First, many thanks to everyone who helped out earlier getting my baby running again. I am in your debt.

Mid-summer I had to replace the starter and re-solder the main relay in my 1990 ls. Everything was great for a while.

But now, if I start it and drive for a bit to run an errand, when I go to leave it won't start. I have to let it sit for another 6-8 hours before it will go. The relay gives all 3 clicks, but the starter won't turn. There is power from the battery and I can hear the fuel pump doing its thing. There is no error code when it won't start.

At first I could consistently get 2 starts and the problem would come on the 3rd start. Now it is worse. I have a new starter, fuses, and re-soldered main relay. Considering that it starts fine after it sits, I'm at a loss for what is wrong. If it were spark plugs, the distributor, or the starter, would it even start at all?


Modified by reomi at 9:24 AM 9/29/2008

 

You might just have a lag in your starting. Try holding the key at the last position on your ignition. If there is a lag it might be your alarm, if you have one. If that doesn't work, it might be your ignition switch or a ground (battery, the one on the valve cover, or the transmission ground).

 

I agree with the previous post. Check your grounds and it could possibly be a bad ignition switch as well.

 

Thanks for the suggestions. No alarm on the car, so that is not it.

If I hold the key in place it still won't start, I can hear the fuel pump and a slight buzz, that might be the electricity headed to the starter.

I'll check the grounds. If they were bad, why would that make it so it would start again 6-8 hours later? Seems like if they were bad, they would stay that way and I would get some sort of an error code.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by reomi &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Thanks for the suggestions. No alarm on the car, so that is not it.

If I hold the key in place it still won't start, I can hear the fuel pump and a slight buzz, that might be the electricity headed to the starter.

I'll check the grounds. If they were bad, why would that make it so it would start again 6-8 hours later? Seems like if they were bad, they would stay that way and I would get some sort of an error code.</TD></TR></TABLE>

A bad ground could be contacting metal intermittently and working sometimes. Most of the time its as simple as a ground. You may also want to check if its the small signal wire on the starter. If that's not connected or bad, you can have starting problems.

 

Thanks again all for your suggestions. Can't find a ground issue and the small wire is connected on the starter. Whenever it won't start I will check that it is well connected just to be sure.

If it had done this just once or twice I would be willing to write it off. However, given that every time I drive the car, it will not start on the second or third leg of trip (ie drive to point a, turn off and do business then start and drive to point b... I never get to point D and often not to point c).

It seems there is something systemic here. Once it warms up and runs something is wrong until it has fully cooled, which takes 6-8 hours.

The car does seem to have developed a slow radiator leak, but I always check the fluid levels before I start it.

Thoughts?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by reomi &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">First, many thanks to everyone who helped out earlier getting my baby running again. I am in your debt.

Mid-summer I had to replace the starter and re-solder the main relay in my 1990 ls. Everything was great for a while.

But now, if I start it and drive for a bit to run an errand, when I go to leave it won't start. I have to let it sit for another 6-8 hours before it will go. The relay gives all 3 clicks, but the starter won't turn. There is power from the battery and I can hear the fuel pump doing its thing. There is no error code when it won't start.

At first I could consistently get 2 starts and the problem would come on the 3rd start. Now it is worse. I have a new starter, fuses, and re-soldered main relay. Considering that it starts fine after it sits, I'm at a loss for what is wrong. If it were spark plugs, the distributor, or the starter, would it even start at all?


Modified by reomi at 9:24 AM 9/29/2008</TD></TR></TABLE>

With this logic, it could be a main relay problem. I've heard that the older honda main relays that when it gets too hot the solders will start to loosen up and give it a bad connection. Once you let the main relay cool down, the solder points will come into good connection again. Maybe you should look into this.