I have recently purchased a 90' civic lx. The car runs very well sans a few minor problems and now a major one.

Before the tach would sometimes just kinda jump, nothing else noticeable would happen it would just jump. Ok no big deal, I have dealt with many more serious problems with other cars. Well yesterday on my way home the tach started jumping and the car bucked quite a bit. I tried to just follow it through but it just wouldn't stop.

On the way home I noticed that it would only happen above 3250-3500and above 1/4 throttle. So ok I need to get this checked out over the weekend.

Well today on the way to work it is still doing the same thing only it would REALLY buck hard and then die. I was able to start it still rolling, but it did this 3 or 4 times before I could get it going again to get to work. The tach was still jumping on the way to work, but it didn't die.

Also it would just die and not start sometimes. It would just crank nothing else, does not even sound like it wants to start. Within a min I could get it going again. No big deal.

Reading through the forum sounds like part of it is the igniter, but I can't find any reference to the tach jumping around. Any suggestions?

 

check the rotor too.

 

with the rpm's jumping like that sounds like the crank sensor..might wanna give that a check

 

rotor/crank sensor....try those

- Nathan

 

If you have another distributor throw it in and see if your problem goes away its faster and hardly any labor involved

 

I have a 91 LX and when I bought it the tach was doing the hop too. I had no driveability troubles though. I found the tack wire (blue) at the ignitor under the distributor cap was loose at the bullet connection. I merely crimpe the connector a bit and have had no trouble since. You may have one or two loose wires at the ignitor. I figure when someone was under the cap they jostled them which would be easy to do. Hope this helps!