"Michael Pardee" <michaeltnull@cybertrails.com> wrote
> Actually, I believe the tach does get its signal from a
separate lead on the
> igniter.

The electrical diagram for the ignition system suggests you
are remembering correctly. See the top schematic at
http://home.earthlink.net/~honda.lioness/id5.html . Tegger's
version appears to confirm it:
http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ignit...ion/index.html


> The current symptoms do sound like igniter trouble, but
the igniter
> (and tune-up parts) are a little less than a year old...
from March, IIRC. I
> might be wise to re-heatsink the igniter, though.
>
> What makes me think it isn't distributor sensor trouble is
that there is no
> "check engine" light, suggesting the problem is past the
ECU... i.e. igniter
> or coil, or high tension side (like the rotor or cap.)

Plus ISTM igniters don't exactly seem to die slowly, at
least not the way coils often do. Igniters seem more like an
all-or-nothing deal, with symptoms only for the very
observant, at best.