90 Accord hard starting

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.)

 

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.

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

Please describe the exact symptoms (behavior) you experience.

 

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

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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


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'

 

Atmospheric Pressure can be replaced???? I don't know. I have not heard
of such sensor.
Thanks I will check it out.

 

If always drive in high altitude suitation, you neeed to adjust the idle
speed to compensate. The idle speed screw is on the throttle body.

 

***WRONG***

This is NOT the reason you adjust the idle speed. The engine management
system compensates for altitude changes automatically.

 

You sure this isn't outdated advice?

I moved from sea level to a mile high with my 91 pgm-fi Civic LX manual
transmission a few years ago. I didn't touch anything, based on my reading
that the car's ECU blah blah makes the appropriate adjustments. Idle is
fine; same ol' same ol'. Mileage continues at 40+ mpg for 3/4s of the year.

 

If it's "outdated", then it's oudated enough to date back to the '50s. Cars
have had automatic altitude compensator mechanisms at least as far back as
then.

 

Please obtain the original service manual and you will undersdtand 1991
Accord don't have altitude compensator mechanisms. You need to adjust
according to the factory manual.

 

One advice, you can spray carbon cleaner to clean the throttle body and
cylinder head from air intake.

 

The Honda engine management system corrects for changes in air volume by
comparing the inputs from the:
Pressure Air (atmospheric pressure) Sensor
Manifold Absolute Pressure Sensor
Temperature (Air) Sensor

Using these it calculates the actual air volume entering the engine. If the
volume should decline, as it would at higher altitudes, the ECU will
compensate by reducing fuel delivery, and then maintain correct idle speed
using the Crankshaft Position Sensor.

The actual dedicated altitude compensation devices that were installed on
carbureted cars are irrelevant in this age of computerized engine
management.

 

My car is fuel injection. Of 3 sensors you mentioned, I could have
problem of one of 3 sensors or
2 or all 3 that sometimes not easy to climb on uphill driving. Since
sensor is an electronic device, my problem could be in malfuncationed
electronic device.

 

This is inside the cabin and well protected. Never seen one die.

This is reliable device inside the vacuum box with a vacuum hose
running to the throttle body and electrical wires to the ECU. The
hose can be inspected.

This is inside the throttle body, prone to buildup crud or destroyed
by other means. Resistance changes based on air temperatures. You
can compare it to a chart. Maybe Teggar has a chart for you.