Questions and Answers
Another Integra Won't Start
Q. Hi Mr. Ciulla, I found your page at About.com, and was hoping you could shed a little light on a problem I'm having with my car. I'm sure you get a lot of these e-mails, so any help would be great. Here's my information:
1992 Acura Integra LS
1.8 liter, 4 cylinder, 16 valve, DOHC
Automatic Transmission
90,000 miles
Fuel Injection
Power Steering, Cruise ControlI bought this car one year ago. Ever since, it occasionally has a problem starting. By this, I mean that it continually cranks, and won't start. ("Rrrrrrrrrr"). Sometimes, it will just crank, I'll let it sit after trying a few times, and then it will start. Other times, it won't start for a long time.
Right after I bought the car (used), I noticed this problem and brought it back to the dealer where I bought it. Since it was acting-up when I brought it in, the mechanic couldn't fix it. He just replaced the ignition coil and starter module (I believe those are the correct terms). That was about six months ago, and it still does it.
Lately, it's been getting worse. It got to the point where it was continually getting me stuck, so I threw in a bottle of Fuel Injector cleaner. This actually seemed to solve the problem, until about three weeks later, and it wouldn't start again. ( I even got stuck at work, and had to leave it overnight. ) When I came in the next day, it started as if nothing had happened.
I brought the car to a shop and had the battery and alternator checked about four weeks ago, and they said both were fine. We figured this, though, since the car was cranking fine.
I also brought the car to Midas, but to no help because again, it wasn't "acting-up" when they were looking at it.
These are possible suggestions I've received:
1. Fuel Pump
2. Fuel Injectors clogged or leaking
3. Wire going to starter
4. Battery/Alternator (although they checked out fine)(Just as a quick note, too, one of the times it wouldn't start, I jump-started the car, and it started immediately. This was after about 15 minutes of not being able to start. Everyone said that wouldn't help, but alas...the car started! That only happened one time, though. Other times, jumping the car didn't help.)
Phew! Sorry this was so long, but I figured a brief history would help. Any help would be great. I haven't really given it a complete tune-up since I've owned the car (besides oil), so I'm going to change the PCV valve, spark plugs, air filter, oil, and put in another bottle of FI cleaner. My concern is that this will not help if it's the fuel pump or faulty injectors.
Strange, though, it never does this when I leave in the morning. Only at lunch time (sometimes) after the car has been sitting since 8am, or at the end of the day (around 4:30pm) after the car was maybe driven once during the day....otherwise it sits all day.
Any hints? Things to check or rule out?
THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
PaulUPDATE: Yesterday (Monday), it wouldn't start again. I tried about three times, and then took someone's advice to test spark. I put an extra spark plug in the wire, and grounded it on the valve cover, and had someone crank the engine. Yes, I saw spark in the Spark Plug. (But then again, I only checked it with one of the four plugs, I don't know if that makes a difference.)
So, it still wouldn't start, and someone else said to kick the fuel tank (maybe to move things around or unstick a clogged fuel pump). So I attempted to kick it, and also shake the back of the car by the fuel tank's door. Still wouldn't start. Finally, we hooked it up to someone's battery. After a couple of mistarts, strange noises, starting and dying out, it finally started!
A. Zzzzz..... huh? What? Oh. okay. Sorry, I must have dozed off. You are the second Acura owner to write me about this problem today. Summer must be coming.
Well, we know we have spark. So the problem is electrical. I think if you read my article Honda Main Relays and I think that will explain the most likely cause of the problem. You can also print it out and take it to your mechanic, I'm sure he'll find it useful.
Additional Information provided courtesy of ALLDATA
