Car Problems

[Killer91]

I know there's a few car guys on here so I'm gonna ask y'all first before I take my car anywhere b/c the closest Honda dealer is 50 miles away.

I have a 2000 Honda Accord EX that's been acting up for a few months. Some times when i go out to start it, it won't start. The engine will turn over and everything else works fine. The engine just won't start. Occasionally it will start and the car will run fine with no problems what so ever. Ever now and then it will start and run for a 2 - 3 seconds and die and then won't start back. I've not found any pattern as to when it will start and when it won't. It seems to be totally random. Also when it won't start it's sometimes a few days before it will start again and sometimes a few minutes. This seems to be totally random to.

I tested the sparks plugs one day while it wouldn't start and they were firing fine so I don't think it could be them. I'm at a complete loss as to what causing this. Had one guy in town say it was the alarm system shutting down the fuel pump but I'm not believing that since I don't do anything to trigger the alarm.

Any one ever come across anything like this before or know what causing it?

[KgB]

Coolant temp sensor? Theres a way to check for faults without scanner, cant remember. Turn ign on and press gas pedal 5 times, check Eng light should flash the  fault number....something like that. Try googling it, good luck.   

[thndregg]

I'm not a very good fix-it guy either. Things make more sense with 70's cars like my ol' Trans Am.
Fuel would be my next logical step. Is the engine getting it? Is the pump working, and how long since the fuel filter was changed?

[Killer91]

Coolant temp sensor? Theres a way to check for faults without scanner, cant remember. Turn ign on and press gas pedal 5 times, check Eng light should flash the  fault number....something like that. Try googling it, good luck.   

Man I spent a long time one day on google and never came across anything like that. I'll try it tomorrow and see if anything happens.

I'm not a very good fix-it guy either. Things make more sense with 70's cars like my ol' Trans Am.
Fuel would be my next logical step. Is the engine getting it? Is the pump working, and how long since the fuel filter was changed?

 

I'm assuming the fuel isn't making it to the engine. And to be honest i'm not sure about the fuel filter. I've had it for nine months and i haven't done anything to it.  But if it was the fuel pump or fuel filter it seems that it would be constant. But the fact that it will start and run perfectly sometimes makes me think its couln't be those. But I don't know much about this so I could be 100% wrong to.

[texasmom]

I had the same problem, Killer - it was the key.

I guess these new-fangled keys have a sensor which communicates with some thingamajig in the part you put the key into.

When the thing in my key was running out (or whatever), it did the same random thing you're talking about.









That sounded much clearer in my head.

[Killer91]

I had the same problem, Killer - it was the key.

I guess these new-fangled keys have a sensor which communicates with some thingamajig in the part you put the key into.

When the thing in my key was running out (or whatever), it did the same random thing you're talking about.









That sounded much clearer in my head.

That makes sense. I haven't even thought about that. It does have one of those special keys. And I have another key that I never use so I'll try it next time.

Did you have to have a new key made or was it something they could fix in the key?

[texasmom]

I tossed my key in the junk drawer in the kitchen and have been using my husband's key - no problems since the switch.

I keep meaning to take my key to the dealer to get them to do whatever they have to do - haven't gotten around to it yet... and probably won't bother to do it until the key I'm using stops working.


*edit* I don't know if they'd replace the key, or the thing in it. I was just gonna say "fix it," and come back when it was fixed.

[Killer91]

CC. I'll definately give that a try. Thank you so much for the info. Hopefully that'll be it and it will save me a trip to the dealership and a few hundred bucks!

[uptown]

Loose connection at the brake pad terminal............

[uptown]

corroded rocker panel? 

[Dragon]

Low blinker fluid, left rear.

[CAP1]

I know there's a few car guys on here so I'm gonna ask y'all first before I take my car anywhere b/c the closest Honda dealer is 50 miles away.

I have a 2000 Honda Accord EX that's been acting up for a few months. Some times when i go out to start it, it won't start. The engine will turn over and everything else works fine. The engine just won't start. Occasionally it will start and the car will run fine with no problems what so ever. Ever now and then it will start and run for a 2 - 3 seconds and die and then won't start back. I've not found any pattern as to when it will start and when it won't. It seems to be totally random. Also when it won't start it's sometimes a few days before it will start again and sometimes a few minutes. This seems to be totally random to.

I tested the sparks plugs one day while it wouldn't start and they were firing fine so I don't think it could be them. I'm at a complete loss as to what causing this. Had one guy in town say it was the alarm system shutting down the fuel pump but I'm not believing that since I don't do anything to trigger the alarm.

Any one ever come across anything like this before or know what causing it?

at first, i was thinking the main relay, which is either behind and below the center console, or under the left side of the dash board.....till you mentioned the fact that you have spark when it's not starting.

 next time it doesn't start, listen for the fuel pump. you can do this by turning the key from off to run, but do not crank. it should run for 2 seconds, and you should hear it hum. if you can't hear it that way, get a helper, and put a funnel in the filler neck, and listen through that as the helper cycels the key.

 that all said....check basics. fuel filter, air filter. if there's a port...it'll look almost like a tire valve stem.....check for fuel pressure.....with a rag handy, and safety glasses on, use a small phillips screwdriver to push the schraeder valve in.
 does the car have a transponder key? sometimes they go bad. there was a problem with chryslers with the transponder keys, running on the same frequency as the speedy pays used at some gas stations. they'd get towed to the dealer, and there, they'd start.

 can't think of much else just now........

