NHTSA Complaint #10343779 — 1997 HONDA ACCORD

I HAVE HAD MY 1997 HONDA ACCORD LX 4CYL FOR ABOUT 4 YEARS. I HAVE SEARCHED THIS PROBLEM JUST ABOUT EVERYWHERE, AND WHILE I'VE SEEN THE PROBLEM REPORTED IN HUNDREDS OF HONDA OWNERS, I HAVE YET TO SEE A SOLID SOLUTION. PROBLEM: CAR SHUTTING OFF WHILE DRIVING, STRONG FUEL/GAS SMELL WHEN THIS HAPPENS, DASH LIGHTS SHUTTING OFF AND GOING BLACK, DOOR LOCKS JUMPING UP AND DOWN MY CAR IS SHUTTING OFF WHILE DRIVING - WHETHER I'M ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET, OR GOING 75 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. I HAVE BEEN BLESSED NOT TO BE HIT BY ANOTHER CAR WHEN THIS HAPPENS. IT SOMETIMES STARTS RIGHT BACK UP, BUT AFTER A FEW TIMES, IT TAKES ABOUT 20 MINUTES TO BE ABLE TO START. THE ENGINE WILL STIR AROUND, BUT IT WON'T FIRE UP AND ACTUALLY START. TWENTY MINUTES LATER OR SO, IT STARTS.. AND THEN WE MAY MAKE IT TO OUR DESTINATION WITHOUT STALLING AGAIN. OH, AND I CAN'T FORGET THE STRONG SCENT OF FUEL IN THE AIR WHEN THIS HAPPENS. IT STARTED AS A SPORADIC THING THAT HAPPENED WHENEVER I DROVE LONG DISTANCE (AN HOUR OR MORE) OR WHENEVER I WAS AT 1/4 OF A TANK. MORE RECENTLY, I CAN HARDLY DRIVE AT ALL. I TRIED TO LEAVE TODAY, AND I DIDN'T MAKE IT DOWN THE STREET WITHOUT THE CAR SHUTTING OFF TWICE. THE CAR IS NOT OVERHEATING, THERE'S PLENTY OF GAS IN THE TANK... YET WHEN I DRIVE, THE DASH LIGHTS GO OUT, THE RPM JUMPS ALL OVER THE PLACE AND FINALLY TO 0. THE CAR WORKS FINE WHEN THE ENGINE IS COLD (FIRST THING IN THE MORNING), BUT AS SOON AS THE ENGINE WARMS TO A NORMAL LEVEL, THIS HAPPENS. I'VE BEEN STRANDED ON THE HIGHWAY MORE TIMES THEN I CARE TO ADMIT... BY MYSELF, WITH MY CHILDREN, IN 101 DEGREE HEAT.. ETC. WHAT WE'VE DONE (UNSUCCESSFULLY): * I ALREADY CALLED THE DEALERSHIP, THEY RAN MY VIN AND SAID THAT THE RECALLS HAVE ALL BEEN TAKEN CARE OF AND REPLACED ON MY CAR PRIOR TO ME PURCHASING THE VEHICLE. * REPLACED SPARK PLUGS AND WIRES * MAJOR TUNE-UP * REPLACED RELAY SWITCH * REPLACED FUEL FILTER. *TR