My Accord cranks and sputters a little, then doesn't stay running.

I added some gas, thinking the gas gauge might be off or there might be water in the gas.

The problem seems to happen more when the engine is hot.

I am working on replacing the fuel filter and possibly replacing the fuel pump.

Two sources say a common problem is the distributor. Would a bad distributor have these symptoms? Are there replaceable parts inside the distributor, such as rotor or pickup coil?

Other suggestions?

Thanks,
CarlD trimagna@yahoo.com

 

check out the main relay, sounds like it

 

Where is the main relay and how do I test it?

Thanks,
- CarlD trimagna@yahoo.com

 

wooo before you spend money replacing things why dont you diagnose problem...
when problem occurs are you getting gas??? spark???? if you are getting fuel replacing relay and pump ( by the way i have rarely seen a bad pump )..is a waste of money ..it could be a bad ignitor, coil, if you are not getting fuel i would chk the relay first for cracked soderings ,,,
my suggestion diagnose first .....

 

Where is the relay?
How do I test it?

 

Yeah, I'm wondering too... Where is the relay and how do you test. Someone please answer.

 

relay is located driver side under dash ..looking from underneath it has kind of brownish/rusty color . 7 or 8 wires going to it if you got cruise remove control box it is much easier to remove realy... once out, separate it from casing a small screwdriver will do, look at the soldering for cracks ,,resolder if any are cracked put all back together

 

check your distributor cap and rotor. i was camping at the beach one weekend and then my car would not turn over. the starter would crank and all, and sometimes it seemed like it was about to fire up...but no deal. so i called my uncle, who is a tech at a honda dealership, he had me tow the car to the dealership. as soon as the car got there, he had it dropped infront of his bay and hooked it up to a battery charger/starter. he kept cranking the motor to try and burn off the fuel that i flooded into the motor while trying to start it. he got it started and the motor sounded like ****. then he took off the distributor cap and...there was my problem-- oil inside my distributor cap, which was probably from a worn seal on the distributor. so he took out my distributor, busted out a used distributor that he cleaned and rebuilt, got me a new cap and rotor from the parts deptartmetn and the car started and ran like a charm. 30 minutes after my car arrives at the dealership--i was off and zoomin again.

regarding the fuel filter-- i have another project accord that i bought for 500. it had a nasty backfiring problem when i'd start it up. i talked to some friends and i was told to replace my fuel filter. so i spend almost 20 bucks on a new filter, and the car still backfired. then i decide to put in these sh!tty *** champion spark plugs that i had and the problem went away.

before u replace the fuel filter, check the distributor cap and rotor.

 

Here's an update.

The car is still not functional.

I bought a new Honda original RZ-0088 main relay in a sealed package on eBay.

I connected it - no change. I have the identical problem.

I removed the distributor cap - I don't think that is the problem but I am willing to change the cap and rotor as the next step.

There are two very interesting symptoms. First, the ignition switch does NOT have a RUN position. I was trying to roll up the electric window. I realized that the only way was to try to start the car and to roll the windows up why the car is cranking for a few seconds. In other words, the ignition switch does not start at a position where the dash lights (check engine, air bag test, and so on) are lit. Another possibly related condition is the gas gauge is always at HALF FULL.

I checked fuses under the hood and under the left footwell kick panel. There are no findable fuse problems. HOWEVER, there is a 3 wire connector that looks cooked. Standing at the passenger front fender facing the engine, the wire enters the fuse box from the edge closest to the front of the engine.

The car had the remnants of an old Viper Alarm. There is a small toggle switch on the left footwell post near the hood release latch. The car has fewer functions when the toggle is in one position, but the car still won't start when it is in the other position.

- Should I look for a starter kill circuit related to the alarm?
- Do I need an ignition switch?
- Should I have the tow truck take it to the dealer for service?

Thanks,
- CarlD

 

i am beginning to wonder if you have a bad electrical part of ignition switch,, have you tried to hold key slightly off the start position will car stay running???

 

The accessory mode of the ignition is what keeps everything going for your engine to run. You can crank and try to start it all day but if it does not stay on accessory all the other stuff (alternator, fuel pump, etc.) will shut off. I'm thinking ignition switch myself.

 

ignition switch

 

I'm getting frustrated.

The only discernible sign of a problem is the 3-wire connector in the relay/fuse module under the hood on the passenger side near the firewall.

The connector looks FRIED.

There are three wires which feed up the front edge of the box, fitting between some plastic barbs that hold them in place. They snake over the front edge of the fuse tray.

What do they do?

Does anyone have a high quality wiring diagram?

Thanks,
- CarlD trimagna@yahoo.com

 

trim anyway you can snap a photo and post it here ??