I have a 1999 Honda Accord that has been acting strange lately, so my parents suggested I post my problem here.
About a month ago, a few friends and I were in my car, had to pull over briefly (nothing car related!) so we shut off the engine. When we went to restart it 2-3 minutes later, it wouldn’t start! It was making noises like it was trying to start, it just wouldn’t turn over. We sat for 5-10 minutes longer and it started right up. I thought it was a one-time deal, but that does not seem to be the case. It has happened about 4 times since then and it always happens when the car has not been shut off for very long.
Any ideas on what in the world might be going on and what I can do to get it fixed? Thank you so much-I appreciate any input you have!
The next time this happens, have one of your friends get out and remove the gas cap and listen down the fill tube. Turn the ignition switch to the run position so that the dash lights come on. Your friend should hear the fuel pump run for a second or two and then stop. If they don’t hear this, the problem might be with the fuel pump relay.
Tester
I have a 1992 Honda Accord with a few hundred thousand miles on it, and every time I attempt to start it, I do a little Dionne Warwick…I say a little prayer. It doesn’t not start often enough for me to worry about it.
This problem of intermittent starts with Hondas is well known. There are two primary causes: the PGM-FI relay under the dash, or one of three ignition components inside the distributor. On the outside chance, it can be a faulty ignition switch (switch, not ignition lock).
A lot of testing can be done; but, diagnosis won’t be cheap. You could do some diagnosis. As Tester says, when the engine doesn’t start, listen for the fuel pump to run for one or two seconds when the ignition switch is turned to run (II). If you don’t hear the fuel pump run, it’s most likely the PGM-FI relay’s fault. If you do hear the fuel pump run, it’s probably the distributor’s fault. It’s best to replace the distributor with a re-manufactured one. It comes warrantied.