Advertisement [ ? ]
Site Links
- Lease Calculator
- Advertise on 6,600+ pages
- My Car ongoing Review
- Members' Chat
- Cars For Sale
- Car Dealers
- Honda "Fit" Manual
- Hyperflex Bushings
- For Sale
- Fix your Car
- Car Manuals
- other manuals - Reference Materials
- DIY Repairs
- Articles
- Video
- Link with Us
- Search Help
- Code your Mac!
- Fly, race, anything R/C
- DIY repair guides
- Z-Seven
- Mechanic's Blog
- Shared
- Free Files
Starting problem.
Car: Acura, Integra LS, 1993, 1.8L L4 - Back to Fix-It - Acura Integra LS Repair Manuals
Q.1993 Acura Integra LS 4 Door, Automatic; Starting problem. This has been ongoing for over a year. Cranks fine.
At first it was just occasional. Would have to leave the key in the on position for 30 seconds up to 15 or 20 minutes.
The amber check engine light would stay on during this time. Finally the light would go off, the fuel pump would cycle on and the car could be started. Now it has to sit with the key on for hours or a day. I just got it to start a few minutes ago after the key being in the on position for hours. It starts and runs perfectly once the check engine light goes off.
Here is a list of what's new/been done to the car over the past 16 months.
Fuel injectors are new, old ones leaked.
Fuel pump is new, old one was weak.
Main Relay is new, I have three, had them tested by a company that rebuilds car computers, they are all good.
Distributor housing replaced (the integrated CKP, TDC and CYP sensors seemed to be putting out too weak of signals).
Passenger side computer (ECM? ECU?)rebuilt. & More (see the further details),
I am aware that this issue may require some time to figure out. I will click "Accept" accordingly (not just once). I live on a small island, no Honda/Acura dealership, and very limited amount of knowledgable mechanics.
Addition Intermittent Starting Problems. Can't seem to pin it down.
More Info required Did this start all of the sudden or after a repair?
Addition It didn't start after a repair. It started acting this way randomly about 16 to 18 months ago. At first it was just a 30 second to a few minutes wait with the key in the on position before the check engine light would go out and the fuel pump would cycle on.
The car would crank of course, but there was no point in cranking it before hearing the fuel pump cycle on. As time went by itslowly progressed to the point where it is now, the key has to be left in the on position for hours before the check engine light goes off and the fuel pump cycles on.
Of course in the interim I did all that I listed in an effort to fix the problem, as some of those things were needed anyway.
Answer I think we can get you going if you are willing to check a couple things for you. I won't be online long tonight, but in the morning I will be at my laptop at work so I can better assist you. Don't. Click accept until we get the problem resolved .. I'm in no hurry to get paid..would rather get your car fixed. First check the ground wire that bolt to the thermostat housing via a 10 mm bolt on your thermostat housing to be sure its clean and tight. The thermostat housing is where the bottom radiator hose connects to the engine.
Addition I'll get to that ground a bit later and let you know what I find. I won't be on-line long either, at least not till later this evening. I'm a surf school instructor and have a trip tomorrow morning so have to go prep gear before light fades.
I should probably also reiterate, Just a couple weeks ago I had a certified mechanic take over for me on this, as I was getting fed up with it.
He did some trouble shooting and found the starter switch to be bad.
He changed it, the car started fine for two days, starting immediately every time, no check engine light, fuel pump cycling on right away every time, then it went back to what it's been doing.
I've been able to start it several times since then, but only after leaving the key in the on position for most of the day.
More Info required No problem, take your time and let me know your findings.
The starter relay wouldn't have any affect on the check engine light issue. Its a totally separate circuit. I'm going to focus more on that. Once the check engine light cycling off after 3 seconds as it should, you will be ok.
Addition I checked that ground.
Just to make sure I checked the right one, it has four wires coming off of it and is bolted to a short nub that sticks up from the thermostat housing and just to the right of it and a little lower is another 10mm bolt that holds a small bracket that supports part of the wiring harness, correct?
The ground was not corroded. Despite that I scrubbed both sides of the eye and the aluminum nub that it bolts to with a small brass wire brush and cleaned them with 99% isopropyl alchohol. Rebolted it tight. No change in the check engine light/starting issue.
Answer Yes, that is the correct one.
Ok. That leaves a problem with the ecu, wiring or the distributor. I know you metioned those, but let's talk about them.
You stated you rebuilt the passenger side ecu. Was it this one below?
If so, that is the correct one. Do you have a volt meter? If so, let's test the inputs for the main relay to see if the ecu is sending signal to it.
You will only be able to go to the point of where a test harness is installed, but this will help narrow it down. Once the test goes this far and the results are good up to that point, normally there is a bad ecu or distrubutor. My bet is a bad ecu.
>>Contribute your Answer<< - Submit your Question