On a cold start my 92 si will crank but wont start. When it finally runs it dies after 4 seconds, then i crank it again and it wont run.... I started the car about am hour ago and it ran... as i drove onto the main street it died on me half way up hill. I cranked it several times an it wouldn't run, finally I let it roll down the hill and popped the clutch to start and it ran again so i rev'd it to 5000 rpm and did a burn out all the way up hill. the car has a new fuel filter, new oem fuel pressure reg. , MSD cap and Rotor, MSD plug wires, MSD blaster SS coil, NGK spark plugs. My friend said try the main relay because that contols the fuel pump I'm a BMW guy and don't know much about Hondas, any help will be greatly appreciated

 

Well, as far as the main relay goes, this it what you should be looking/hearing for.

Upon initially putting the key in the ignition, and moving it to the run position (your not starting the car yet) the engine light should come on and you should hear a distinctive click from beneath the dash. The engine light stays on for 2 seconds (if you listen hard enough you can hear the fuel pump run) then shuts off with another distinctive click underneath the dash. If your not getting two distinctive clicks, then the main relay is an issue. You can get variations of this which all indicate a main relay problem (engine light comes on, no click, and stays on....engine light comes on with click, engine light shuts off, but no second click, etc, you get both clicks and the engine light cycle...cars starts and immediately dies regardless of how much you push the pedal).

The main relay is located basically straight up from the hood release. It's an 8 pin plug with some larger gauge wires going into it. The main relay is just basically a little rectangular box.

Elaborate a little more on how the cars runs and idles when you do have it running. Also, does the car run with a check engine light on? You also mention "cold start" problems...to be clear, does you car restart perfectly fine after it is warmed up....all the problems disappear?

 

well i listened to the relay this morning and it sounded really faint hum of the pump and i did hear the click of the relay, to amswer your question when it does run and warms up the symptoms go away.

 

Well, on cold start the ecu has some fuel enrichment so a hard to start or rough idle could be the result of thermo valve issues.

Take your intake off and expose the throttle body. Get someone inside the car to get the car to start when cold. Once the car is start and cold still, put your finger over the lower left hole inside the throttle body. That is the hole that is used by the thermo valve, with the car cold this should have a strong vacuum at idle allowing bypass air into the mani during warmup. Once the coolant comes up to temp, the expanding wax thermo valve shuts and that hole stops bypassing air entirely.

Also, you didn't mention if you had any engine lights on with the car running.

 

I forgot to mention that this morning i when to crank it and i listened for the clicking of the relay and the humming of the pump, I turned the key heard a click and a Faint hum from the pump and then the second click so i cranked it and wouldn't run. I tried it cycling the key until i heard the first click and a louder hum from the pump and then the second click, so i cranked and the car started fine and didn't die or anything. I didn't drive to work because i didn't want to get stuck at work at 5:30. to answer your other question no check engine light when the car is running. When it cranks for more than 6 seconds the " Check Engine " light lights up, when I cycle the key to crank the engine again the check engine light is not on. If the check engine light comes on while cranking and then the car finally runs the check engine light goes out.

 

I'd probably go ahead and just replace the main relay because they are a known issue. It doesn't sound like that's the entire problem, but it sounds though it may be one of a couple of problems. Plus replacing it certainly would be a good idea, as like I said, they always go bad.

If you are getting a check engine after several seconds of cranking you do have a stored code. You need to jump the datalink connector and count the blinks of the engine light. Lone blink equals ten, short blink is one. Data link connector is two pins right above the ecu. Get a book for your car or search to maybe get a how to if your not familiar.

 

Okay , I put the main relay in and the car starts right up. I let it warm up. I drove the car about 3 blocks and when I came to a stop (I did a California stop) and gased it the engine died. I pulled over and cranked the car until the battery was dead. My friend came to help me push start and he popped the clutch and it ran, drove it back to the house and it was fine. I think the other problem is fixed but now i have a new one. Thanks a bunch for helping me by the way. Where can i find the instructions on jumping the datalink connector to find what codes i have?


Modified by 92BLKsihatch at 7:53 PM 12/29/2006

 

Check out http://www.pgmfi.org. In the Library section if you read a little bit, you'll find out how to extract the codes.

As far as your problem goes, the only reason a car won't start in the crank position, but will easily start if you drift start it is that you have some type of ignition switch issue. Basically, the ignition switches run position power distribution is what it needs to be, but in the crank position something is wrong. The EF chassis (88-91) have a fairly common ignition switch issue, but I've never had problems with the EG's. The only two things in the car that basically divert power manually is the main relay and the ignition switch, so if you replaced one then that pretty much points to the other.

I'd extract the code, but then I'd investigate possible ignition switch/wiring problems. I'd give you a better idea if I were home and able to look at the diagrams in my Helm's, but I'm at work right now.

 

Thanks, right now I'm going to do what you said with the intake and the bypass thing. I'm also going to see if i have spark going out of the distributor and clean out the IACV just as a precaution and it needs a good cleaning after 130,000 miles. After I'm done I'll drive it and let you know what happened. Thanks again for the help


Modified by 92BLKsihatch at 2:41 PM 12/30/2006

 

What ever you told me to fix on the car fixed the problem because the car hasn't shut off on me since. Thanks again for all your help, If you ever need help with BMW's I'll return the favor.
I'm a Certified BMW Tech.
o by the way that site for the codes didn't work