1988 Honda Civic SE(DPFI) D15B2
The car starts perfect when its cold, or has been sitting for a while, although if I drive around a bit, stop, let it idle, then shut it off... it wont start up until I wait for like 10mins. This has happened before, so I changed the ignitor, I thought it fixed the problem until a couple days ago, I was driving to the store, I sat in the parking lot while my sister went in to pick up some stuff. I shut the car off to go get the mail(mail key is on my car key chain), then when I go to start the car, all it does is turn over, but wont fire up. So then when I got home, I checked for spark and whatnot and its all good, so I take it out again to try it.. go to the gas station, go inside to pick up a phone card for my cell and when I go back out to start it, it does it again. So this time I figured I'd be smart and check for codes... it was throwing a code 16, which is the fuel injectors, I checked both of the wires and they appeared to be ok to me, although one might have been a bit loose, but the car still didnt start up after. Then, 10mins later, like usual, the car starts and runs fine all the way home.

Sorry for such a long post, but does anyone know whats going on or hat I should check? thanks
Jamie

 

bump... someones gotta know

 

c'mon people... noone has the slightest idea for what I could even look for? no things I could check out at all?? so far, the only thing i could think of is a bad injector connector... but I dont see how it could have a good connection when the car is cold...
also, today after I got home from work, the car was warm, so i figured since im home I'd try shutting the car off for a minute then start it again. The weird thinng is that it seemed to start just fine... so its only sometimes that it does the strange no start thing...

 

Have you checked the MAIN Relay? This is easy-turn your key to the On position and watch the check light. If it goes off after 2 seconds all is good. You will also hear the Fuel pump run and stop at this time (radio off please). For another test-watch the Code light on the ECU while you turn the key to the On position-there should be 1 quick blink only, which means the ECU is good. These tests can be done with the engine hot or cold. The famous MAIN relay problem rears up more in warm weather, but is known to happen in the winter too.
It is possible that your distributor is failing. To check you need to look carefully at the inside of the cap and on the baseplate for bearing dust-sort of red in color. The distributor is not an easily repaired part except for things like the Ignitor which you have replaced already.
Hope this points you in the right direction.

 

hmm... thats a start atleast.. although im guessing that I'm gonna have to check those things next time it doesnt start for me... it doesnt happen all the time so I guess I'll just have to wait till it happens again to check...
I never even thought about listening for the fuel pump so on me for that...
ECU is good as far as i know, when I was checking it for codes when i got the code 16, i noticed when i first turned it on, i got one flash first, then i got 16, then 16 again... so the ecu should be good

thanks a lot for the suggestions man, I'm gonna have to make a list of things to check for next time it happens
if anyone else has any other suggestions, post em up

 

Classic Main Relay problem.

 

gl

 

yeah, im starting to think it may be the mail relay as well, although wouldnt it be more constant if it were the main relay? cause this doesnt happen every time, its only happened twice now since I've changed the ignitor, which was in october i think..
although not very often do i shut off the car when its warm, then start it up a minute later so that could be why, although even tonight when I tried it after work again, it started right up, no problem... maybe my main relay is just on its way out.

 

this happens to me too. happened when the car was DPFI and also when it was MPFI and when it was OBD1.