Engine Dies Intermittently when cold

[ericstromberg]

I have been having the same problem as many others with my 93 Accord 10th Anniversary. It dies intermittently, then will sometime start back up before I come to a stop without my doing anything (kinda like popping the clutch in a manual) and sometimes I have to crank it for a while before I can gt it to start. I have replaced the ignition switch as that seemed the most common issue, I pulled apart the old one and the contacts were black, but not really pitted. I have seen a number of posts regarding the Main fuel relay, but I am wondering how the vehicles dies when it is a fuel relay related problem. My car just cuts off like a switch was turned off, leading me to believe it is electrical, rather than fuel. What happens when the relay fails, does the engine sputter a little, or does it simply switch off? I am planning to replace the coil and igniter next, but will wait to hear what you guys think about the relay possibly being the culprit. I should also mention that the problem only occurs in cold weather, and especially when the engine/car is cold. Once the car has been ruinning for a while, the problem goes away. Could this be related to the distributor? Maybe a crack/condensation? Once the condensation evaps off, engine is ok?