Hi All,

I have a 1990 4-speed manual Honda Civic Hatchback base model with approx. 150K miles on it (everything is stock... with the exception of the rearview mirror that broke). Lately I've had problems starting my car in the following scenarios:

1. Right after I fill the gas tank to full, I try to start my car to leave the gas station, it won't start.

2. After I drive it for only a few minutes, shut off the engine and then attempt to restart immediately.

In both of these situations, if I wait about 15 minutes then the car starts just fine. The battery is full and the car attempts to turn over but it just can't start. On one occassion, I tried to roll start it but that didn't work (waiting 15 minutes did the trick). Has anyone experienced similar problems?

One of my friends suggested that the engine maybe flooding (I don't know much about cars so I don't know what that really means or how to fix it... maybe try not to fill the gas tank full?). Another one suggested that it has something to do with the fuel line because the problem only occurs when the car is warm.

Does anyone know what's the problem? Or how much it would cost to repair this problem.

Oh, I also have a problem with the seatbelt speakers beeping non-stop sometimes (usually after I let a passenger out of my car). It goes away if I restart the car, but I'm afraid to turnoff the engine as there is a non-zero chance it will not start again... Has anyone else experienced this problem? Can you offer some solutions? (As a last resort, I will try to find and rip out the annoying speaker...)

Thank you for taking time to read this. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

-K

 

Hey I just had the same problem. All you have to do is change you fuel pump relay ( it under the driverside dash along side of the fuse panel on the body of the car ). It costs about $60.00 to get one from a honda garage. You can try and pick one up somewhere else but it is very hard to find one. GET IT CHANGED RIGHT AWAY OR YOUR CAR WON'T START.

 

Thanks for the reply. What does the fuel pump relay do? Is it only partly broken right now because I can start my car after 15 minutes of waiting? Sorry if these questions seem stupid but I'm just trying to understand what's going on.

 

also known as the Main Relay..

 

The fuel pump relay or Main relay is what turns your fuel pump on and off. Mine did the same thing as yours I would fill it up and it wouldn't start or I would run it for about 2 hours and shut it off and it wouldn't start. My car lasted 7 months before the fuel pump relay went out. When you go to the honda dealer remember to bring you VIN number because there are 3 different fuel relays and with your VIN they can get you the right one.

 

Thank you for your help. I went today and bought a "Power Relay" I told the guy that I needed a "Fuel Pump Relay" or a "Main Relay" for my 90 Honda Civic Hatchback and he said the "Power Relay" is the same thing.

Is this correct? I haven't opened the plastic wrap yet so I want to make sure it is the same before I plug it in to the car.

Thanks again for the help. I hope this fixes my problem. I suspect the non-stop seat-belt beeping also has something to do with faulty electronics.

 

try to check and see if the relay is triggering or else youll waste ur money

use battery voltage to do so

 

How do I check if the relay is triggering? I take it you mean to check the old relay and leave the new one in the package. (Does anyone know if I bought the right one?)

Sorry I don't know much about cars.

 

Yo. I have also had similar problems to yours but i also have something to add. One thing i've noticed is sometimes my 90 Civic CRX DX wont start when I try around midday. I feel it has something to do with the heat because it only happens on hotter than normal days. I've never had it happen to me on days it was raining (which is often, I live in washington) or on cooler days like around fall or winter so thats why I think it has something to do with the temp.

For example, today its about 80 degrees and I've tried multiple times to get my car to start, usually waiting about 30 min inbetween, with no luck. It turns over, sounds fine, but just never starts.

I'm going to look into that fuel pump/main/power relay as mentioned in above posts but I wanted to also post my situation to see if any of you think it could be the same situation.

Thanks in advance for any advice or help.

 

Yes, I've noticed that it occurs more often on really hot days. I'm in SoCal... so I hope to fix the problem because there will be many hot days ahead...

Actually, I just did some searching and here's what MSN Auto has to say about the 1991 Honda Civic:

"Common problems on this vehicle are failures of the Igniter and the Main Relay, and an occasional problem is failure of the Fuel Injectors (Throttle Body Fuel Injection only). Failure of the Igniter or the Main Relay will prevent the vehicle from starting.The cost to repair the Igniter is estimated at $82.00 each for parts and $45.50 for labor.The cost to repair the Main Relay is estimated at $48.00 for parts and $45.50 for labor.The cost to repair the Fuel Injectors is estimated at $88.00 each for parts (total of 2) and $45.50 for labor.All prices are estimates based on $65 per flat rate hour and do not include diagnostic time or any applicable sales tax."

Perhaps those that know more about cars can shed some light on how to tell whether it's the Igniter, Main Relay, and/or the Fuel Injectors that's the problem.

Thank you very much.

 

bump for reply


Modified by H0nda1 at 11:33 PM 7/5/2004

 

please, anyone?