Honda Car Forum

1989 Honda Accord 5 speed, 2.0

Car will start and run for about 5 seconds at 3000 RPM and then shut down.
It will do this EVERY time I fire up the car. The engine seems to sound
fine.

Checked for vacuum leaks and the like, but can't figure this one out....


Any thoughts?

John

Eightupman wrote:
> 1989 Honda Accord 5 speed, 2.0
>
> Car will start and run for about 5 seconds at 3000 RPM and then shut down.
> It will do this EVERY time I fire up the car. The engine seems to sound
> fine.
>
> Checked for vacuum leaks and the like, but can't figure this one out....
>
>
> Any thoughts?
>
> John

Dunno, I would think the timing belt job was ok, if it sounds
fairly normal. A tooth off would effect the timing a good bit,
and at the least would run rough, or require a perverted timing
setting to get it to run. So I'd look at the obvious. Fuel and
spark until you can get it running long enough to check the
timing. Sounds like to me it's running out of fuel, but hard to
say guessing over a keyboard. Can you rig up a fuel pressure
gauge? It takes a banjo type fitting. I made one for a toyota
a while back from a bolt that I drilled out. I then attach a gauge
to that bolt, and presto, fuel pressure gauge. Make sure you
don't have a main relay, fuel system relay problem, fuel pump, etc.
If all that is ok, look into the ignition. I have a 89 accord too,
but mine is a carb. So I'm not as up on the "i" version..
You can get a manual of sorts from a "RU" site. I forgot the
exact address. Maybe do a search for aerodeck, manuals, etc..
The guy that hosted that drove an aerodeck.
MK

"Eightupman" <eightupman@newemail.com> wrote in message
news:Tp8%g.4704$_u4.2870@tornado.southeast.rr.com. ..
> 1989 Honda Accord 5 speed, 2.0
>
> Car will start and run for about 5 seconds at 3000 RPM and then shut down.
> It will do this EVERY time I fire up the car. The engine seems to sound
> fine.
>
> Checked for vacuum leaks and the like, but can't figure this one out....
>
>
> Any thoughts?
>
> John
>
>
Carbureted or fuel injected?

Mike

Eightupman wrote:
>
> 1989 Honda Accord 5 speed, 2.0
>
> Car will start and run for about 5 seconds at 3000 RPM and then shut down.
> It will do this EVERY time I fire up the car. The engine seems to sound
> fine.
>
> Checked for vacuum leaks and the like, but can't figure this one out....
>
> Any thoughts?
>
> John

-----------------------------------------

Sounds like a _ H U G E _ vacuum leak.

'Curly'

Mine had a similar problem. My problem was compound, due to sitting
too long without running. The main thing was that the float valve
needle o-ring was dissolved. In other words, the fuel pump floods the
bowl, and soon the engine has too much gas and dies. Look at the bowl
indicator window--is it flooded? Pinch off the gas after a second or
two--does the car run for longer than 5 secs?


Eightupman wrote:
> 1989 Honda Accord 5 speed, 2.0
>
> Car will start and run for about 5 seconds at 3000 RPM and then shut down.
> It will do this EVERY time I fire up the car. The engine seems to sound
> fine.
>
> Checked for vacuum leaks and the like, but can't figure this one out....
>
>
> Any thoughts?
>
> John

Michael Pardee wrote:

> >
> Carbureted or fuel injected?

According to his first post, it's a FI model.
Could be a big vac leak, but in a way I kinda
doubt it. It would stay running at high rpm,
but gag as soon as the car warmed up and the
idle dropped down to normal. His cuts out while
it's doing a smooth 3k rpm. To me, sounds like the
fuel is being cut off, or the ignition is dropping out.
I'm leaning more a fuel starvation problem at
this point in guessing. Which would probably be a
relay, pump, etc problem. But I'm just guessing too..
Need to have a pressure gauge on it to tell if the fuel
pressure is dropping out.
MK

