i have a small problem with my 89 dx hatchback:

i drive around for a bit and then get to where i am going. i park and turn off the car. if waht im doing takes less than about 5 minutes (dropping someone off or something like that), there seems to be about a 75% chance that the car does not turn back on. it cranks, but only cranks. after about ten seconds, the CEL comes on, and then i usually stop.

any ideas what could cause this?
how can i make my car reliable and have it start when i want to?

thanks!

 

someones got to have an idea

 

somebody help!

 

Difficult question....

It could be a bunch a things.

How mechnically inclined are you?

DO you have a multimeter?

When is the last time the car had a tune-up?

When it does start up, how does it idle?

Does it do this when it is hot outside? Or anytime?

Some people here will suggest main relay. It could, but it could something else. Hold off on this.

 

I have a 1988 DX with a B16 swap in it and it does the exact same thing. How can I check the main relay? Where is it located?

 

bump for more info....ill pull the code its throwing this weekend.

just bought the car about a month ago...no tune ups.

 

any more ideas?

 

well brainstorm a little bit... heat makes metal expand, metal "shrinks" when it cools...

then think about every part of the motor that falls into two categorys...
-has something to do with initial start-up
-gets relatively cool quickly

the only things i could think of....
-spark plugs <---need to be re-gaped? i would pull all the sp's and re-gap them if they do not meet oem specs.

-igniter <---needs to be replaced. i would replace the part or replace the dizzy. do the spark test...


the best way to go about this is to problem solve. ask not how what is the problem but what part/parts would cause this problem. you can narrow it down more by explaining the whole less-than-5-mintues thing and any other symptoms. once you have a general list of parts start from the top and eliminate posibilitys one by one.

 

Most likely main relay. Next time this happens, put your key to position 2, and you shoiuld hear your fuel pump whirring. If it doesn't make a whirring noise and doesn't start then its your main relay, 60 bucks to replace. Easy bolt on behind the drivers side kick panel. This is a common ef problem. Search "main relay" and you'll see their symptoms are the same.

 

There was a deal with the newer Accords doing the same thing. I think it was something about the main relay....