Honda Car Forum

I have a 89 accord, 190,000 miles and has been a great car, however, it has
begun to be tempermental when it comes to starting. Today it started just
fine, but after it was shut off for about 20 minutes and i tried to
restart it would turn over and immediately quit. I thought it may be a
vacuum problem but did not see any loose hoses. Any suggestions?

privett wrote:

> I have a 89 accord, 190,000 miles and has been a great car, however, it has
> begun to be tempermental when it comes to starting. Today it started just
> fine, but after it was shut off for about 20 minutes and i tried to
> restart it would turn over and immediately quit. I thought it may be a
> vacuum problem but did not see any loose hoses. Any suggestions?

When you say "it would turn over and immediately quit", do you mean that it
fires up and actually runs for an instant before quitting? Or does it keep
turning but will not fire up?

If it's the former, I am guessing it's the ignition switch or the igniter.

If it's the latter, and this would apply if your car is fuel-injected and
especially if the weather is warm, the culprit would be the main relay.

It starts (fires) and then immediately quits. It is fuel injected though.
What does the ignition switch or a main relay usually run?

"privett" <polkfam5@bellsouth.net> wrote in
news:bff695642396b339db176c59dfe25ce3@localhost.ta lkaboutautos.com:

> I have a 89 accord, 190,000 miles and has been a great car, however,
> it has begun to be tempermental when it comes to starting. Today it
> started just fine, but after it was shut off for about 20 minutes and
> i tried to restart it would turn over and immediately quit. I thought
> it may be a vacuum problem but did not see any loose hoses. Any
> suggestions?
>


Main Relay is first culprit.
http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/faq.html#startrun

--
TeGGeR®

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

privett wrote:
>
> I have a 89 accord, 190,000 miles and has been a great car, however, it has
> begun to be tempermental when it comes to starting. Today it started just
> fine, but after it was shut off for about 20 minutes and i tried to
> restart it would turn over and immediately quit. I thought it may be a
> vacuum problem but did not see any loose hoses. Any suggestions?


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

If it starts to run but dies the second you let your hand off the key,
it's the ignition switch. Bad main relay won't usually manifest except
when the car is already not running. . . the vibration of the engine is
usually enough to keep it sparking along. That's why smacking the dash
in position II (or chilling down the interior) will often start an
otherwise 'unstartable' Honda. The relay connects for a second, primes
the fuel rail, then the car starts and runs because of the vibration. Go
into 7-Eleven for five minutes and it will not start again :-(

'Curly'

I've similar problem. My 89 civic with 200,000 miles. Today I have had
to wait
3 hr to start the car. The car starting problem is getting worst these
days.
It refuses to start in first try in the morning. I have had to try 3 or
4 take around more than
a minute to start the car. That's normal these days. Today after
driving 30 min and
shut the engine off, tried again it refused to start. I replaced main
relay but no luck.
I banged the starter and starter solonoid, no luck. My option was wait
to cool down.
Around 2 hr, I decided that ok this is it it will not start forever. I
decided to tow it. Talking
to the towing driver, he asked me for $95 for it. I had no money for
that I gave up towing... I just have to wait another hour. Yeah it did
start when the sun went down
when the car temp gauge down almost to bottom.


Why it does not start in the morning when the car is cool?
Why it does not start when the car is hot with the temperaure hot
outside?
Are these caused by same problem?
Main Relay? Probably not because I replaced main relay.

Are you saying impact on the main relay could start the problem?

I don't get it by smacking dash board with key on Position II would
start the car.

Please explain to me clearly. I need to understand.

"'Curly Q. Links'" <motsco__@interbaun.com> wrote in
news:4345F29E.82890D04@interbaun.com:

> privett wrote:
>>
>> I have a 89 accord, 190,000 miles and has been a great car, however,
>> it has begun to be tempermental when it comes to starting. Today it
>> started just fine, but after it was shut off for about 20 minutes and
>> i tried to restart it would turn over and immediately quit. I
>> thought it may be a vacuum problem but did not see any loose hoses.
>> Any suggestions?
>
>
> ---------------------------
>
> If it starts to run but dies the second you let your hand off the key,
> it's the ignition switch.



It's usually the main relay with that symptom, actually. In fact, that's
*the* most common main relay symptom.



--
TeGGeR®

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

mmdir2005@yahoo.com wrote in
news:1128677833.339361.313540@z14g2000cwz.googlegr oups.com:

>
> Are you saying impact on the main relay could start the problem?
>
> I don't get it by smacking dash board with key on Position II would
> start the car.
>
> Please explain to me clearly. I need to understand.
>
>


You force momentary contact between two pieces of cracked solder.

You never looked at this page, did you?
http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/start...html#mainrelay

--
TeGGeR®

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

<mmdir2005@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:1128677683.185010.210170@g44g2000cwa.googlegr oups.com...

> I've similar problem. My 89 civic with 200,000 miles. Today I have had
> to wait
> 3 hr to start the car. The car starting problem is getting worst these
> days.
> It refuses to start in first try in the morning. I have had to try 3 or
> 4 take around more than
> a minute to start the car. That's normal these days. Today after
> driving 30 min and
> shut the engine off, tried again it refused to start. I replaced main
> relay but no luck.
> I banged the starter and starter solonoid, no luck. My option was wait
> to cool down.

It doesn't crank? Something to do with the clutch or console switch?