My girlfriend owns a 2006 Civic, about 90k km and the car is having trouble starting.

It's a very vague description, but sometimes when she tries to start it, the engine makes an attempt at starting, but won't start. It's not like nothing is happening -- the engine jerks a bit like it's trying to start, but doesn't.

The problem is that the car starts about 80% of the time, but doesn't start 20% of the time. We towed it to my mechanic and it was working when it was with him, so he said he couldn't fix it unless he sees it not starting. I had it for about a week and it worked fine when it was with me. It works most of the time it's with her, but the 20% is causing issues.

She said she presses the gas pedal when she starts it (don't ask me why) and her parents told her it's not working because she's flooding the engine. I can get some more info from her, but I'm not really sure what other questions to ask.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

Needs more info. Does it not work mostly around cold starts? Warm starts? etc.

To my knowledge holding down the gas pedal will not affect squat until the engine is started, since it's not a cable driven pedal system. Then again, i am not a Honda programmer.

Disabling the gas pedal system until the motor is started would be the most logical thing.

 

I figured it might need more info, but there doesn't seem to be anything too noteworthy. It's not started after being off for 2 minutes after a 30 minute drive. And it's not started after not being turned on for a day. It doesn't seem to be happening in certain weather (it's spring in Toronto -- not too hot, not freezing).

She sent it to a mechanic who said it might be the starter. Said it would be $350 to fix.

 

Is there a CEL on? Have you put a load test on the battery? Does the vehicle have plenty of fuel? Can you hear the fuel pump priming before turning it over?

 

i do at least 1 starter a month an a r18 civic common issue put a starter and a cut relay in it if it is the starter.

 

I would start by telling her NOT to touch the gas when she is starting the car, the injected cars need no help from you when you start them for the first time or anytime of the day, you can do whatever you want after the car is running, but the car will do it's thing on it's own.

(Carburetor cars needed input from the driver to close the choke and some older drivers still think they need to touch the fuel pedal to start the car)

As for the problem I would change the plugs I'm sure by 90K they are shot anyway.

If the car starts and dies and then starts and runs on the second attempt it could be, the fuel is draining back to the tank, and the car needs to build fuel pressure to start.