I have recently been having a weird issue and my friends and I are stumped, hoping someone on here has an idea for me.
I have a 98 cl 2.3 5speed w/160k miles. Bought the car 4 years ago and it has been a dream until recently.
What is happening is when I get off work I start the car and let it warm up. I get about 1-5 miles down the road and i feel a slight jolt and watch my rpm and mph gauges max out (speed and rpm dont actually jump just the gauges) and then go directly to 0. Then the car shuts off and dies. The green key light lights up when this is happening. I have replaced the battery and the alternator seems fine. I have checked the ground from the battery to the block and it is good. I also checked the fuse to the ecu. This does not happen on the way to work when it is cooler but only on the way home in the afternoon. Driving is fine... then slight jolt, gauges go to max then to zero and car is dead.
If i try to restart it immediatly it will turn over but not turn on, unless i feather the gas and that still takes a few tries. If i leave it for an hour or so it starts normally and drives normally. Since the cel is not coming on I have no codes to go off of and it was happening interminently until recently, now it is everyday. When it first started to happen i would pull over turn the key off, then on and it would be fine, now I am afraid of being stalled on the freeway in rush hour, but Im not sure what the issue is. Ignition? bad wiring? bad sensor?.... I really hope someone has heard of this before, I have searched the forum and havent seen this pop up yet.
The car runs at the right temp, and shifts fine, the clutch is getting older but I have done all the maintenence I can and dont drive it very hard. Please send my your input. Thanks

 

from what I have read on here there was a recall on the ignition switch and it sounds like this is whats happening to your vehicle, the switch is going bad causing the car to shut off. This is what they say will happen when he switch starts going bad

 

looked it up and found this:

Recall Date
MAY 16, 2002

Model Affected
1998 ACURA CL

Description
ON CERTAIN SEDANS, COUPES, HATCHBACKS, AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, ELECTRICAL CONTACTS IN THE IGNITION SWITCH CAN DEGRADE DUE TO THE HIGH ELECTRICAL CURRENT PASSING THROUGH THE SWITCH WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED.

Consequence
WORN CONTACTS COULD CAUSE THE ENGINE TO STALL WITHOUT WARNING, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JUNE 14, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT HONDA AT 1-800-999-1009 OR ACURA AT 1-800-382-2238.

Potential Units Affected
1000000

 

I had the same problem with the recall. Driving car normally, then it would jolt a bit and shut off. I would throw it into neutral and then start it back up and drive, it scared the shit out of me the first 2 times but i got used to it.

Call up a dealer and tell them your VIN#. They should be able to see if the recall was or wasn't done and then replace the part at no cost. You may even get a free car wash out of it. Be warned though, when I got mine done a few months ago, they didnt have the part on site so they had to keep my car for 2 or 3 days

Good luck