Car randomly very hard to start

jamescar71285

New Member
Hello, I have a 1993 integra ls automatic. More and more frequently the car just does not want to start, i get plenty of power and spark, engine cranks like a champ but will not turn over. not smelling any fuel but have not checked for pressure. turning the key on and off a few times seems to help sometimes, but this can take anywhere from 2 minutes to an hour to see results, and when it does work the smell of gas is so overpowering i have to leave the car for a few minutes or die choking. checked the regulator thinking it may be faulty and perhaps loosing fuel pressure while sitting, but that was fine and i suppose id see other symptoms while running as well, which im not. I am almost positive its a faulty main relay because it tends to do it mostly in the afternoons when its been sitting all day, never had a problem in the am, or on hot restarts (which is weird, if it were the relay, ive been told it would not hot start). The only odd thing about my car is there is a passlock security system a previous owner installed. The way the system works is if i remove the chip under dash while running, it keeps on running, but once its off it disables fuel supply, pretty sure its tied into the main relay somehow, it is hung right next to it under dash. any thoughts? more importantly has anyone ever seen one of these passlock systems and know how to remove it without disabling the car?

issues
car intermittantly will not start
no fuel to engine/fuel pump not turning on.
will hot restart just no problem

thoughts
main relay?
fuel pressure?
faulty anti-theft?

Please help as my entire household depends on this car as a DD!
 

jamescar71285

New Member
other possibilities and symptoms

After talking with a mechanic I was told to look very closely at the ignition.... i was confused at first, but then remembered the first time it did this my antenna wasnt going up every time i put the key to the on position, and my radiator fan was kicking on.... the motor was ice cold, hadnt run all day. this would fit because the passlock interrupts fuel delivery, if the ignition wasnt engaging the system, no fuel pump...... any thoughts?
 

goober

New Member
my car does this sometimes. i turn the key and it turns over and dies right away. but i found that when i start the car and as soon as it turns over move the key back to the run position it stays running. sounds like ignition switch problems. mine does it sometimes and doesn't other times. hasn't been bad enough to diagnose but because your antenna problems sounds like the ignition switch in the steering column. i have learned to live with it.
 
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