Honda Car Forum

My 90 accord was running fine then quit while driving and will not
restart. ECU gives no fault code ahd check engine does not light up.

Book says with no fault code or Check light I should go to other fuel
supply. Fuel supply trouble shooting guide says most likely with an
engine that won't start is fuel pump.

In running down the diagnostic checks in order to make sure power is
coming to the fuel pump, it says to remove the FI-PGM main relay and
jump the relay switch to the fuel pump then check the trunk connector
to see if there is voltage.

Questions:

Book says main relay under dash on drivers side. Where? what has to
come out to find it. Does the cruise control module block it from
vision?

Book says you should be able to hear the pump run for two seconds when
you first turn the ignition switch on by listening at the fuel filler
cap. I can't hear anything but hearing not as good as it used to be.
Is it loud and prounounced?

What else could cause an abrupt shut down of an engine with no restart
and no check engine light or ECU codes? Fuel pump not easy to change
(drop the tank) so I don't want to go there unless I'm absolutely sure
it is bad.

Thanks in advance for any help with this.

Because it will not restart, I'd guess the problem is not the infamous main
relay (supplying power to the fuel pump).

From my experience with my 1991 Honda Civic (bought new) and the many postings
here on "non starting cars," I think the most likely cause is a failed igniter.
Could be a a failed distributor coil, too, but these tend not to fail
catastrophically; one can usually get the car started again as the coil still
has some life in it but is not "full-strength." Both of these are inside the
distributor housing. Parts run about $200 if purchased at one of the Honda
online sites.

Other less expensive possibilities that end up getting changed out every two
years or so anyway: Needs either a new distributor cap, a new distributor rotor,
a new set of spark plugs, or a new set of spark plug wires. Total cost of all
the parts: Maybe around $120.

You can also try changing out your fuel filter. Cost of new filter: Around $20.

Have you ever had the main relay replaced? How about the igniter?
http://www.markl.f9.co.uk/howto/elec...main-relay.htm has more
info on these, including diagnostics. Also, you can Google and find other sites
that discuss both the main relay, igniter (or ignitor), and distributor coil.

Updates are welcome. :-)

"Frank Boettcher" <fboettcher@ebicom.net> wrote
> My 90 accord was running fine then quit while driving and will not
> restart. ECU gives no fault code ahd check engine does not light up.
>
> Book says with no fault code or Check light I should go to other fuel
> supply. Fuel supply trouble shooting guide says most likely with an
> engine that won't start is fuel pump.
>
> In running down the diagnostic checks in order to make sure power is
> coming to the fuel pump, it says to remove the FI-PGM main relay and
> jump the relay switch to the fuel pump then check the trunk connector
> to see if there is voltage.
>
> Questions:
>
> Book says main relay under dash on drivers side. Where? what has to
> come out to find it. Does the cruise control module block it from
> vision?
>
> Book says you should be able to hear the pump run for two seconds when
> you first turn the ignition switch on by listening at the fuel filler
> cap. I can't hear anything but hearing not as good as it used to be.
> Is it loud and prounounced?
>
> What else could cause an abrupt shut down of an engine with no restart
> and no check engine light or ECU codes? Fuel pump not easy to change
> (drop the tank) so I don't want to go there unless I'm absolutely sure
> it is bad.
>
> Thanks in advance for any help with this.

Frank,
Did you remove the distributor cap to make sure the rotor is turning
when you spin the engine? If it doesn't turn, you need a timing belt
(and possibly a lot more). You didn't mention your mileage or service
history.

(In a quiet neighborhood or garage, you can hear the fuel pump from the
inside of the car, unless you raced snowmobiles for a long time)

Fuel pumps don't seem to fail, but the relays sure do (although yours
doesn't sound like the right symptoms)

http://members.rogers.com/john-ings/MainRelay.HTM

'Curly'

