My 98 Accord DX non V-TEC 5 speed has 209k on it and recently started doing a no start intermittently. When I say no start, I mean it cranks briskly with no indication of trying to start. No combustion, not even a sputter. I usually cut it off after 5 seconds because it usually starts in a second or less. In most cases, the second time I try it, it starts normally. Today, it took three tries to get it to start, the third try it fired right up.

This was AFTER I got up at 5am and drove 1.5 hours each way to look at another car with my son, stopping once each way for coffee or refuel and once up there to test drive the POS I went to look at. Started perfectly every time before I got home. Runs and drives just fine (except for the intermittent P1457 it's always had) once it's going, git 31 mpg last tank mixed.

Is this something like a crankshaft position sensor starting to go? I know nothing about Hondas but I've seen them gradually fail on Volvos and die immediately on Jeep inline 6's..

The only other thing I can mention that may come into play is the fact that the rubber hose connecting the air filter housing and the throttle body has an aging "duct tape seal" down near the TB. It came this way from the PO, I have a new one to go on if it ever warms up any.

Suggestions would be great, this is my only daily now that the Subaru decided to reward me for putting on a new coil by developing an amazing gas leak somewhere under the intake.

Thanks

 

electrical stuff tends to crap out then start working again so it can be tough to pinpoint.
ignition coil is the weakest link imho. even the good ones only go for 75k or so miles before biting the dust.

Honda Acura ignition (no spark) troubleshooting tutorial - How to

 

Thanks for the link. I gave it a once over and it should be helpful, gives me a lot more to look at and think about.

The PO replaced the distributor and coil and main relay within the past year, I put new NGK plugs and wires on it a few weeks ago, so we can cross those off, I think.

I see a slight bit of corrosion on the positive terminal of the battery and that is on the list, so I'll clean that up as low hanging fruit and see if it helps. It's so intermittent, it's hard to pin down. Odd thing is, I just sold a 99.5 Jetta and it did the same thing once towards the end of it's time with me and it never did it again in the 2 or 3 weeks before I sold it.

Would a vacuum leak in the duct tape intake hose cause this? I know Volvos with the old school CIS fuel injection systems were really sensitive to vacuum leaks. I bought 3 or 4 of them that wouldn't start or ran like crap and a half hour replacing vacuum lines usually had me driving them home.

 

maybe it's a fuel pump going bad? mine lasted less than 10 years.
more food for thought:

Starting Problems

 

This is what I have:
Car cranks (you hear chugga-chugga from under the hood), but it never feels like it wants to "catch" and fire up
Once it starts, it runs just fine and usually restarts without a problem.

I cleaned both positive and negative battery posts and terminals, they had more corrosion than I thought. Maybe that was it, time will tell..

 

I think there is a main relay up under the dash on drivers side that could be going out. I forget what it is called, someone here should be able to say. Could be crank position sensor. I assume these cars have one.

 

The main relay has been replaced, the PO said it took him a while to figure out what was going on with that. If removing the terminal corrosion from the battery posts doesn't help, I'll keep digging. I thought CPS as well but sensors seem to heat fail and it's been cold around here. The wiring wouldn't care, though.

Thanks

 

So far, cleaning the terminals has eliminated the starting problem (even sitting outside in 2 degree weather) and the car actually runs with more pep. I'll report back if this changes but so far, so good.