My 98 civic Lx has recently begun stalling out while driving. It starts up fine and drives fine. Then every one in a while it just dies. I can turn the key back to the off position and start it back up. Then some random time it just dies out again. Last car I had that did this it was because the ignition rotor wasn't striking the distributor cap right. So I changed the distributor cap and ignition rotor. But that didn't help on this car. Any ideas guys? Thanks.

 

Also, I replaced the spark plugs and wires as well.

 

.bump.

 

Did you figure it out?

I had the same problem, I would be driving on the freeway and the car would just die. Wait a few minutes and it would start right up. I took it to the dealership and they couldn't recreate it so they told me I was on my own. It was really dangerous though because it would just die out right in the middle of one of those construction zones with no shoulder or on a bridge. Then what do you do.

Turns out it was the igniter which is right next to the ignition coil. Once it got hot it just failed and causing the stalling. Replaced it and it ran perfect. There is a website with a test for it but I cant remember where I found it.

 

If it always restarts immediately, it could be the ignition switch. When it dies, before you touch the key trying to restart, check that the oil and battery lights on the dash come on like they should when the key is on but engine not turning.

If the lights do come on I agree with the other guy it's likely an intermittent ICM. The rotor does not do that.