1998 Prelude VTEC P1361 code, what's the most likely failure.

The code that you have has nothing to do with the oil level
that code is "Intermittent Interruption In TDC 1 sensor circuit"
check your the connection on your cam sensor and on your crank sensor

Need a clear question and better info. However, based on the little that was posted...

Code P1361 is ignition coil circuit low. You'll have to do some electrical troubleshooting to locate the cause.

Low oil will also can also result in the oil pressure sending unit cutting power to fuel pump relay. This is done to prevent engine damage due to low oil.

TDC sensor
That code is very familiar to me. I encountered P1361 on my 98 Civic last year. Other resources will only tell you that it's misfiring or a problem with the ignition. However, the offical Honda Civic service manual will tell you it's an intermittent interruption in the top dead center circuit sensor. It is related to a sensor in the distributor responsible for detecting TDC (top dead center) of the spinning rod across your engine.

As your engine turns, everything from your timing belt pulleys to the other end of your distributor must be in sync on when TDC has been crossed for every revolution.

This precise timing allows your sparkplugs to ignite the fuel to perform proper combustion. If timing is off because TDC cannot be properly detected by the sensors within your distributor, you can experience poor engine performance to stalls.

My civic ran okay after I disconnected the battery to clear the engine light, but the engine light would return after several days. The engine also felt sort of rough during idle and would stall on some occasions.

I tried troubleshooting the sensors but failed so I ended up simply replacing the whole distributor. After the replacement, my civic ran perfect, no stalls and no engine light warnings. A new distributor can cost about $280 from your local auto parts store and is fairly easy to replace from right under the hood - just a few bolts and screws.

Good luck! Source(s): http://HondaCivicRepairs.com do it myself honda civic repair