Random (warm engine)no-start

[DrLove'sKuDang]

whenever my car has been sitting for a while or on a coldstart, its never happened. but whenever ive driven somewhere and the engine has had time to warmup, i get this random problem. usually when i stop for a short amount of time and get back in. i will turn the key to start the car, and all the dash lights turn on like they should, but the engine doesnt start. i dont hear anything... no ticking starter or anything. sometimes i re-try once and it restarts right away. yesterday i got gas, and when i got back in, i had to turn the key on about 20 times before it started up. and whenever it starts, it always fires up immediately... it doesnt turn over a bunch of times, and then start.

one of my friends at the shop took out the main relay and cleaned it up cause some of the points looked bad and had loose connections... but that didnt fix it. what else can it be?

...oops, just read the other post on the main relay. but are there any other causes? cause my relay was resoldered, or is that no good enough?

[accordztech]

resolder may prolong it, but it will be replaced later...

listen for this if it dont start...u know when u put it on ACC and u see the CEL turn off...u will normally hear a click.

if u dont hear it, it wont start....so basically its ur main relay.

[DrLove'sKuDang]

well i just went to the store and when i got back in, i payed attention to the click as the engine light turned off, and it clicked... but the engine still didnt start.

when i first turn the key to acc, i hear a humming noise, which ive always heard. im pretty sure its the fuel pump i had installed. anyways, when the engine light clicked off i tried to start the car, and while i was holding the key on, the humming noise kept going but nothing else was happening.

so im assuming now its not the main relay... wtf!?!!??!

[WiKKeDV16]

this happend to my sister.. a while ago with her cb7... we checked everything and went replacing crazy for a few days... i dont know why but it ended up being the ignition switch itself
i dont know what whent wrong with it but i removed the old one got a new one with a working key for it and turned the key and started up.. got me so frustrated even though it started ..
i cant say that this is your problem but if it only does it sometimes.. maybe there is a loose connection in there and it takes a few times for it to work correctly..
or maybe the loose connection is on the engine side..
since its not the relay... you hear the pump working.. its definetly something electrical.. what.. i cant say since u had it swapped.. check dizzy wiring,ignition coil wiring,starter wiring,and the ignition switch itself..

just my .02 cents.. anyone feel free to correct me on anything good luck man

[accordztech]

humming noise is the IAC...the purge is ur pump.. so i guess it may not be ur main relay.

check your ignition coil and what wikked said. you will need a voltage tester to test the ignition coil. this happend to my friends car recently.

it started fine, but dies later and then doesnt start when we turn off the car. pissed me off and the ignition coil was last on the list.

[DrLove'sKuDang]

thanks, ill have it checked. btw, when youre talking about the ignition switch do you mean the actual switch in the steering column?

[WiKKeDV16]

yeaup.. i dont even know what went wrong with the original one.. but when replaced the car worked fine.. im not saying go out and replace it but. pull the trim around it and figure out which wires are to start the "starter" to get the car running.. then jump them if u can i personally dont remember if its possible without splicing but there may be connectors.. if it works fine like it should then theres something wrong with the switch if still doesnt wanna turn on then move on to something else..
best of luck

[DrLove'sKuDang]

well ill try the switch thing, and im getting a msd6 w/coil for $100 from a friend of mine, so thatll be covered. if all that doesnt fix it, then im out of ideas.

[HondaFan81]

my 90 EX in the past has similar probs. It started off by taking a couple turns of the key to start. Gradually it was worse, requiring mulitple turns to start. Finally, one day it would not crank over at all. I replaced the starter assembly, this took care of the problem. Then, a few days later, the car would not start again. It ended up being the ignition switch. The car has not given probs since & starts up immediately everytime...even in the cold weather we've had here lately.

Note: The battery in this car was fairly new and in good condition.

[WiKKeDV16]

same shit with my sisters.. glad to see someone else had the fucking switch problem.. bah.. i wonder what makes em go bad..
P.S

BE GENTLE TO UR IGNITION SWITCH LOL

[DrLove'sKuDang]

recently i had a switch installed to start my car. its basically wired directly from the battery throught the ignition and to the starter. so i turn the key and push the button to start the car. and i thought that would fix the problem, but it didnt.

if its a problem with the starter or starter relay it is possible for these things to work properly one time and randomly not work at all?

[HondaFan81]

let me know if I'm off here, but from what you've stated it seems like it could still be your ignition switch because you have not replaced it...you simply have a direct connection from battery to starter operated by a switch...if the ignition switch is bad...you engine still wouldn't start..when you put ignition switch to start position it also activates your ignition system, etc. So at most you could get your starter cranking over...but ur engine still won't start prolly cuz the ignition switch didn't activate ur ignition system

I'm having probs similar to this with our 87 Sable wagon and i'm troubleshooting it... i found it very beneficial to understand the wiring diagram if you have this info....u'll be able to narrow it down.

[mrhonda]

Have you checked the ECM for DTC's?

[DrLove'sKuDang]

i did get a new ignition switch, and i just replaced the back half with all the wiring and screwed it onto my existing locking mechanism. i thought it could have been a problem between the ignition and the starter, thats why i put the button in... to make a new connection between the starter and the battery. but it still wont start

btw, it does it warm or cold now.

[DrLove'sKuDang]

Originally posted by mrhonda
Have you checked the ECM for DTC's?

have i checked my what?? for what??

im not familiar with either of those terms.