Starting problem!

My 1989 CRX DX won't start properly. The starter and engine cranks/turns over, but as soon as it starts, it shuts down. It seems like an electrical problem, but not sure. Also, the other day the car just shut down when I was driving down the highway at about 65 m.p.h.! Pulled over cranked it 3 times with no start, then on the 4th try it started. Worked fine all the way home (20 mi. drive). Battery terminals were a little corroded, so I cleaned them and thought that may have been the problem.

Car started fine the next day. Two days later, the car won't start again! Cranks/turns over, but dies as soon as it starts. Please help if you can! Many thanks...

so it starts, but then kills? or does it just turn over and over and over, and then just when you think itll never start, you try again and it works fine?

i would check for spark and fuel first. check for spark by pulling a spark plug wire, and holding it close to a bolt on the valve cover while someone turns the key. if you have spark, put the wire back and then loosen the screw on top of your fuel filter, and then turn the key to the on position, you should get gas pumping out. if you do, then make sure your filter is clean or new. if this is all good, but you still arent starting up, then i suggest making friends with a mechanic who can check things like fuel pressure, injector pulse, and inside the distributor.

My 1989 civic DX 4dr did the same thing! I went for almost a year trying to solve that one. It ended up being the MAIN RELAY. Since I replaced that, its been doing fine! :grinyes:

Might want to also check the main ignition switch (where you stick the key in to turn). it unscrews from the back... I had a problem similiar to that in my CRX where it would crank, but then when the key went back into the "Run" position, the car would shut off... this would also happen at random times going down the road. Took the ignition switch off and when I looked at it, the connections had all but melted away... costs $40 to replace, so that's no big deal... has worked great every since.

I am goin to go with the Main Relay, cause it sounds like the same thing that happened to my friends CRX, and he replaced the main relay and it worked fine afterwords

Thanks to all of you for the great suggestions on where to start looking/troubleshooting. I'll let you know what finally fixed it...