in all positions - no indication of intermittent contacts.
I started the car 8 times since then while running various errands and it
always started on the first try. I left my diagnostic LED to the fuel pump
power – it has not shown any lapses in fuel pump power so far. Will leave
the LED for a few days until I’m convinced that it was indeed the ignition
switch that caused the problem.

Notes on how I got the ignition switch out:
1. I disconnected the battery.
2. I removed the plastic dashboard panel that is immediately under the
steering wheel column (This is the panel that gives access to the fuse
box). There are no screws to remove this, just clips.
3. I removed the plastic bottom cover of the steering column. It is held
by 3 screws and a round metal spring.
4. I removed the plastic attachment that holds the ignition wire harness.
Then removed the 2 electrical connectors attached to the ignition switch
(one of the two connectors attaches to the fuse board).
5. I removed the 2 screws that hold the ignition switch (tight working
space) and the ignition switch comes off. I did not have to remove the
ignition lock itself or the streering lock.

I will post an update if the problem reappears or if I become more
convinced that tat was indeed the problem…

 

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-------------------------------------

Since we've lost the original thread, this is the place where you quote
the previous TSB link that describes how HONDA says the ignition switch
is changed. It's all about sharing.

It happens to be a TSB for slightly newer Civics, but they are all
basically the same:

http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/tsb/civic/x02-031e.pdf

'Curly'

 

<snip>

A poster already supplied photos of what he did with his.

Check out the damage in the photos.
http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ignition_switch/index.html

 

a tip for this:
always manually return the key to the full "on" position by hand after
cranking. simply allowing it to spring back, particularly if the
ignition key is on a heavy key ring, will not return the key
sufficiently for full contact. it's simple, but it works perfectly,
even on vehicles subject to recall.

 

Noted.

 

What was happening in my case was that when turning the key from position I
to position II the contact was fine. However when the key was turned to
position III to crank and then was left to return to position II then the
contact was often failing. So always good contact going from I to II but
often failing when returning from III to II. I should have picked up on
that because some of the dashboard lights that are supposed to be on in
position II were off when returning from III to II... but apparently I was
too frustrated to notice.
If the ignition switch proves to be the fix I will probably install a new
one now since my filing of the contacts fix was just a salvage operation,
mostly intended to diagnose problem.

 

==============================

If the cylinder is gummed up the whole mess may not be springing back
the way it was designed to. If it feels sticky when you move it, pick up
a tiny aerosol can of Lock-Ease. I got it from a real locksmith and I
spray all five locks on all three of my Honda every year, usually in
spring.

'Curly'

 

That's good advice, probably for any car.

A few years ago, I had a ignition lock get very stiff on an '85 Ford
Ltd. I sprayed a generous amount of silicone lubricant into the whole
assembly and it never gave me another problem.

Oh, and I apologize for mentioning a F*rd...

<G>

JT

 

After 2 problem free weeks, I feel pretty confident that the no start
problem is finally fixed – so finally it was the ignition switch.

In retrospect, the key diagnostic event for my particular malfunction
would have been to observe the dashboard lights with ignition key in
position II *RIGHT AFTER* the failed start attempt. In my case these
dashboard lights (Battery charge/ Oil Pressure / Parking Brake –if on)
were off but I did not notice. As I said in a previous post the lights
would always come up when initially turning the key from IGN I to IGN II.
It was only after cranking the engine (IGN III) and then returning to IGN
II that the dashboard lights were off. So apparently the ingnition was
always working turning clockwise from IGN I to II to III but returning
counterclockwise from III to II it would fail.
The other perhaps atypical thing was that while
I had read that a bad ignition switch would eventually result in a
surprise stall on the road sooner or later, our CRX never stalled on the
road all these years.

Thanks for all the help. I would probably not have had the patience to
deal with this without the support of your posts.