buzlink

I'm having a problem of my car not always wanting to start up.
Sometimes it starts up fine, other times it refuses to start up.

The first time was yesterday. I had gone to lunch at Wendy's and was getting into my car to head back to work. I hopped in the car to start it up. It started to start but just after turning over it died. I couldn’t' get it to start up after that. I had to be back at work so my dad ran up to Wendy's and picked me up.

After that he headed back up to Wendy's to tow the car home. It started right up and drove home. Now its been sitting in the driveway. Sometimes it will start right up and run. Other times it will start and then die out just afterwards.

Not sure what is going on. My dad and I first thought it was the ignition modulator going bad once again, as I have continued problems with it. My dad checked it and other parts of the distributor today with the voltmeter with no probs.

Not sure what the problem is?
Thinking it may be a main relay going bad sense it was very hot and humid yesterday and that’s when they tend to die.
The puzzling problem is that it works sometimes and other times it doesn't and it’s cooler out today.

Any ideas or things to check?

Also how do you check engine codes with paper clip? I’m not getting any right now, but I will get a check engine light sometimes after it won’t start up

Thanks

92 4dr DX stock.

robre

i second your initial suspicion of the fuel relay

buzlink

Any ideas of where I should start?

hahagasdcrx

i suspect main relay also, its easy to check and cheap fix if thats the culprit.

CHiNkStEr

might be your starter? mine use to sometimes start and doesn't and i found out it was the starter.

00CivicGirl

we have that problem with our Integra sometimes. On really hot days, it acts like it will not want to start. After maybe 10 min or so, it will finally start

buzlink

I've been trying for the last 45mins to get it to act up, and now its running fine.
I can't figure out whats wrong if I can't get it to not start up.
Arrggg

I'm thinking its either coil or main relay.

buzlink

It will start up and then on random it won’t start up just crank.
The next start up after that it will start right up.

It throws a check engine light if it doesn’t start up.

When I try to check it, by tripping the service connector nothing happens.
It did blink once one time, but the check engine light just stays illuminated.

Chiovnidca

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by buzlink &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Thinking it may be a main relay going bad sense it was very hot and humid yesterday and that’s when they tend to die.
The puzzling problem is that it works sometimes and other times it doesn't and it’s cooler out today.

</TD></TR></TABLE>
Clasic symptom of a bad main relay. Pull it out of it's case, I bet you'll find a cracked solder joint or more.

civicseth

It sounds like the main relay to me as well. I've got a main relay I will sell you if you want to pick it up cheap. It's for a 92-95 civic but will probably work for more. Numbers on it are RZ-0132, but will work with the RZ-0159 as well. I'll sell it for $30 shipped. Just let me know.

Otherguy

get a new starter, thats what mine was doing... when u try to start it does it just crank? or do it just sit like its not doing ****?

dingo1450

I have been having this exact symptom for several years with my 94 Integra. I had taken the car to an Acura dealer and they did not offer a solution. I took the above posters advice and fixed my problem. Because of my frustration over the years with this intermittent problem, I will provide as many details as possible for the do-it-yourself crowd.

I took apart the fuel pump relay (removed the guts from outer grey case) and found a hair line crack around one of the solder points. I reheated all of the solder points on the pcb (just to be sure) and added a little bit of solder to all of them. If you don't have a soldering iron, find a buddy or a tv repair shop.

If you don't know where the fuel pump relay (sometimes called the main relay) is located, read on.

In the 94 integra, the relay is located slightly lower and to to the left of the fuse block in the cabin underneath the steering column. You can see the relay without taking off the trip panel under the steering column if you open the fuse compartment door and look the the bottom left corner of the fuse block. It is about the dimensions of a twinkie but about an inch or two shorted. Gray plastic case, rust-colored electrical socket on the bottom with a 7-wire wiring harness. The case has a large metal tab that bolts it to some metal. Unfortunately, all of the useful information faces the firewall but if you take out the bolt, the writing on this relay was as follows:
Misuba
Relay ***'y Main
RZ-0132
Japan, 12V.

At the time of posting, this part or replacement version (RZ-0139 I believe) were available as a special order part from Autozone.com.

Some additional troubleshooting tips that I have picked up from this and other forums:
On hondas of this vintage, when you turn the key to on, the fuel pump relay should always engage and you should hear the fuel pump run until the check engine light extinguishes. When my relay is acting up in hot weather or heater in winter, the car would fail to keep running after starting if I would turn the key and _not_ hear the fuel pump prime the fuel system and the relay would not click off. If I would turn the car off and on until I heard the fuel pump prime and relay click off, I could start the car and it would run just fine. If you put your hand on the relay casing, you can feel the it clicking on and off when you turn the key to on.

Hope this helps someone out there - this is an old post.
Many thanks to the original contributer for the idea to check the solder points! I owe you a beer.

crazyskater510

iTrader: (1)

fuel pump relay and distributor cap, same exact thing happen to my '92. it wouldnt even turn over if the starter was bad.

civiclx1988

fuel main relay and if you try and start your car to many times it pops the ecu fuse owned several honda's every damn one had the main relay problem i keep a spare under the seat