Help - Accord won't start

Hi,

My daughter has our 1993 Honda Accord at college. She is suppose to come
home tomorrow for Thanksgiving but just called to tell us the car won't
start.

She drove a few hours the other day without any problems. Today was the
first time she tried to start the car since then. She says that the car
started on the first attempt and then died. After that, the car would not
start at all, but it apparently turns over okay.

Any ideas? I need advise fast!

Thanks,
Bill

 

Main relay working? Turn key to first position, and dash lights should
come on and the fuel pump will make a whirring noise for two or three
seconds. No noise, no fuel. Need main relay resoldered. bob

 

http://www.markl.f9.co.uk/howto/electrical/main-relay/main-relay.htm

How to resolder the main relay,has nice pix,too.

 

Could also be the coils, igniter or anything distributor. Check for
spark for certainty. Like most female college student, they like to
carry large, heavy key chains. This wears the ignition switch
prematurely from each turns and bumps on the road.
Ric

 

Bill,
Tell her to see if the car will start after it is jump started. There are
probably people at the college that have jumper cables. Tell her to drive
straight home without stopping. If she needs to get gas--tell her to keep
the motor running. If it does not start with a jump, tell her to have the
vehicle towed to the closest Honda dealership and let them fix it. I doubt
if she has the mechanical experience or tools needed to fix whatever might
be the cause of the problem.

 

Bill,

Oh? Do you know his daughter?

 

Thank you very much for all the advise! My daughter is on her way home for
Thansgiving!

She had the car towed to a gas station/garage last night. I had her stop at
the garage this morning to see if the car would start (it would not) and
had her drive to the nearest Honda dealership to pick up the main relay (the
garage did not have time to get it). Upon returning to the garage with the
relay, they told her the car was fixed! According to my daughter, they said
the spark plugs were fouled. This seems odd to me as I recall replacing
them about one year ago...come to think of it, because the car was having
the same type of issue!

So....is it really possible for the plugs to be fouled after only a year?
The plugs were NGK....so a good brand, right?

Thanks,
Bill

 

How many miles are on the car? Is it time for a cap, rotor and wires?
The plugs weren't getting spark. That's why they 'fouled'. probably
going to have the problen again. Look for a Honda tech that knows how to
REPAIR the relay, not replace it. bob

 

The car has 142,000 miles on it. I replaced the wires when I replaced the
plugs but the technician told me I should not have. Said the Honda ones
don't fail and are the best. I had him look at the distributor, etc. at
the same time and all was well. I'll actually be seeing him tomorrow. As
for the relay, I think I'll just have it put in since I now have it.

Thanks,
Bill

 

Bill,
I'm glad your daughter got home for Thanksgiving. There are several
possible causes for bad plugs. I agree with the intelligent poster that
told you that the Honda needs to be checked by a Honda mechanic. You would
be amazed at what mechanics can find once they hook it up to one of those
expensive computerized testing instruments.

 

?

He didn't say she didn't have the experience or tools, as he might have
if he knew Bill's daughter. He said he *doubted* it. FWIW, I doubt it
as well. On the other hand, I can categorically state that *I* do not
have said experience or tools, for at least 95% of the potential
problems. But I did pay the $70 for the Helms manual for my car - so I
can do that other 5%...

RFT!!!
Dave Kelsen