[FLOTSOM]

well I'm not a mechanic per se, i grew up working on muscle cars so the computer controlled garbage is not really within my purview, but i drive a tow truck for a living and this is actually a more common problem than you would think.

in every case that this type of scenario has been described to me the end results have been one of three related issues

1. the fuel pump relay has developed moisture/corrosion inside and needs to be replaced

2. the wire harness under the control box, beneath the fuel pump relay, has loosened and/or developed corrosion on the connectors and needs to be serviced

3. the fuel pump drive motor has deteriorated internally. unlike when the fuel pump diaphram goes bad and you lose the ability to develop any pump pressure, the fuel pump drive motor can be an intermitten problem. it is an electrical motor with windings and connection points that can corrode and/or break down.

a couple simple tests that generally works with fords and chevy products, next time your car wont start first lift the hood and locate the box holding the relays, locate which relay is the fuel relay. when you locate the fuel pump wiggle it, see if the plugs have excessive play, then remove the relay. inspect the seat of the relay and the prongs that come from the bottom of it for signs of corrosion, next rattle the relay, you should feel something moving inside it when shaking it, this is the switch inside the relay which should move freely. lastly look to see if another one of the relays in the box is a match for the fuel pump relay, if so swap them. try to restart the vehicle, if it starts then the problem is likely at this end of things. if it does not restart and you found no obvious signs of damage push the original relay back in its place. next is to take a rubber mallet/your foot/or some other soft faced implement and strike the fuel tank firmly and repeatedly. then try to start the vehicle. if it starts then its likely the fuel pump itself is junk.

these tend to be the most common problem areas. i have gotten many vehicles restarted and on their way by these methods. occasionally none of them work and i wind up towing the vehicle, but at least this may give you a way of narrowing down your likely issue.

take it easy and good luck

[KgB]

I was wrong, here you go.
Take a paperclip and put it in the obdII port under the left hand side of the dash under the steering wheel. Stick it into holes 8 and 15 and then turn on the ignition but dont start it. Read the code, CEL will flash the code number( if there is any) then see  chart below....

1...............P0131,P0132....................... .........Primary heated O2 sensor circuit low/high voltage
3...............P0107,P0108....................... .........Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) sensor circuit low/high voltage
4.............. P0335,P0336.................................Cranks haft position sensor
5.............. P1128,P1129.................................Map sensor circuit low/high voltage
6...............P0117,P0118....................... .........Electronic Coolant Temperature (ECT) sensor circuit low/high input
7...............P0122,P0123,P1121,P1122........... Throttle position sensor (TPS) circuit low/high input
8...............P1359,P1361,P1362................. ....CKP/TDC sensor 1
9...............P1381,P1382....................... .........CYP Sensor
10.............P0112,P0113........................ ........Intake Air Temperature (IAT) sensor circuit low/high input
12.............P1491,P1498........................ ........EGR valve
13.............P1106,P1107,P1108.................. ...Barometric pressure sensor
14.............P0505,P1519........................ .........IAC valve
17.............P0500......... ..................... ..............VSS fault
20.............P1297,P1298........................ .........Electric Load Detector (ELD)
21.............P1253......... ..................... ..............VTEC
22.............P1257,P1258,P1259.................. ....VTEC
23.............P0325......... ..................... ..............Knock sensor
41.............P0135,P1166,P1167.................. ....Primary heated O2 sensor
45.............P0171,P0172........................ .........System adaptive fuel too lean/rich
48.............P1162......... ..................... ..............Primary heated O2 sensor
58.............P1366,P1367........................ .........TDC sensor 2
61.............P0133,P1149,P1163,64,65............ Primary heated O2 sensor
63.............P0137,38,39........................ ...........Secondary heated O2 sensor
65.............P0141......... ..................... ...............Secondary heated O2 sensor
67.............P0420......... ..................... ...............Catalyst system efficiency below threshold
70.............P0715,20,25,30,40,53,58,63......... .Automatic transaxle malfunction
71.............P0300,P0301........................ ..........Random/Cylinder 1 misfire
72.............P0302......... ..................... ...............Cylinder 2 misfire
73.............P0303......... ..................... ...............Cylinder 3 misfire
74.............P0304......... ..................... ...............Cylinder 4 misfire
75.............P0305......... ..................... ...............Cylinder 5 misfire
76.............P0306......... ..................... ...............Cylinder 6 misfire
80.............P0401......... ..................... ...............EGR insufficient flow
86.............P0116......... ..................... ...............Electronic Coolant Temperature (ECT) sensor range/performance
90.............P1456,P1457........................ ..........EVAP control system leak
91.............P0452,P0453........................ ..........EVAP fuel tank pressure sensor low/high input

[KgB]

Deleted, double post