Hello,
I just read 10 pages of threads and all the DIY stuff but I've got a problem. I work on a boat in the Gulf of Mexico. I drove my '91 Accord from Ft. Lauderdale (where I live) to Louisiana (where I work) in June. My first time off came 2 weeks ago and when I got to the car (4 months later!) the battery was dead... no surprise. I got a jump start and it started right up... as usual. But it did idle strangely; it revved up to 1500 or so and came back down to a thousand in a slow, regular pattern. It sounded good though and it WAS cold outside. After a few minutes I put it in gear and drove off to run some quick errands before going to the airport in Lafayette, about 20 miles away. After the first 10 minutes the idle returned to normal and the car restarted just fine. I drove to the airport and left it for 2 weeks in a credit card lot at $5 a day (I did stop at Walmart and bought a set of jumper cables first). I just got back yesterday after 14 days visiting my mother and the battery was dead. A nice lady gave me a jump (start you dogs!) but it wouldn't start. It cranked over fine but would not start; not even a sputter. Now I noticed that every time I turned on the key the "S" light came on steady (as usual I think) for a second but then started blinking rapidly. I did not notice any pattern to it. I took off the negative battery cable for a few minutes to hopefully reset the ECU but still no luck... same blinking S light. I left the car, got a ride to the boat and am now back at sea. I've visited this forum many times, I've downloaded all the manuals from the DIY section. I know the codes. I've got a Haynes manual. I need to be prepared to fix it, 27 days from now, when I finally get back to the car (remember, still at $5 a day!). I'll rent a car to get there, I'll buy tools, a new battery and whatever parts you think I'll need. I'll stay in a motel 'til I fix it. Keep in mind, it'll be Thanksgiving too! Could the dead battery have caused this? Will an OBD reader help? 1 or 2? Could it be a fuel pump, MFR, O2 Sensor? Sorry for the long post but it's kind of a unique situation.

P.S. I tried to get it towed but it was 4:45 pm. The Honda service department wouldn't answer the phone. The towing company wouldn't tow it unless I had an address and I had to be back on the boat that night (last night, tuesday.) Thanks in advance for any help you can offer and again, sorry for the long post. Dan - somewhere off the Louisiana coast.

 

I would short the service connector under the passenger kick panel and get the code that is flashed by the S light. Without that information, you are basically guessing on the problem. Post that code on this forum, or take a look at the manual(s) you downloaded to see why the S light is flashing.

See: techauto.awardspace.com/transmission.html#troubleshooting

 

S-light indicates a transmission code. Not likely to be related to starting problem.

Notice first when you turn keyswitch to On position. Do the Check Engine and Alt lights come on immediatley? If not, the keyswitch assembly has likely failed.

Next always on no-start is what's missing; fuel or spark. Listen carefully when you turn the keyswitch to On. Do you hear a soft click (Main Fuel Relay-MFR) from under the driver's side dash light hum from trunk (fuel pump)? If no sound, the MFR may be failed.

Spark check requires a timing light hooked normally to spark plug lead or spare plug grounded on body to confirm that spark is occurring. Timing light is easier and better if you have one. No flash from light means no spark is occurring.

good luck

 

OK... there seems to be a bit of a conflict in the 2 answers above. Texas Honda, where do I read the engine codes? PAhonda, I won't see this car again until November 24th. The S light blinking is new to me but I understand that it is flashing a code. It looked to me like one long and a whole lot of short blinks. I didn't count them or look for a repeating pattern. It started blinking and I switched it off and tried again after 10 or so blinks. Now that I have my computer and can access the forum I have a page of codes I printed from your DIY section. Thank you very much. The key switch is new. The distributor is new. My plan was to show up at the airport parking lot with a a new battery, fuel filter, and maybe an MFR. I'd bring a fuel pump too but dropping the tank in the parking lot is too much. Is the MFR a dealer only item? Maybe Auto Zone will loan me a timing light for the spark. I'll buy some tools and join AAA. I'll be in an airport parking lot, in a strange town, I don't know anybody and I need to be prepared. Thank you for all of your help. Cheers, Dan

 

Do the things TexasHonda suggested about the fuel pump priming, etc...

Reading the codes is quick and can lead you to the problem.

You do the same procedure to read the engine codes and transmission codes. All you need is a piece of wire or a thin paperclip to short that blue two pin connector shown in the link in my previous post. Turn the key to the II position.

You count the check engine light (CEL) flashes for the engine code. A long blink=10, short =1. So LLLS= code 41.

You count the S light flashes for the transmission code. It may flash only short flashes, so 11 short flashes =11.

This page shows the code(s) for the engine (CEL), and the transmission (S light).

techauto.awardspace.com/dtc.html

 

I'm not a mechanic by any means but i did have a similar issue with an older toyota camry which i let sit for a couple of months to the point where the battery died and required a jump to restart it. It progressively got worse over the next few weeks...if I did not drive the car for a few days the battery would die and required me to jump it again. After about the 3rd time doing so with the jumper cables attached, the car would just click like it was going to turnover and then nothing. I did have one blinking light on the dash (can't recall which one) but nothing else...meaning no interior lights, no radio etc...brought it down to a shop and the first thing they did was to test the battery and discovered it was faulty...probably from letting it sit too long without a recharge. Anyway they replaced the battery and the car started right up. It's possible that you just have a bad battery.

 

Just to be clear, the car cranked over just fine; not really a battery issue though mine IS shot. It's the first thing I'll replace. I'm pretty sure the CEL was on solid along with the other red lights until I cranked it. Then the came on again when I let off the key. It was the S light that blinked 1 Long and a whole lot (I didn't count) shorts. Could an AT problem cause the car not to start? I will not have much time to test anything or count codes. I'll be staying in a hotel, at Thanksgiving, with a rent a car, some tools and hopefully all the parts I need already. Ordering parts is out of the question. The MFR is about $35... I'll bring one. What else? Crank Position Sensor? What else will keep the car from firing or starting that I can buy in advance and change in an airport parking lot? The car has a new distributor, new VSS, new ATCU, new starter, alternator, A/C compressor, etc. I drove it from Florida, 1000 miles, on it's last trip without a hiccup. I found it dead in an airport parking lot after a 2 week absence. I'm leaning towards the MFR. Thanks for your help.
Cheers, Dan

 

Crank position sensors are in the distributor.

Trans code should not have anything to do w/ starting. Trans codes are longs 1-2 secs, short (<1 sec) pause, and shorts (< 1 sec), so L-p-s-s-s-s = 14.

A way to check spark w/o a timing light or spare plug is to attempt start w/ gasoline or starter fluid sprayed into the air intake. If it starts briefly, then fuel problem; MFR or fuel pump most likely. If it doesn't start an ignition problem is likely; ignition coil or ignitor.

good luck

 

OK... thanks for the list of possibilities. Could the IAC have anything to do with it? When I first started it after 4 months parked, after the jump start, it idled irratically. Raced to 1500 or more then back to 1000 in a rapid, regular pattern. I drove off that way but it stopped after about 10 minutes and idled normally. I wish it never started at all at the office; then I would have caught a ride to the airport.

The spark plug holes (at least the one I checked) are full of oil even though I paid the dealer to replace the valve cover gasket and seals for exactly that problem. I guess I'll bring a new battery, an MFR, a coil, an igniter, some fuses, tools and a multimeter. I HAVE to get it out of that parking lot! Thanks for all of your help. This forum is a life saver!