well this topic may be really broad, but this problem is really frustrating me. i drive an 89 accord manual. it has a lot of miles on it by the way. well basically, sometimes my car doesn't start. this problem began during the summertime. what's weird is that it wouldn't start during the day but then would start later in the evening. i asked around with a couple of my friends and stuff or people that knew something about cars and they told me that old honda's just have problems starting when it's hot or whatever. so i was ok whatever. cuz it made sense b/c my car would always start later in the evening when the temperature dropped. the problem kinda stopped after summer, but recently, i've started to have same problem, but it's not even like it's been that hot or anything. so i'm wondering whet the problem could be. i don't think it's the battery or alternator i've replaced those within the past few months. i dn't know. it makes the normal knda choking noise right before it starts but doens't start up. could it be the starter maybe? any help would be appreciated. thanks in advance

 

up

 

Hmm..... car wont "START". Starter maybe??

 

Main relay maybe, is it fuel injected or carbed'?? Does it turn over ?
My 89's main relay went bad and soldering it fixed it.

 

http://www.3geez.com

I am Bryan there, cause I have an 88 DX coupe. Very helpful people.

I also have a 92 Civic Hatch so that's why i'm on this site.

 

yo, thanks for the replies. i didn't know if it was starter b/c ever other time i had a starter problem with another car it made a weird clicking noise. also, it's a really random occurrence. i tried starting my car later the other day when it didn't start and it was fine. and i've been driving my car today and it's been no problem. i don't know?

 

another possibility: an old fuel filter? i know it happened to my car (not a honda)

purolator fuel filter clogged up on me after ~42K miles of replacing it...

just d/t the fact that i ran it to almost < 1/4 tank a few times (friggin' gas prices) & i think it clogged the fuel filter prematurely.

<just throwing another "dart" at your dartboard guessing diagnostic system>

 

You say it doesn't start ... is it cranking over or not???? is it cranking over but not starting????? does it crank over endlessly and not start ??? or does it just die (not cranking at all once you hit the key to start???? because if it does not crank at all you might want to check the shape of your battery terminals and wires and ground ...because bad connections are source to many problems. also check your
starter connections .

 

It could be your distributor, if the needles are worn down it can't fire properly. Or your starter is broken.

 

First, when is the last time you did a tune up on the car: plugs, air filter, fuel filter, etc....

Diagnosing this can be a bit tricky. What you need to do is make sure you have good spark and fuel when starting it. When you have trouble with it, pull a plug out and crank it. CHeck the intensity of the spark and such. If that jives, then you may want to check the fuel pressure by pulling off a line and cranking. If that shecks out to, it may be caused by simply old age and be a bit to time consuming and expensive to fix.
If spark is an issue, then i would suggest replacing all ignition components.

If fuel is an issue, the at least the fuel filter must be replaced and a thorough inspection of fuel components (pump, sceens, debris in tank, etc...) must be done.

fs

 

clicking sound when trying to start it sounds like the starter sylenoid is starting to go bad

does it start fine when you get it rolling and drop the clutch?

 

if its cranking and cranking, take a smell near the tailpipe, if dont smelll gas then it could be the relay for the fuel pump...

 

My suggestion would be to check out the fuel pump and the fuel pump relay. I had a similar problem in an old car of mine.