starting problem

da9junkie

New Member
i got a 92 da and i can't seem to get it started. It used to occasionally just not start some days and if I waited a few minutes after i tried cranking it, it would start back up again (this would happen mainly when it was hot out.) But now it completely gave up on me. Everytime i would try to start it now, the needle on the tach won't even move, it just stays still when i try to crank it. Me and my uncle just swapped out the dizzy with a brand new one and my wires and sparkplugs are still fine. I'm also sure my starter and alternator are cool too. I can't seem to find why I am getting no spark to my car. If anyone got any ideas, let me know. Thanks.
 

ZekZ

OG DA
happened to me too a while back but i got lucky it wasnt my relay or anything. it was cause my battery terminals werent tightly connected to the battery. it would barely start if at all, so i hadda get a new battery and ground cable
 


akatyal

New Member
If it cranks but won't start:

1. Turn the ignition switch to ON position and listen for the fuel pump to build pressure - put your ear next to the tank and you should hear buzzing. If you can hear the fuel pump go then most likely its not your main relay. If you don't hear it go then its either your relay or the fuel pump itself, most likely the relay. Take the driver side kick panel out, locate main relay, put your finger on it and turn the Ignition switch to ON position, if you hear it click your relay is GOOD, if not your relay is dead and needs to be replaced. If both relay and fuel pump test OK, test for SPARK.

2. If you have a inline spark tester ($5 from harborfreight.com) , use it to see if the spark is making it to the plugs from the dizzy. If not its most likely your Ignition coil located inside the dizzy (black square piece).

If it doesn't crank at all:

1. Try jump starting it, if it starts your STARTER is good but alternator or battery is bad. If you can't even jump start it or it doesn't crank when trying to jump start, your starter is bad and needs to be replaced.

...more testing can be done but please report back after doing some of this stuff and we'll go from there, thanks.
 


Mildsquare

From the bay to LV
also check the alternator fuse and any other fuse underneath the dash. mine was out and was giving me the same problem. had to get it towed and it was the damn fuse.
 

rpalma001

New Member
i would go wit cabezzzdb8 suggestion, on these models the main relay goes out eventually, its best to buy one new if its used its not garanteed you wont have the same issues later on.
 

goldiesmom

New Member
I wish that I knew about this website sooner! Wonderful information!

I have a 1990 Acura Integra LS Coupe. I've owned it since 1994 and have never really had any trouble with it--I've simply replaced parts that died along the way. Now, I cannot figure out what needs to be replaced?

My car will not always start when I turn the key. Sometimes it starts, sometimes it doesn't--it's totally random. It makes a noise like it's trying to start, but it just loops over without always starting. Two weeks ago, I replaced the fuel injectors, fuel pump and spark plugs/wires. Before making the changes, I couldn't drive it at all--it just wouldn't start. I could turn the key all day and get nothing. Since I replaced these parts, it starts most of the time, but not all of the time. For most of this week, the car required me to turn the key anywhere from 1 to 20 times before it would start. I can hear the engine trying, but the car just won't completely start. My mechanic said that I had water in the gas tank, and then he added dry gas and told me to drive it as much as possible to see if that helped. It's still doing the same thing. Ironically, the car runs really well whenever I finally get it started. I have taken two 80 mile round-trips this week and the car ran fine. But each time I had to turn off the car and restart it, I had to turn the key multiple times before it would start!

This morning, I turned the key once and the car started strong. Thirty minutes later, it took about 6 turns to start. An hour after that it took about 10 turns to start. An hour after that and it wouldn't start at all. Fortunately, I'm at home now. I'll see if it starts in an hour? I cannot ever predict when it'll start? It seems to start best first thing in the morning. I have no idea what is causing this problem? It makes a sound like it's about to start, but it just doesn't.

I had the main relay replaced a few summers ago. I never replaced the starter. Could it be the starter?

Thanks for any help on this. I'm puzzled.
 

akatyal

New Member
If it cranks but won't start:

1. Turn the ignition switch to ON position and listen for the fuel pump to build pressure - put your ear next to the tank and you should hear buzzing. If you can hear the fuel pump go then most likely its not your main relay. If you don't hear it go then its either your relay or the fuel pump itself, most likely the relay. Take the driver side kick panel out, locate main relay, put your finger on it and turn the Ignition switch to ON position, if you hear it click your relay is GOOD, if not your relay is dead and needs to be replaced. If both relay and fuel pump test OK, test for SPARK.

2. If you have a inline spark tester ($5 from harborfreight.com) , use it to see if the spark is making it to the plugs from the dizzy. If not its most likely your Ignition coil located inside the dizzy (black square piece).

If it doesn't crank at all:

1. Try jump starting it, if it starts your STARTER is good but alternator or battery is bad. If you can't even jump start it or it doesn't crank when trying to jump start, your starter is bad and needs to be replaced.

...more testing can be done but please report back after doing some of this stuff and we'll go from there, thanks.

Have you done any of this yet?
 

goldiesmom

New Member
akatyal said:
If it cranks but won't start:

1. Turn the ignition switch to ON position and listen for the fuel pump to build pressure - put your ear next to the tank and you should hear buzzing. If you can hear the fuel pump go then most likely its not your main relay. If you don't hear it go then its either your relay or the fuel pump itself, most likely the relay. Take the driver side kick panel out, locate main relay, put your finger on it and turn the Ignition switch to ON position, if you hear it click your relay is GOOD, if not your relay is dead and needs to be replaced. If both relay and fuel pump test OK, test for SPARK.

2. If you have a inline spark tester ($5 from harborfreight.com) , use it to see if the spark is making it to the plugs from the dizzy. If not its most likely your Ignition coil located inside the dizzy (black square piece).

If it doesn't crank at all:

1. Try jump starting it, if it starts your STARTER is good but alternator or battery is bad. If you can't even jump start it or it doesn't crank when trying to jump start, your starter is bad and needs to be replaced.

...more testing can be done but please report back after doing some of this stuff and we'll go from there, thanks.

Have you done any of this yet?
Click to expand...
Thanks.
1. I turned the key and was able to hear the the buzzing sound of the fuel pump. It's new--installed two weeks ago. I also replaced the Main Relay at the Acura dealership last summer.

2. Mechanic did a spark test last month--it was fine.

For some reason, I tried to jump start it tonight thinking that it would help it turn over. It didn't. It would not start. Then I walked away for about 30 minutes. When I came back, I turned the key and it started right up! There was a lot of white smoke blowing out of the tailpipe, so I took it for a drive. Drove about 4 miles and the smoke cleared. I just don't know what's causing it not to start ALL of the time?
 

rpalma001

New Member
has your car ever overheated and when you crank it does it almost want to start or just keeps cranking basically what im saying is does it start up and die or just not start at all
 

JohnnieHostile

New Member
I actually had the tab on the back of my ignition cylinder lock housing break off once (91 rs). It would power everything up at the acc. position but not actually engage the start position of ignition switch. I also had tab button on neutral safety switch break off, same issue. The most common thing here though is the main relay. There are four posts on each end of relay that can be resoldered to fix most of time. Pull relay from its housing and check posts on wafer board. May need a magnifying glass. If you see a circle in solder around posts, that is the problem. They get hot and lose connection.
 
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