My 1994 Honda Accord has just lately had a start up problem. I try to start it, it turns over easily enough, but will not start. Have had a mechanic look at it two or three times but it started for him so he was unable to find the problem. If I keep trying, it sometimes will finally start, but the last time it happened it started to sound like it was running down the battery so I called the mechanic and set up an appt to have it checked. After several hours I tried it again and it started right up again so I canceled the appt. This has happened numerous times just lately and the mechanic cannot find the problem because for some reason it has eventually started each time. There seems to be no rhyme nor reason about why or when this happens and I never know when it is going to do this. I am to the point of hoping that it absolutely will NOT start at all just so the problem can be found. Wondering if anyone has any experience with this?
The problem might be with PGM/FI relay.
Honda’s of your vintage are notorious for this relay preventing the fuel pump from running and the engine from starting.
Tester
Thanks! (Have never heard of this before!)
It could also be a bad check ballball in the fuel pump allowing fuel pressure to bleed off when parked for a bit, like overnight or at work. This is common on older cars. Try this: turn the ignition on to bring up all the dash lights, but don’t try to start it yet. Let it sit like that for 2-3.seconds, then turn it off for 2-3 seconds. Now try to start normally. If it starts easier than before, it is that check ball leaking. This procedure allows the fuel pump to build pressure faster when all the pressure has bleed off due to that bad check ball.