Starting Problems

I've got a problem with my civic when it wasnt in use for a night or so. If the fuel is low (but the fuel warn light doesnt light- that means I still have about 10 liters of fuel in the tank) I'm having serious problems starting the engine. It mostly happens if the car stands on a slope or a hill (with the front pointing into lower direction). Now my problem, does anyone else have this prob or is it just me and is there some kind of fuel filter within the tank. If I feel the fuel pipe(dunno the right word ;) ) in the engine bay it is normally 'hard' but when ive these problems it feels like a pipe without anything in it :confused:

Any ideas- or is this just normal??:eek:


hmpf...:bloated: :bloated:

Btw when the fuel is lower the problem becomes really dangerous- theres a point wre im completely unable to start :(

Could be that if you're standing on a slope the fuel doesn't reach the engine. Just a guess. Not sure either, but haven't had this problem myself.

Sorry, but I can´t help you, too!

Starting problems, well the first thing i would do is measure the start capacity of the battery. There is no point in just measuring it when your car stands there because even a dead battery can give approx. 12V. What you have to do is to get yourself a decent multimeter or voltmeter (an osciloscope is even better) attach it to your battery. Than you get someone to start your car, during the phase that the start engine is running (i know it's a short time) your battery power should stay at least above 9.5 Volt , than you know your battery is ok. You keep your meter attached and see what it is giving when your car is running, that should be 14.3 V (exactly this no more, no less) than you knkow your alternator is doing fine and you have no loss on the cables. If something is wrong there, just put it on the board and i will see if i can give you a solution.
Let's say everything is ok there, than we go checking the fuel system. OK, go in your car when it has been standing still for let's say at least 5 minutes. You turn your ignition from off to on and you should here your fuel pump at the rear of the car (silent buzzing noise (electrical engine noise)). If you hear nothing, or there is a fuse blown or your fuel pump is blown. If you hear the noise, i would check the fuel filter in the engine bay, if that is blokked, just get a new one. If that is clear, you have done every test you can do at home. Unless you have pressure gauges, than you can measure the fuel pressure, but i would leave this kind of stuff to professionals because some of the lines are under really high pressure and you don't wanna mess with them.

I hope this has helped you a little. Please give me some feedback about your experiences.

Well the batt is ok- I've tested this already.
If the fuel tank is full or at least more than 3/8 of the fuel tank is fulle u can hear these noise of the pump. When the problems appear u can also hear the fuel pump but it doesnt sound like it should (it sounds like the fuel pump doesnt get anything the pump :confused: ). Weird :(

I think there is a problem with your fuel-pomp-filter...

Wheres this filter?? right before or after the pump?!

...nobody any idea???

Depends on the kind of fuel pump you have, and i really don't know which one is in the civic, but i can look it up tonight in my Haynes manual.

would be cool!