Honda Car Forum

I have searched the newsgroup about hard starting when hot and found
that
replacing the main relay would help, so I did that, and have changed
out
the distributer, thinking that it was a weak coil, but still have the
same trouble. This morning it was very humid where I live, this car has
spent the past several years in Colorado, and now that it is here in
Iowa,
it does not want to start. Any more ideas?

Did you change out the entire distributor (cap, rotor, coil, ignitor)?

What are the age and condition of plug wires, distributor cap, distributor
rotor, spark plugs, fuel filter, air filter, and ignitor?

(Not all of these correspond to a no start condition when hot.)

"Kevin in Iowa" <kevininiowa@aol.com> wrote
> I have searched the newsgroup about hard starting when hot and found
> that
> replacing the main relay would help, so I did that, and have changed
> out
> the distributer, thinking that it was a weak coil, but still have the
> same trouble. This morning it was very humid where I live, this car has
> spent the past several years in Colorado, and now that it is here in
> Iowa,
> it does not want to start. Any more ideas?
>

"Kevin in Iowa" <kevininiowa@aol.com> wrote in
news:1126187442.220495.168730@g49g2000cwa.googlegr oups.com:

> I have searched the newsgroup about hard starting when hot and found
> that
> replacing the main relay would help, so I did that,


That's ONE of the things. Did you apply the diagnostics before replacing
the Relay? If you heard/felt all three clicks, then the Relay is fine.


> and have changed
> out
> the distributer, thinking that it was a weak coil, but still have the
> same trouble. This morning it was very humid where I live, this car has
> spent the past several years in Colorado, and now that it is here in
> Iowa,
> it does not want to start. Any more ideas?


Sounds like you did a scattershot fix, replacing stuff without a logical
process.

Please describe the exact symptoms (behavior) you experience.


--
TeGGeR®

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

"TeGGeR®" <tegger@tegger.c0m> wrote in
news:Xns96CB956DBA771tegger@207.14.113.17:

> "Kevin in Iowa" <kevininiowa@aol.com> wrote in
> news:1126187442.220495.168730@g49g2000cwa.googlegr oups.com:
>
>> I have searched the newsgroup about hard starting when hot and found
>> that
>> replacing the main relay would help, so I did that,
>
>
> That's ONE of the things. Did you apply the diagnostics before replacing
> the Relay? If you heard/felt all three clicks, then the Relay is fine.


I've just added new text to the Main Relay sections to emphasize this.


--
TeGGeR®

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

I had a mechanic do the work for me, but gave him ideas on what
to do, he told me that he replaced the coil, that it had "intermittent"

trouble on it, he also put a new cap, rotor, plugs (not sure on the
wires), the problem still existed, would start after having the doors
open for a few minutes, I had him then check the relay, which he
said that it tested bad. so I had him replace it. But am still having
the
problems, at least the relay is down from where it was mounted and
is readly accessable without much trouble. Today it was very humid
out, and would not start, so gave it a rest for about 20 minutes,
started.
This has only started since moving the car to the midwest, so it may
have something to do with the humidity, I don't know, that is why I am
turning to this group.

"Kevin in Iowa" <kevininiowa@aol.com> wrote in
news:1126212953.244017.313610@o13g2000cwo.googlegr oups.com:

> I had a mechanic do the work for me, but gave him ideas on what
> to do, he told me that he replaced the coil, that it had "intermittent"
>
> trouble on it, he also put a new cap, rotor, plugs (not sure on the
> wires), the problem still existed, would start after having the doors
> open for a few minutes, I had him then check the relay, which he
> said that it tested bad. so I had him replace it. But am still having
> the
> problems, at least the relay is down from where it was mounted and
> is readly accessable without much trouble. Today it was very humid
> out, and would not start, so gave it a rest for about 20 minutes,
> started.
> This has only started since moving the car to the midwest, so it may
> have something to do with the humidity, I don't know, that is why I am
> turning to this group.
>


Where did you move FROM?

A car needs three things to start and run:
1) Air
2) Fuel
3) Spark.

All of these things must be present in sufficient quantity and strength,
and happen in a sufficiently timely manner in order to make the car go.

The exact description of the starting problem is critical to diagnosis, as
I've said before. Choose one or more of these:
1) Turn key to "start" and...[crickets].
2) Turn key to "start" and the engine just clicks at you.
3) Turn key to "start" and you hear a loud high-pitched whine (typical
older Chrysler problem).
4) Turn key to "start" and you hear and feel the engine go chugga-chugga-
chugga, but there's no sign that it wants to catch.
5) Turn key to "start" and you hear chugga-chugga=chugga-cough-sputter-
chugga-chugga-sputter-sputter, but it never fires up.
6) Turn key to "start" and it fires, but runs erratically and finally
stalls. Black or heavy white smoke may come out of tailpipe.
7) Turn key to "start", and it cranks, fires, but stalls as soon as you
release the key.

Each of the above is a clue as to what is wrong.



--
TeGGeR®

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

Since the relay is down, next time it won't start tap on the relay while
turning the key, if it starts then I suspect your mechanic swapped the same
relay in and out.

"Kevin in Iowa" <kevininiowa@aol.com> wrote in message
news:1126212953.244017.313610@o13g2000cwo.googlegr oups.com...
> I had a mechanic do the work for me, but gave him ideas on what
> to do, he told me that he replaced the coil, that it had "intermittent"
>
> trouble on it, he also put a new cap, rotor, plugs (not sure on the
> wires), the problem still existed, would start after having the doors
> open for a few minutes, I had him then check the relay, which he
> said that it tested bad. so I had him replace it. But am still having
> the
> problems, at least the relay is down from where it was mounted and
> is readly accessable without much trouble. Today it was very humid
> out, and would not start, so gave it a rest for about 20 minutes,
> started.
> This has only started since moving the car to the midwest, so it may
> have something to do with the humidity, I don't know, that is why I am
> turning to this group.
>

My car does not run well on uphill driving. Sometimes it climbs fine.
Sometimes
it doesn't. I think it's has to do with humidity of atmosphere. The air
going into
engine is not constant. Some sea level it's ok and other sea level the
air is not going
well so the engine hesitate. I don't know what to do about.

<mmdir2005@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:1126422219.657749.278600@f14g2000cwb.googlegr oups.com...

> My car does not run well on uphill driving. Sometimes it climbs fine.
> Sometimes
> it doesn't. I think it's has to do with humidity of atmosphere. The air
> going into
> engine is not constant. Some sea level it's ok and other sea level the
> air is not going
> well so the engine hesitate. I don't know what to do about.

Atmospheric pressure sensor. Fuel delivery actually changes at
different altitude. This is a reliable solid state device.

mmdir2005@yahoo.com wrote:
>
> My car does not run well on uphill driving. Sometimes it climbs fine.
> Sometimes
> it doesn't. I think it's has to do with humidity of atmosphere. The air
> going into
> engine is not constant. Some sea level it's ok and other sea level the
> air is not going
> well so the engine hesitate. I don't know what to do about.

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


If it's also hard to pass on level highway (sputtering), it's probably
time for a fuel filter. It manifests when fuel flow is highest. Run a
can of injector cleaner through and see if everything clears up.
Simplest.

'Curly'