Frank Boettcher wrote:
> My 90 accord was running fine then quit while driving and will not
> restart. ECU gives no fault code ahd check engine does not light up.
>
> Book says with no fault code or Check light I should go to other fuel
> supply. Fuel supply trouble shooting guide says most likely with an
> engine that won't start is fuel pump.
>
> In running down the diagnostic checks in order to make sure power is
> coming to the fuel pump, it says to remove the FI-PGM main relay and
> jump the relay switch to the fuel pump then check the trunk connector
> to see if there is voltage.
>
> Questions:
>
> Book says main relay under dash on drivers side. Where? what has to
> come out to find it. Does the cruise control module block it from
> vision?
>
> Book says you should be able to hear the pump run for two seconds when
> you first turn the ignition switch on by listening at the fuel filler
> cap. I can't hear anything but hearing not as good as it used to be.
> Is it loud and prounounced?
>
> What else could cause an abrupt shut down of an engine with no restart
> and no check engine light or ECU codes? Fuel pump not easy to change
> (drop the tank) so I don't want to go there unless I'm absolutely sure
> it is bad.
>
> Thanks in advance for any help with this.

Don't rule out the man relay. If you do have spark it's probably the
relay before it's the fuel pump. Check for spark first as it's much
easier to diagnose.


On Mon, 22 Dec 2003 08:44:23 -0700, "'Curly Q. Links'"
<motsco__@interbaun.com> wrote:

>Frank,
>Did you remove the distributor cap to make sure the rotor is turning
>when you spin the engine? If it doesn't turn, you need a timing belt
>(and possibly a lot more). You didn't mention your mileage or service
>history.
>
>(In a quiet neighborhood or garage, you can hear the fuel pump from the
>inside of the car, unless you raced snowmobiles for a long time)
>
>Fuel pumps don't seem to fail, but the relays sure do (although yours
>doesn't sound like the right symptoms)
>
>http://members.rogers.com/john-ings/MainRelay.HTM
>
>'Curly'
>
>Frank Boettcher wrote:
>> My 90 accord was running fine then quit while driving and will not
>> restart. ECU gives no fault code ahd check engine does not light up.
>>
>> Book says with no fault code or Check light I should go to other fuel
>> supply. Fuel supply trouble shooting guide says most likely with an
>> engine that won't start is fuel pump.
>>
>> In running down the diagnostic checks in order to make sure power is
>> coming to the fuel pump, it says to remove the FI-PGM main relay and
>> jump the relay switch to the fuel pump then check the trunk connector
>> to see if there is voltage.
>>
>> Questions:
>>
>> Book says main relay under dash on drivers side. Where? what has to
>> come out to find it. Does the cruise control module block it from
>> vision?
>>
>> Book says you should be able to hear the pump run for two seconds when
>> you first turn the ignition switch on by listening at the fuel filler
>> cap. I can't hear anything but hearing not as good as it used to be.
>> Is it loud and prounounced?
>>
>> What else could cause an abrupt shut down of an engine with no restart
>> and no check engine light or ECU codes? Fuel pump not easy to change
>> (drop the tank) so I don't want to go there unless I'm absolutely sure
>> it is bad.
>>
>> Thanks in advance for any help with this.

>"Frank Boettcher"
> My 90 accord was running fine then quit while driving and will not
> restart. ECU gives no fault code ahd check engine does not light up.
>
> Book says with no fault code or Check light I should go to other fuel
> supply. Fuel supply trouble shooting guide says most likely with an
> engine that won't start is fuel pump.
>
> In running down the diagnostic checks in order to make sure power is
> coming to the fuel pump, it says to remove the FI-PGM main relay and
> jump the relay switch to the fuel pump then check the trunk connector
> to see if there is voltage.
>
> Questions:
>
> Book says main relay under dash on drivers side. Where? what has to
> come out to find it. Does the cruise control module block it from
> vision?
>
> Book says you should be able to hear the pump run for two seconds when
> you first turn the ignition switch on by listening at the fuel filler
> cap. I can't hear anything but hearing not as good as it used to be.
> Is it loud and prounounced?
>
> What else could cause an abrupt shut down of an engine with no restart
> and no check engine light or ECU codes? Fuel pump not easy to change
> (drop the tank) so I don't want to go there unless I'm absolutely sure
> it is bad.
>
> Thanks in advance for any help with this.

Sounds like a dead coil. You might want to
check for sparks. Here's how to do it:

http://tinyurl.com/2kb5q

| > What else could cause an abrupt shut down of an engine with no restart
| > and no check engine light or ECU codes?

Ignition switch failure : this switch ( part # 35130-SM4-305 ) on a '90
accord ( Japan made ) suddenly could not feed a current to engine ( F20A
)'s distributor even after cranking.