Injected


"Michael Pardee" <michaeltnull@cybertrails.com> wrote in message
news:XcGdnUV4OdWW2qDYnZ2dnUVZ_o-dnZ2d@sedona.net...
> "Eightupman" <eightupman@newemail.com> wrote in message
> news:Tp8%g.4704$_u4.2870@tornado.southeast.rr.com. ..
>> 1989 Honda Accord 5 speed, 2.0
>>
>> Car will start and run for about 5 seconds at 3000 RPM and then shut
>> down.
>> It will do this EVERY time I fire up the car. The engine seems to sound
>> fine.
>>
>> Checked for vacuum leaks and the like, but can't figure this one out....
>>
>>
>> Any thoughts?
>>
>> John
>>
>>
> Carbureted or fuel injected?
>
> Mike
>

Car does not run longer than 5 secs....is FI, sorry all for not mentioning
that in my second post


"Greg" <greg@worthey.com> wrote in message
news:1161692594.356969.39270@i3g2000cwc.googlegrou ps.com...
> Mine had a similar problem. My problem was compound, due to sitting
> too long without running. The main thing was that the float valve
> needle o-ring was dissolved. In other words, the fuel pump floods the
> bowl, and soon the engine has too much gas and dies. Look at the bowl
> indicator window--is it flooded? Pinch off the gas after a second or
> two--does the car run for longer than 5 secs?
>
>
> Eightupman wrote:
>> 1989 Honda Accord 5 speed, 2.0
>>
>> Car will start and run for about 5 seconds at 3000 RPM and then shut
>> down.
>> It will do this EVERY time I fire up the car. The engine seems to sound
>> fine.
>>
>> Checked for vacuum leaks and the like, but can't figure this one out....
>>
>>
>> Any thoughts?
>>
>> John
>

Ok, went out to toy with it yesterday. The sumbich started up and ran
FINE.....until I took it around the block.

I got some history on the car from previous owner. Lets see if some of this
all makes sense. The car did the same thing BEFORE the timing belt
change...long before I even got under the hood. He said it (the stalling
problem) would last a couple days and then quit for a while. While talking
to him, (and after reading some suggestions) I asked if he noticed if the
car would do it at a certain fuel level (ie when the tank is close to empty)
He said that he did not pay attention to that.

Some additional info....I can DRIVE the car all day long...up and down the
gears as long as I do not have to stop or let off the pedal.

So that sort of eliminates some things logically I would think. If it was a
fuel pressure issue, I would think it would cut off any time it liked. If
it was a H_U_G_E vacuum issue it would not have run mysteriously for several
days at a time.

So my thought is now...EGR valve...if it is allowing exhaust in at idle,
that would surely shut it down. The plunger is working properly ON the car,
but that does not mean that it is seated properly....will check that
tomorrow.

Thanks to all and keep the ideas coming....I AM going to figure this one
out....sumbich.....LOL

John

"Eightupman" <eightupman@newemail.com> wrote in message
news:Tp8%g.4704$_u4.2870@tornado.southeast.rr.com. ..
> 1989 Honda Accord 5 speed, 2.0
>
> Car will start and run for about 5 seconds at 3000 RPM and then shut down.
> It will do this EVERY time I fire up the car. The engine seems to sound
> fine.
>
> Checked for vacuum leaks and the like, but can't figure this one out....
>
>
> Any thoughts?
>
> John
>
>

"Eightupman" <eightupman@newemail.com> wrote in
news:eMT%g.12279$2h.7259@tornado.southeast.rr.com:

> "Michael Pardee" <michaeltnull@cybertrails.com> wrote in message
> news:XcGdnUV4OdWW2qDYnZ2dnUVZ_o-dnZ2d@sedona.net...
>> "Eightupman" <eightupman@newemail.com> wrote in message
>> news:Tp8%g.4704$_u4.2870@tornado.southeast.rr.com. ..
>>> 1989 Honda Accord 5 speed, 2.0
>>>
>>> Car will start and run for about 5 seconds at 3000 RPM and then shut
>>> down.
>>> It will do this EVERY time I fire up the car. The engine seems to
>>> sound fine.
>>>
>>> Checked for vacuum leaks and the like, but can't figure this one
>>> out....
>>>
>>>
>>> Any thoughts?
>>>
>>>
>> Carbureted or fuel injected?
>>
>
>
> Injected
>
>


OK, so it goes vaROOMMMMMMMMM then dies, right?

First thing I'd be looking at is fuel pump operation. Does it run
continuously as this drama is unfolding? Have a helper sit in the trunk
with his ear to the floor while you try to start. The pump makes a
humming noise.



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