Honda Repair: 1988 Prelude 2.0 Si wont start, prelude 2, horror tales


Question
I've read over the other Q's about this same problem and I see which path I have to go in next, but I'm not sure that this was my original problem. Let me start from the top. Last weekend I was at an intersection when the car stalled out. By stalling out I mean just shut off (like turning the ignition off) No sputtering just off. Thinking of all the horror tales about Prelude timing belts and bent valves I chanced it and cranked the engine over. Almost started. Let the car sit for about 15 min. and it fired right up. Ran pretty good until the next day. The car stalled again and again after about 15 to 20 min. later it starts right up. Now I chalked these occurances up to nearly running the car out of fuel on the first day that this happened, figuring I must have contaminated the fuel filter, so I replaced that. Flash to Sunday night - After using the car on a road trip (approx. 300 mi. to and from) car still running great, later that night I have to go out and while on the highway the car dies. Now because of the speed I was doing it kept catching itself in gear (once or twice). Determining that probably is not good for the engine or transmission (automatic) I put the car into neutral and pulled onto the shoulder of the road. The car will no longer start. Definitely have a very good spark and certainly have fuel entering the rail (I checked both), I then checked to see if the timing belt broke, Nope and it still is turning both cams. I saw the next thing is possibly jumped time? Unfortunately I had to send her off to a mechanic today to investigate. The ECU is showing no codes, and the check engine light never came on until the car stalled. Is it possible for thses motors to jump time (first foreign car for me) and if it did what other damage should I expect ( going back to the stories about bent valves) ?  Mike

Answer
What are the dash light doing after you let go of the key?  I am wondering if you are having trouble with the ignition switch wire harness.  If the lights are going out like you turned the switch off, could be that.  Its possible that its jumped time or the belt broke, but it would be spinning over very fast and you wouldn't have spark.