2000 4cyl auto accord 200k miles

Intermittent no start, doesn't happen every time. It just cranks over, won't fire up. Most of the time just letting off key and trying again it will fire up. When it is running it runs and drives perfect. No real repetitive way to get it to not start, only time it does it almost every time is if it has been run and shut off for about an hour or so and tried to re-start.

Things that have been replaced within last 6months or sooner: battery, fuel pump, plugs, wires, dist cap and rotor, and the main relay.

This is my wife's car, so I don't drive frequently. It seems to me it's ignition related, but I have not been able to verify that it loses spark when it won't start. Every time it does not start, by the time I get a plug in a plug wire and try again it fires up....grrr

I'm trying to get her to look and watch the "green key" on the dash every time it won't start, but no luck yet on that either.

Any help, suggestions, or ideas would be greatly appreciated, I'm tired of guessing and throwing money at it.

 

Forgot to note, no check engine light, and it's cold here 20-30 degrees. Temperature doesn't seem to affect it.

 

Here's what you do, it's pretty easy. On the starter, there are really two wires. One is big and it comes straight from the battery, the other is small and comes from the ignition. Take off the small wire. Sit it on the lower radiator hose. Grab a multimeter and put a set of alligator leads on it and put the red one on that wire. Put the black one on negative post of the battery. Turn your multimeter to 20v test or so. Have someone crank it. If you get 12v on the multimeter the issue is the starter. If this is the case, buy some starter contacts either on ebay, amazon, or "larry b's starter contacts" and swap it in and see that thing starts. If not, then you need to replace the starter. More times than none it's just the starter contacts bad. And they are about $15. It's really easy to swap those in. If you don't get 12v at that wire then the issue is normally either the ignition switch, the neutral safety switch or the starter relay.


If the issue is one of those lemme know and i will let u know how to test those it's not hard but normally it's the starter contacts. One way to judge is to have someone tap the starter with something like a hammer when it doesn't start. If it does, then it's normally the starter contacts not making contact, but doing so when you hit it.

 

Must not have been clear on this, the starter is fine. It cranks over every time perfectly. The problem I'm having is that the engine doesn't start occasionally.

 

nah i had a couple beers and didnt really read it all lol

when it doesnt start check for spark and fuel

 

I just had a similar problem. Is the green key flashing on the console when you turn the ignition on?

 

It hasn't flashed that I have seen, I'm trying to get my wife to remember to look at that green key every time she starts it, but no luck on her seeing what it does when it fails to start yet. I have had her try a diff key and it does same thing, sometimes start sometimes not.

Also trying to get her to listen for fuel pump b4 she starts it.

It seems to me like ignition related, because when it fails to start norm a quick off and back on with the key will get it to fire. Once it fires up it runs perfect, no spit or sputter. I would think if fuel related it would miss or something as soon as it fires because not giving car enough time to build fuel pressure??

 

Messed with it this afternoon, of coarse it starts perfect for me so no testing today. I did clean up chassis and engine grounds. And I made a new ground that runs from the wiring harness right under engine compartment fuse box ground and ran over to the chassis ground off the battery. Don't know if that will help, but trying to eliminate possible issues.

 

Since it cranks you just need to find out if there is a spark or fuel issue. It's that simple. Then you go from there. Or you can just do nothing it's up to you.

This assumes the green immobilizer light is not coming on.

 

Please enlighten me how I can simply figure this out? It would be simple if it wouldn't start at all. Then yes all I would need to do is fig out spark or fuel... You see the issue is the no start is very intermittent , and generally the second try it will start. So by the time I get to look at it or test something the dang thing will fire up making it nearly impossible to test anything.

I'm looking for good technical advice, maybe someone with similar problem.

 

have a ratchet w/ 17mm socket and a spark tester handy ... when it doesnt start do a spark test ... if u have spark u do a quick dirty fuel test by pulling the fuel bolt on the fuel rail

 

Every time it fails to start, and I'm at home to test, I grab a plug and yank a wire and put test plug in wire and lay on engine. I proceed to hit key again to see if it has spark and of coarse it does that time because it starts up lol. Generally the second attempt after no start it fires up norm.

Now I haven't checked fuel pressure because honda decided this car didn't need a fuel pressure check port, but also haven't checked fuel because it's really not giving me symptoms of fuel related problems like I'm used to. For starters it only fails to start once in a while no matter how long it sits, second after it fails to start and once it finally does start it runs perfect, no miss or anything. Generally if fuel pressure is bleeding off when sitting once engine does get fuel pressure and starts it misses at least slightly until complete fuel pressure is obtained, if an injector is leaking off the fuel pressure it norm goes into a cylinder and floods that cyl so when it does start it misses bad and get raw fuel smell from gas. And if it's just not the pump being energized and running at engine cranking once in a while there should be enough residue fuel pressure in the line and rail to at least fire up and run for few seconds right?

That being said, I do need to look into the fuel side of it at least just to eliminate it.

Where is this bolt on fuel rail your talking about? Is it a just a plug?

 

try this firstgo down to a part store and pick up some Isoheet and dump the bottle in your fuel tank and drive around a bit...water freezes at 32 degrees and i think sometimes it freezes in the lines...Isoheet removes water ...see if the issue seems to subside

 

It has been doing this at random for months, through multiple tanks of fuel and at temperatures ranging from -10 to +50 degrees

 

Which post is correct ?

 

Both statements are correct. Fist one was stating it was 20-30 degrees that day when I posted it. If you would have read the following sentence you would have seen where I said "temperature doesn't seem to affect it". The second statement is also correct because it has been having this random no start issue for quite a while and temperatures have ranged anywhere from -10 to 50 above in this time. I only posted temperatures so that intelligent people wouldn't wonder if it had anything to do with the coolant temp sensor for the PCM not working correctly and not adding fuel on cold start ups. I really don't know why I'm wasting my time with you, I came here to get some input on common problems with these cars, hopefully some good technical advice or testing procedures. Not "put some isoheet in the tank"

 

Ok good luck.

 

I had a similar issue with my 94 Accord EX. I read endless posts about it and came across one stating that the circuit board in the main relay tend to crack soldering joints over time. So I took my main relay out, opened it up, and resoldered each joint carefully and re-installed it.

Almost a year now and I have not had one single issue with a no-start.

Now, I know you said you replaced the main relay already, but may be defective?? Open it up and inspect the soldering joints. That would be my next step....

 

his advice is actually correct, I have the same issue you have since I bought the car last year and. When I put that in my tank the car never didn’t start but slowly the problem started again I should do it again. You should try finding one like Lucas and putting it in there it won’t hurt, you don’t have to be so rude to someone online he was just offering expertise and you didn’t realize that he was actually giving you sound advice. Peace and Love from Route 66.

IE can I hear what your advice is, I tried that and it helped, thanks.