[ekinshuya]

I was driving down the street at 35mph and all of a sudden after i shift into 4th gear (stick shift), my car engine died and i had to pull over. I step the clutch all the way down and shift to neutral and turn on the key. But after I release the key the car shut off again. It turns on when i turn the key all the way, but shuts off after i release the key. After 3 times it happen, i step the gas pedal a bit and the car didnt shut down anymore.

Later that day I was driving at 45mph and then my MPH meter arrow drop from 45 to 0 suddenly, then a second later the arrow went back up to 45mph really fast, but then it drop back down to 0 again. I had to pull over and once again, car starts but after i release the key it shuts off. Also, im not too sure but i think the dash board singal didnt blink until i pulled over and swtich the key to off and back to on again. electrical problem? maybe but im not positive about this.

Anyone know what problem it can be? Let me know please. thanks

[kelvin6]

What kind of car do you have?

I'm thinking of fuel pump failure, all the way to a ignition key switch failure (which is common in my Volvo to cause problems).

Also, it helps to know how often has this been occuring and how long in between each time you were able to sucessfully restart the car...

[mahcivicslow]

faulty fuse? most likely electrical problem.

[ekinshuya]

umm the car is a 98 honda civic hatchback. As to the fuel thing im not sure because its starts fine but turns off while i drive, and then it will have problem starting back up unless i step on the gas a little while turning the key on

[kelvin6]

I can probably safely rule out fuel issues...

hmm, has the throttle body been cleaned? IAC valve cleaned? A IAC valve allows air into the air intake manifold, so that the engine doesn't stall at idle and in neutral in your case. What would happen if this IAC valve was clogged is that when you try to start the car, the car will not start due to a lack of air, so the only way to get it to start is to press the gas pedal which opens the throttle body to allow air to be sucked in by the engine. The IAC valve is near the throttle body, which is at the base of the intake manifold. Carb cleaner would be appropriate to clean it (and a good toothbrush). It might be preferable to remove the throttle position sensor, as getting carb cleaner into this can kill it.

Honestly this is what I think the problem might be, but i'm never certain unless i'm physically looking and inspecting the car... I guess this theory would hold true if you were cruising at 45 and you weren't using the gas pedal. I'm also making the assumption that your check engine is not on.

It is possible that it is fuel related... but seems less likely (if it was I would suspect the following: Fuel injectors, fuel pressure regulator and fuel filter).

[ekinshuya]

actually it might be true bcause i wasnt stepping on the gas pedal because i was shifting gear and i dont think my check engine is on. Like it only turns on when i start the car, but sometimes it does not i think