Honda Car Forum

Hey all, help needed !

1993 Honda Concerto (RHD). failed to start one evening, no warning,
was running fine prior to this problem and no hard braking that may
have triggered any inertia switch.

Engine cranks but will not start. Spark present although yellow/white
and not the normal blue colour you would expect but seems strong
enough.

Main relay seems fine as the click occurs in time with the engine
management light going out.

Distributor cap fine, no cracks / leaks.

Replaced igniter and coil and the problem remains.

All electrics seem fine, seems like a fuel starvation as plugs are dry
after cranking.

1) I have been unable to find a fuel cut off switch if there is one.

2) What could cause the fuel starvation and how best to check?

Any advice much appreciated.

Mark.

removeme wrote:
> Hey all, help needed !
>
> 1993 Honda Concerto (RHD). failed to start one evening, no warning,
> was running fine prior to this problem and no hard braking that may
> have triggered any inertia switch.
>
> Engine cranks but will not start. Spark present although yellow/white
> and not the normal blue colour you would expect but seems strong
> enough.
>
> Main relay seems fine as the click occurs in time with the engine
> management light going out.
>
> Distributor cap fine, no cracks / leaks.
>
> Replaced igniter and coil and the problem remains.
>
> All electrics seem fine, seems like a fuel starvation as plugs are dry
> after cranking.
>
> 1) I have been unable to find a fuel cut off switch if there is one.
>
> 2) What could cause the fuel starvation and how best to check?
>
> Any advice much appreciated.
>
> Mark.


========================

Do a search for 'main relay', and see if your symptoms match. If you've
got spark, your distributor is spinning, so Timing Belt is OK (at least
partially). Do you actually hear the fuel pump running for a second or
two, of just hear the relay click? If not, turn key to II and smack the
dash between the steering wheel and the door. If it runs the pump, the
car will now start. Resolder relay.....

If you said you've got 300,000Km on it, a check of the fuel pump's
ground (earth) wire woiuld be indicated.

'Curly'

On Fri, 22 Oct 2004 15:56:33 -0600, "motsco_ _" <"motsco_
_"@interbaun.com> wrote:

>Do a search for 'main relay', and see if your symptoms match. If you've
>got spark, your distributor is spinning, so Timing Belt is OK (at least
>partially). Do you actually hear the fuel pump running for a second or
>two, of just hear the relay click? If not, turn key to II and smack the
>dash between the steering wheel and the door. If it runs the pump, the
>car will now start. Resolder relay.....
>
>If you said you've got 300,000Km on it, a check of the fuel pump's
>ground (earth) wire woiuld be indicated.

Thanks for the ideas. Main relay was my next thought after lack of
fuel, but as you say, I can hear the relay click in time with the
warning light going out and can hear the fuel pump (I think) for a
short time also. I understand the main relay is made up of two
circuits so this could still be a possibility.

Will check the earth for the fuel pump. For what it's worth I was
wrong about the milage - it stands at 59,326.

Any other reasons the engine would crank and not start? Any other
thoughts as to the cause of the fuel starvation?

Is there a fuel cut off on this model (as with the Rover 216 it's
based on)?

Thanks again,
Mark.