MajorCommonElectrical

Honda Prelude: Distributor shaft bearing wear causing misfire and no-start

Distributor shaft bearing wear causing misfire and no-start is a common electrical fault on the Honda Prelude on the 1996–2001 cars, and we rate it major. Putting it right costs $350 to $850 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 13 documented faults on the Honda Prelude.

Vehicle: Honda Prelude
Years: 1996–2001
Fuel: petrol
System: Electrical

This page covers the Honda Prelude as a model. Some faults only affect particular engines or build years — enter a plate below to narrow the list to one car.

All Honda Prelude faults13 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

No photograph available

We do not hold a verified photograph of the Ignition coil yet. We would rather show none than show a picture of a different part.

What goes wrong

Like other Hondas of the era, the Prelude uses an engine-mounted distributor housing the ignition coil, igniter and pickup, and its internal shaft bearing wears with age and heat. As the bearing fails the shaft develops play, the internal seal lets engine oil seep into the distributor cap, and the car develops misfires, rough idle, hard starting and eventually intermittent stalling or a no-start. A worn distributor is a common cause of ignition trouble on high-km H22A cars, typically appearing well past 150,000 km, and is usually cured by fitting a reconditioned or quality aftermarket distributor. Oil inside the cap or a whirring noise that changes with engine speed are strong tell-tales.

What you would notice

Misfire or stumble, especially when warm
Rough or unstable idle
Hard starting or intermittent no-start
Oil inside the distributor cap
Whirring noise from the distributor that varies with revs

How to check it

Where to look. Distributor mounted on the cylinder head, H22A engine

Start the car cold and warm and listen for misfire, stumble or unstable idle, and check for stalling.
Remove the distributor cap if possible and look for oil contamination inside, and check for play in the distributor shaft.
Note any whirring noise from the distributor that rises and falls with engine speed.

Parts involved: Ignition coil.

What it costs to put right

$350 to $850 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

Ask the seller

“Does the engine ever misfire, idle roughly or struggle to start?”
“Has the distributor been replaced or reconditioned?”
“Is there any oil weeping around the distributor?”

Now check the Honda Prelude you are actually looking at

Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car has been looked after: its odometer history and whether the reading has ever gone backwards, whether there is still money owing on it, whether it has been reported stolen, how many owners it has had and what it is really worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate for the free details, or get the full history and a market valuation from $13.49.

Not sure what you would be paying for? See what a full KickTyres check includes.

Where this comes from

The failure described above is documented in the sources below. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them.

Honda-Tech Honda Prelude forum thread 'H22a prelude misfire?'
RepairPal 'Honda Prelude Engine Stalling: Causes & Repairs'

Honda Prelude buyer questions

Is distributor shaft bearing wear causing misfire and no-start serious on a Honda Prelude?

We rate it major and common on the Honda Prelude. Like other Hondas of the era, the Prelude uses an engine-mounted distributor housing the ignition coil, igniter and pickup, and its internal shaft bearing wears with age and heat. As the bearing fails the shaft develops play, the internal seal lets engine oil seep into the distributor cap, and the car develops misfires, rough idle, hard starting and eventually intermittent stalling or a no-start. A worn distributor is a common cause of ignition trouble on high-km H22A cars, typically appearing well past 150,000 km, and is usually cured by fitting a reconditioned or quality aftermarket distributor. Oil inside the cap or a whirring noise that changes with engine speed are strong tell-tales.

How much does it cost to fix on a Honda Prelude?

$350 to $850 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.

Which Honda Prelude years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 1996–2001 Honda Prelude. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.

How do I check for it before I buy?

Start the car cold and warm and listen for misfire, stumble or unstable idle, and check for stalling. Remove the distributor cap if possible and look for oil contamination inside, and check for play in the distributor shaft. Note any whirring noise from the distributor that rises and falls with engine speed. Look here: Distributor mounted on the cylinder head, H22A engine