accord96lx

I admit I am not the best with electrical and what/how to test when you turn the key and you get the series of starter turning attempts and it doesnt turn over. Its been running fine but it had been sitting up for 3 days, and just yesterday it wouldnt crank. It repeatedly kept spinning and spinning but no turn over.

I checked the battery first to see what level of charge it had with my multimeter (that I barely know how to use) and it read 12.6 v. So I looked over the battery cables and posts to check for wear and possible corrosion, and everything looked fine.

Back n 2012 at 266k I replaced the distributor housing, Distributor inner seal, Distributor O-Ring, Distributor Cap, Rotor Cap all Honda parts. Used NGK plugwire set RC-HE62 and NGK G Power sparkplugs", so I figure these parts should be ok since Ive put around 40k on it since then.

I bought a main relay switch and swapped that out, still wouldnt turn over.

I bought a new starter and put it on and it kept doing the same thing. I tried letting it turn over for maybe 4 seconds at a time. I let it go closer to 7 seconds and it finally turned over with alot of fuel smell since I hit the accelerator maybe 4-5 times during the whole ordeal.

I cut it off and tried recranking and it fired right up.

Im pretty sure the problem hasnt been solved, so what steps should I take to find out what the real issue is?

MAD_MIKE

Don't pump the pedal.
Only time you would need to touch the pedal to start is if you have flooded the engine and need to clear it. Then flooring the pedal while cranking will aid in clearing excessive fuel.

Verify spark at the plugs while cranking, then check fuel pressure.

zwarren

When you say turning over you mean the starter is spinning the engine, right? I have an intermittent no crank, no start condition only in hot weather. I turn the key and hear a click. If I keep trying it eventually starts. I think it is electrical related because it depends on temperature. I've heard of a common issue with the fuel pump not working in hot weather due to a bad main relay but I get no crank so I don't think this is the problem. Is this similar to your problem?

MAD_MIKE

zwarren if you are getting a no crank issue, check your ignition switch. It can wear out, in the heat the plastic may become pliable enough to keep the worn contacts away from each other causing a no crank, as well as a no start(due to main relay) issue.

accord96lx

This car has never had issues starting up hot or cold, I turn that key and it kicks in. To mad mikes point I havent had to pump the gas pedal to crank it. I had pumped it a few times during the 6-7 attempts to get it to turn over as a bone headed reaction-use to my 63 Chevy II with a carb not cooperating at times.

In my case the turning of the key caused the starter to spin but the engine didnt turn over/crank up. This morning I went out and turned the key and it fired right up. I want to test the spark at the plugs now and check the fuel pressure. I have never done this before so I need to get a few tools and learn how to use them.

I saw a cheap spark plug tester at HF
Inline Ignition Spark Checker

and this style on Amazon

I went ahead an ordered the fuel pressure tester amazon has here


MadMike,
Which of the spark testers do you recommend? Also is the fuel tester I bought easy to connect with the 4cyl on my 96 accord lx?

MAD_MIKE

If the starter is spinning but not engaging the engine, that is not related to the spark.
No need for fancy spark testers, pull the spark plug out, ground it to the engine while attached to the spark plug wire. If it has as a white/blue spark the ignition is fine.

Fuel pressure gauge looks fine. Attach it to the test port, located next to where the hose from the filter attaches it will be a small bolt.

accord96lx

Just got it today in the mail, and I can not figure out how to connect it. I was watching this guys video on how to test and he had bought a harbor freight tester and had already installed it.


The actron kit came with alot of shrader valve connectors but none that I can see that have the threading small enough to connect. Hopefully I have the right spot on the fuel rail that Im tring to connect it to. I assume its the fuel port. Any idea on what I will need to connect it? Hopefully the pic shows the testers connector parts clear enough.




Just in case, which of these is the test port?

MAD_MIKE

#1 is the test port.

#2/#3 are just banjo bolts for the fuel hose from the filter(#2) to the rail(#3).

holmesnmanny

I really hope that kit came with the correct fitting for our cars.
If not, harborfreight has a kit for only $20 that has the correct fitting.

accord96lx

Looks like I should send this kit back, for imports it says to use the Banjo bolt adapter and the illustration shows a connection to the top of the fuel filter #2 in the photo.

MAD_MIKE

You can test the pressure there if it maintains normal flow of the system.
But you may want to have two replacement sealing washers on hand to replace the existing ones after testing.
Just seems like a messy way IMO.

accord96lx

Picked up the Harbor Freight fuel pressure tester and hooked it up, unhooked the fuel pressure regulator hose and capped it per the videos instructions and cranked it up. I was reading 45psi , then I could smell fuel so I cut the motor and looked under the hood and the connection point where the rubber donut seal of the tool had fuel spraying. I had tightened it down snug before i tested but i guess I may have overtightened cause the donut was squeezed out a good bit on one side.

So if the video is right the 47 to 54 psi is the normal range on a 96 accord. I fall a bit under but I bet the leak didnt help that.

Since the day it had fired up from its issue I have not had the same thing happen. But just to make sure I have things covered what would be the next thing to check?

accord96lx

Mad mike, what would be best to check? Its been cranking fine I just cant figure on what was wrong to begin with now.

MAD_MIKE

Are you still having starting issues? Or are you trying to figure out why you were having starting issues?

holmesnmanny

You test it with the vacuum hose disconnected and then with it reconnected.

Disconnected should be about 10psi less at idle.

But it looks like your fuel pressure is just fine. Now check for bright white spark.