hard cold start

i have a 91 accord lx, i already posted on an accord specific forum, but i want everyones input.

when i start my car for the first time in the mornings, the engine turns over 4 or 5 times before it starts, but throughout the rest of the day its fine. has anyone else had that problem? and what did you do to fix it?

thanx

My guess is that it might be your battery or alternator dying and not giving enough juice to the starter.
just a shot in a dark

yea the starter is not getting proper power from the system, first check to see if the connections going to the starter are loose, then suspect alternator and battery for low life.

If the engine is turning over at the normal rate, then it's not the starter...

I'd suspect a fuel delivery problem of some sort, but I wouldn't have a great suggestion for how you could track it down.

You might try the following the next time you do a morning start - turn the key to the "on" position, and let the car sit for a couple seconds before you try to start it.

Another thing that might work - "goose" the starter once for a really short time, then wait two secs and crank normally.

On the '97 civic that I used to have, it'd be slow to start whenever the gas tank was low. I never crank an engine continuously for more than 3 seconds (habit from having a jeep with regular starter/battery problems), so "slow starting" usually meant that it wouldn't start at all on my first try, and would start immediately on my second attempt.

check your fuel pump relay

i tried another little experiment, and i know it has nothing to do with a cold or hot start. i started the engine(turned about 5 times, then started) then turned it off right away. came back 10min later, and it started right away. im going to to get my battery tested, and i got a fuel injection cleaner, so im gonna try both of those.

im kind of hoping its just a bad battery(since i killed it about a week ago), and its just not keeping the charge well overnight.

Originally posted by strodda
i tried another little experiment, and i know it has nothing to do with a cold or hot start. i started the engine(turned about 5 times, then started) then turned it off right away. came back 10min later, and it started right away. im going to to get my battery tested, and i got a fuel injection cleaner, so im gonna try both of those.

im kind of hoping its just a bad battery(since i killed it about a week ago), and its just not keeping the charge well overnight.


it's not your battery.

gathering from your little "experiment", the "problem" is that overnight, or any extended period, the gasoline slowly creeps out of the fuel lines and back into the tank. on the first start of the day, you're the type that just starts cranking the motor instead of turning the key to "on" and waiting a couple seconds for the fuel system to pressurise for a proper start.

read your owners manual.

it probably is your battery if you killed it.

But get ther B&M Fuel press gauge and put it on. See what it reads before starting, should be in the high 30 or low 40s

PS - fuel injector cleaner is usless, it does nothing for your car that the gas you put in it doesnt do already.

you're the type that just starts cranking the motor instead of turning the key to "on" and waiting a couple seconds for the fuel system to pressurise for a proper start.

When you turn the key to the "ON" position and not turn to the "crank" position in about 2 seconds the ECU will shut off the power to the fuel pump right away, so there will not be much of a difference on that.

actually it will prime your fuel system. the ECU shuts the fuel pump relay off after two seconds to prevent pressure buildup and backpressure on the pump and other fuel system parts. just enough to get the fuel system primed and under pressure.

Originally posted by SleeperTeg
actually it will prime your fuel system. the ECU shuts the fuel pump relay off after two seconds to prevent pressure buildup and backpressure on the pump and other fuel system parts. just enough to get the fuel system primed and under pressure. ok thanks, ill try that.
and drift... my bad, i dont know where the hell i put the manual. im always losing shit.

ive never "primed" my fuel systems before start, and this problem has just gotten worse recently. is there some part in the fuel system that i should look into replacing?

and also, when i first start it, by the 3rd of 4th turn it does slow down. is that normal, or do i have a bad starter/alternator/etc??? i also read that my car should have a 550cca battery, mine is only 530 and i have a 2amp system. i already plan on getting a new battery, but is the extra drain adding to the problem?

If your engine slows down during cranking, then your battery is not providing enough ampage. If you have a mulitmeter, have someone check the voltage on the battery while you are cranking the engine, it should not drop below 9.6 volt. Since you can still start the engine I assume the battery is ok.

I still suspect the fuel pump relay though, but it's not a big problem, due to the oil pressure switch will over ride the fuel pump relay and provide the fuel pump power (fail safe). You will just have a hard start that's all, nothing bigge.

ok, well i turned it to the "on" position before starting it, and that did nothing. i tried starting it one morning while it was hooked up to my moms car battery. but i dont know if that would have made a difference since her battery is only 230cca. although after it turned 3times, i stoppped it since it hadnt started. then turned it again, and it started on the first turn

if the problem is that fuel drains out of the line, is there something i should replace? is it the fuel pump that Tofuboy was talking about??

This is the 4th time I am saying the same thing but NOOO you never care what a tune up tech had to say.

is it the fuel pump that Tofuboy was talking about??

All I am telling you is to check is your "Fuel Pump Relay" not the fuel pump, please check back what I had last posted.