my 98 Civic runs great but recently it's had an issue where if I turn the motor off for a short break like at a gas station or running into the store, when I try to start it again it turns over but won't start. So far every time this has happened (4 or 5 times in the last couple of weeks) if I sit for a few minutes and try it again it will eventully start right away.

The only time this has happened when the car had been sitting overnight, as opposed to having been running, stopped, then tried to start again, was a very vet day with really high humidity in the air. That was actually the first time this happened. But since then it's been on clear dry days.

Any insight? Thanks.

 

I would test your coil. Also could be the ICM in the dizzy.

 

Sounds like it could be your main relay. Pretty common for your car not to start after it has been running for a little then you turn it off then try to start it again after running into the store or getting gas.

There are plenty of posts about it that probably explain it better than I can. But if you get a no start, turn the key to the run position (don't turn it over) and listen for a click from your glove box area, and then your pump should run for a second or two, you should hear a hum from the middle of your back seat, then another click from the glove box area and then the pump should shut off. If there are no clicks, its a bad relay. There are contacts in it that give you issues when it heats up.

If it clicks and you hear the pump run, it is something else. On my 98 LX, it was my ECT, but I also had a big drop in MPG, which you didn't mention you were having.

If it is your main relay, and you know how to solder, you can fix it that way (search the forums/web). Otherwise you can get a replacement almost anywhere cause it is so common.

 

if its smoking it could be your head gasket when u turn it off drops of water land in your piston and when u want to start it up it will sputter and eventually start look for steam out of your exhaust

 

main relay

 

thanks, that sounds like it's probably it. I'll check it out.

 

I was just reading up on the main relay somewhere else, it definately sounds like that is the likely culprit, however one of the things I read said that if once the car starts if it runs fine it isn't the relay. What do you folks know about that? Because aside from that everything I'm reading about a bad relay sounds exactly like my problem.

 

thanks for the pointer to the main relay. I've pulled it out hoping to find a simple bad solder joint but they all look ok. Before I go out and spend $50 to get a new one I'm hoping to confirm that this is the problem.

Definately when it doesn't start I don't hear the click from the relay. When I do finally hear the click it starts up right away. But once its running it stays running, that's my main question still, if it's a bad relay, would the car stall out sometimes or not necessarily?

 

Electrical issues are sometimes on-again, off-again, because of heat expansion. If you were to turn off your car to fill it with gas, and then it does not start, sometimes--it very well may be electrical.

As others have wrote, it could be the main relay. Or the distributor coil or the entire distributor. If you are not hearing the main relay clicking when you encounter the issue, it very well may be the main relay.

The main relay is a tricky bastard, as the connections might look good and solid, but may still be compromised. You should replace it, plug and play item, not too bad on cost either.

Good luck buddy! let us know how you get along with the issue.

 

Like others have said, test the ICM, Main Relay, Coil, ect.

When the car doesn't start next time run a wire from the starter solenoid to the battery. If it starts that way then the main relay is most likely fine. If it doesn't start then it could be a starter issues, ground wire issue, or one of the items mentioned above.

 

You should hear that click all the time, I think that point to the main relay if not.

But pretty uncommon for this generation for it to go bad.

 

Vibration kills them over time. I have a spare just in case.

 

So for good measure I touched up all the solder joints even though they all looked fine under close inspection. But the car did start up fine after two short trips last night. Maybe I got lucky and it just wasn't seated well in it's socket anymore due to 125000 miles worth of vibrations.

Anyway, I appreciate the help from this forum.

 

after driving a CRX for 6 years....I have a spare main relay as well. Nothing like having to sit somewhere for an extra 2 hours b/c your car wont start til it "cools down"....ah good times.

 

http://techauto.awardspace.com/civicrelay.html

Overview

Why doesn't my Honda or Acura start sometimes? The main relay is famous for stranding people for a few minutes usually in a parking lot in hot weather. The problem is so common that it's been coined the "petrol station fuel relay" from fuel station attendants. The technical name for the main relay is PGM-EFI Main Relay Assembly. PGM stands for programmed, EFI stands for Electronic Fuel Injection.


Main relay symptoms are:

-Car won't start when hot outside (fuel injected PGM-FI models only. For carb see [See My car is not fuel injected why won't my fuel pump work?] )
-Car won't start after parked for just a minute.
-Car starts but quickly dies as the rpm shoots to 1300 rpm. A second cranking attempt will crank but no signs of catching or any strong rpm movements.
-Once started the car won't stall. After the car runs for a couple minutes, the symptoms return after shutting off the engine.
-Windows have been rolled up on a hot day when problem occurred.
-The heater was on before turning the car off.
-Tapping your fingers or keys on the main relay will start the car.
-No (humming) sound from the fuel pump the moment the ignition switches ON.
-No click sound after the ignition key turns on or
-No click sound two seconds after the ignition turns on.
-Check engine light comes on (rare cases) or stays on longer than usual and no sparks (electronic timing only.)
-10-15 of waiting and the car pushed to a shade, will usually start.
-If this is your car, see Solutions.

Other common and important electrical problems such as the distributor, ignition switch, fuel pump, transmission and the cooling system circuit are examined on this site. You've come to the right place for an in debt look into the most common electrical problems that you may be able to do the repairs by yourself and get back on the road again. Since the main relay is the most reported problem more attention has been dedicated to the main relay. Choose your symptoms on this page and follow the link destinations or use the top left navigation to known common problems.

 

Ingition Module in the Distributor. My car does it except I have to wait about half an hour...Id get that fixed ASAP

 

SO did you fix it? check for headgsket sriously thats a 10 second check,,, open your radiator cap and turn on the engine if it shoots out you have a leak,,, check the ground for your fuel injectors its on it on the right side of the intake manifold both of these are 10 second checks

 

x2 it will act up a lot more in either really cold weather or really warm weather;
Best of luck.

 

OP here... having removed the main relay, touched up all the solder joints and put it back so far the problem seems to be fixed. Thanks to this board I've saved some $$ !!