The engine turns over and starts, and then quickly the RPMs drop and the car shuts off - like within a second or two. The tank is FULL. It is an Acura GS with 168,000 miles on it. Ideas? I plan to check the connections to see if something is just loose…meantime I would have to tow it up out of my garage which is at the bottom of a steep driveway to get a pro to look at it. Could this be something simple?
The likely culprit is the main fuel pump relay.
Thank you for such a quick reply…From the description in the link you sent, it sounds like you could be right…any idea of the cost to fix it if so?
Also, the article mentioned that it is usually the main fuel pump relay when it is hot…The car has been in the garage since using it yesterday, and we are also having 70 degree weather. I do seem to remember replacing the igniter coil about 5 years ago when the car cut off while driving through an intersection - yikes.
Make sure that when the air filter was changed, that the electrical connector to the MAF, on the intake air tube, was reconnected. There is 12 volts going to the ignition coil, when the ignition key is in START. Check if there is still 12 volts going to the ignition in RUN position. If not, it MIGHT be a faulty ignition switch (the part with the wires attached. Not the lock part).
I had it towed yesterday - I HATE taking it to the dealer, but I haven’t lived in this area long so don’t have a good alternative yet. Anyway, they said the car started fine for them this morning! They said that there is a plastic cover somewhere on the relay that was loose and did not know if that had interfered or not with its operation - at any rate the solders looked good and they could not reproduce the problem. They checked the ignition switch as well. Now I am irritated and don’t want to get stranded down the line for the same issue. This has not been an intermittent or a recurring problem for this car. Of course they said they will keep tinkering to see if they can make it happen again - but it wasn’t a hot start situation to begin with. Any other ideas?
This problematic “well baby” visit to the car doctor is going to cost me a lot for nothing and the fear of having it happen once I get it back is unnerving.
Thanks for your insights…
This does sound like a fuel problem to me also and a faulty pump relay would be my first suspect. It may be best to just replace it to be sure it is okay. One other thing that may help if the problem returns is to check the error codes in the ECU.