94 Accord Fuel Problem - Please Help

[nit2winit]

Intermittent Fuel Problem with 94 Accord - Please Help
I have a 94 Accord giving me a hellofa problem. It has the standard fuel injected 4 banger. Description of the problem follows:

During summertime (no problem in the winter) the car will sometimes not start. This problem may happen once a month or 5 times a week. It comes and goes; no regular pattern other than it happening during the summer. I have never had a problem with the car shutting off once it has been started. I have narrowed it down to a fuel problem of a sort. When it doesn't start I take the fuel line off of the injector manifold. I turn the ignition on and fuel should gush out of the fuel line but it doesn't. Now, when I cycle the swith on and off a few times OR leave the car for about 15 minutes, and come back to it, then turn the switch on, fuel gushes out. I can then re-connect the line to the manifold and it will start right up.

Last summer, I removed the fuel pump relay and conducted a bench test; it checked out fine. I grabed my multi-meter and checked for voltage at the connections under the rear seat. I don't remember exactly what I got, but, I do remember that it did not check out as it should have (per the schematic in the manual) both when it was working fine and when it wouldn't start.

This problem started happening at the beginning of the summer in '03, didn't happen all winter, and now has started again.

Anyone else have this problem? I have been hoping that it will break outright so that I can pin down the problem. I am reluctant to take it to the shop: the problem comes and goes at random. If I can drive it to the shop, then it is likely that they will conduct a diagnostic, not find anything wrong, and then charge me a arm and leg.

[Phatestman]

Dose this occur soon after you run your car very low on gas, and then fill it up or add gas. Sometimes when you run honda's to low on gas, fill up, drive for a while, turn the car off, and then try to start it again an air lock in the fuel system occurs. If this is the case, fill up asap when the gas light comes on.
Check engine light isn't on is it?

[nit2winit]

Phatestman,

Not at all, it may happen anywhere within the range of fuel level in the tank. At first, I thought it was the relay sticking but during one of the episodes, I tapped it with a wrench to try and jar a possible sticking contact. This did not work. As mentioned, I also performed a bench test on it and it checked out fine.

During all such episodes, once the problem occurs, the car will never immediately start on re-trys. It always takes more than a few moments for it to start. Ordinarily, I just leave it and come back 5 minutes later and it starts right up. When the problem is in hiding, and during the winter time, the car will consistently start on the first try about 1-2 seconds into engaging the starter.

Thanks for the suggestion, all imput is appreciated.

[kjackson]

hey there, not sure if this will help, but I had the same problem with a civic I had. Everytime it sat in the sun for a length of time it would start right away or not at all. I noticed that when I turned the key I could predict if the car was going to start or not, I would listen for the sound of the fuel pump, whenever I didn't hear it I knew it wasn't go to go. I found a message board where someone had the same problem, and their were two solutions, one being - replace the main fuel relay and the second being cheaper and the one I chose, remove the main fuel relay out from under the dash, remove the relay from the plastic case and drill some holes into the plastic case to allow the relay to cool more efficiently. I seems the when the windows where up and the car got really hot inside the relay wouldn't energize. Once I drilled the holes I never had that problem again, I don't have the care anymore but I know it's running fine and that was two years ago.
Hope this helps solve your problem.........good luck!

[lorunner]

sounds like a main fuel relay. The reason that it tests good on the bench is that the solder on the board is cracked and when it gets hot ofcourse it expands and looses contact.

The next time it doesn't start do this.
Make sure everything is off and all the windows are up. Close the doors and get in. (you need to hear so thats why).
Turn the key to the on position and watch the check engine lite, when the lite goes out you should hear a click. If there isnt a click then its the relay. If you hear the click then try to start the car, if it starts then we have to go at it from another angle.

Hope this helps

[92lx]

I'm with him, probably the main relay, had a similar problem - that was it.

- Nathan