'92 Accord LX starting problems...

Anyone heard of any particular, endemic problem with a 1992 Honda
Accord LX in terms of the car not starting well? Most of the time, it
starts fine but sometimes it really struggles - and starts - and other
times it starts but halts right away. Other times, it doesn't start at
all. Usually it seems to have trouble when the weather's warm. Often,
after it fails to start, it will start after about a 10 minute wait or
so.
Our mechanic changed the main relay, but that doesn't seem to have
helped much.
So I'm wondering if maybe anyone's heard of any particular defect in
the '92.
Good karma to you. Thanks.

 

A fairly long shot, but an easy way to rule out a possible problem....
Try hitting the starter for just a second under the bad conditions, return
to the "run" position and then try starting the engine one or two seconds
later. I fit starts right up, the fuel pressure is not staying up in the
injector rail. Usually that means a bad check valve in the fuel line.

Mike

 

When mine turns over more than usual, I replace the plugs. ALWAYS use
NGK or ND. bob

 

Isn't this the same as turning the ignition on wait one or two seconds
then start the engine? How does the check valve do better to
maintain pressure for a second of fuel pressure while a normal
start provides more than two seconds of pressure?

 

The fuel pump (in most EFI cars, at least) doesn't run until you hit the
starter.

For reasons I don't understand, trying to start the engine without pressure
in the fuel rails is almost doomed. It will eventually catch, but it takes
forever. I have had the problem myself with our Volvo and a Nissan, but Mark
Salem, the mechanic who has a radio show on KTAR in Phoenix, said it affects
all the modern cars that way. Trying to start the Nissan after fuel injector
work without doing the starter bump confused the ECU so much I had to
disconnect and reconnect the battery to get it to start. Later I learned I
could get it to start by giving it a blast of starter fluid. After it
started once, it was okay.

Mike