fixing my crx

hope there is someone that can help me w/ this...i have a 90 crx si. my problem is when i start the engine, it revs real high, then dies. then it will do if a few more times befor it stops turning on. (crank no start) so what i do is cycle the ignition from off to on about 10 times, then sometimes it starts and its fine. It normally does that after i have the car running for a half hour and i turn it off to go into a store and restart in in 5 to 10 minutes. And if i dont somehow start my car every few days, i think my battery dies. i cant do to many diagnosing intill i get my multimeter next week. im at a loss w/ this car, and this is my last hope befor i get rid of this thing. so if any one can help, id be in debt to u. thanks alot -buttons-

Check to see if your throttle cable is getting stuck.

would that cause it to keep stalling?

Probably not. Is the ecu throwing any codes?

i havnt checked that...but i dont know what the meaning of the flashs. i work on obd2 cars all the time and never see flashs. i wouldnt know what they mean

I think theres a list of the codes in the FAQ thread, I have it around here somewhere.

for the code list, go here- http://www.4thgenerationcivic.com/ - and click on "F.A.Q.&ECU Codes" on the lefthand column (fourth button down)

sounds like a fuel issue. r u saying that it has a problem starting when the engine is already warmed up? if so, then it's mostlikely that the fuel rail and the fuel lines near the engine r getting hot and the fuel is vaporizing in the lines. it could also be conbined w/ a bad check valve in the fuel pump, and when the fuel boils in the lines up front, it pushes sum of the liquid fuel back into the tank thru the pump. that's y when u let the fuel pump prime for a while it will start, because it's gettin fuel back in the lines and pressurizing the system again.

now about not starting it for a few days, i can tell u exactly how to check for a parasitic drain on the battery. u'll need u'r multimeter to do it tho. just take the negative battery cable off the battery. set the meter to read amps. make a jumper wire w/ a 10amp fuse in it. put one end of the jumper wire on the red lead on the multimeter, and the other end on the negative battery cable. place the black lead on the negative terminal on the battery and check the amperage draw. this is all done with the car off completely. u shouldn't get a readying higher than 0.060 amps. if u do then u have a parasitic drain wum where. i bought my last crx w/ a drain bad enough that the car had to be jumped every morning. turned out the guy had a stereo system in there that he had taken out, and had left a powered crossover inthere still kind-of hooked up. it was the cause of the drain and when i removed it, not a single time have i needed to jump the car. so if u have an amp or anything powered that u or sumone added or removed recently before u'r drain problem, double check to make sure that wasn't the cause.

edit: had a couple of "mis-speaks"

it has a problem starting when its already warm. and i have a problem starting it up the first time. dont know if thats cause of the battery or not. so what should i do about the fuel rail, lines, and pump? just r/r them? there any way i can keep them cool. i should test them w/ a pyrometer. see what the temps are. and w/ the parasitic draw, thats what i think it is. the car had a radio but it has been removed and the wires are just hanging there. and everything else w/ the car is manual. no power except for the sun roof.

main relay. main relay. main relay. main relay.

i guess your sayin the main relay is bad...lol so r/r that?

I've got a similar issue with my '91 CRX Si. When left sitting, the battery completly discharges after about a week or two. Also, I've got a volt metet guage installed, and it flucuates like crazy (at random times) when the car is running - like something is shorting out or something. There is a stereo system in there, but everything is disconnected with the exception of the indash cd player. I checked the main relay, but it seems to be okay. I tested the 3 relay funtions - 4(+) & 8(-) = cont. 5&7 / 5(+) & 2(-) = cont. 1&3 / 3(+) & 8(-) = cont. 5&7. When car is off, these 3 circuits do not carry voltage between the pairs. The relay opens and closes these 3 functions properly. Any other items in the car that could make a parasitic draw? I've gone through 2 batteries and 4 alternators in 2 yrs! Good thing it's a secondary car - but still would like to fix it. Funny thing is, that if I replace the alternator, everything seems to be fine for about 2-4 months, then the problem begins all over again. Not sure if this gives any clues as to the cause.

fastcvc i would check your grounds first i had a loose ground and mine did the same things. my ground was the one right in front of the battery on the radiator support but there are a lot more too check them and make sure the wires arent all frail and weak

g-ride-si - I've actually upgraded my entire charging system wiring with 4g & 8g wiring. I put in my own "hyperground" system grounding multiple points throughout the engine bay/chassis with 4g wire & soldered gold connections. I've also updated the connections of the 12+ side with 4g & 8g to alternator/starter/main fuse box. Through a little DMM troubleshooting, it appears there is always some current on the white/red wire located at the main fuse box (under the hood) even when this wire is disconnected from the fuse box (the battery is only hooked into the fuse box and all other connections have been disconnected from the fuse box - no starter - no alternator). And it shows continuity with the 12+ side of the battery!! Where is this wire getting 4v from?

what the heck? i have no clue i dont have a wiring diagram. if u had a wiring diagram u could see what that wire is and trace it. what ever it connects to might not be grounded. hope i can help, sorry if i cant

also, have u changed the wires that run to your alternator? it could be shorting out on something make sure nothing is pinched or anything.

I think that wire runs to the main fuse panel under the dash. Will have to check it out. Right now the only thing the battery (12v +) is physically connected to is the underhood fuse panel (and it's grounded to the chassis) - and there is nothing connected to that fuse panel! Stange... I'll have to track that wire down and see what's up with it - maybe I'll have to re-run it? Thanks for all the help thus far (and in the future!)...

on the issue of having trouble starting when the engine is already warm

this happens to me all the time. i dont' shut my engine off anymore when i'm filling up with gas for this reason. it happens when i shut the car off for 5 minutes or less and then try to start back up. it'll turn over and almost start... takes several tries to get it to start though.


what's the remedy for this? more insulation for the fuel line under the hood? replace fuel lines? i replaced my filter already a while back and that didn't fix the problem.

main relay. main relay. main relay. main relay.

I agree... i've had similar problems and the Main relay took care of it. A sure way to check is to heat up the main relay with a heat gun and see if the car does the same thing if it does that's the problem.