97 Accord not running after sitting 2 wks
 

4cyl, auto trans. After sitting I can drive it for ~5 min and it dies. Not an instant death, but it only sputters like 2-3 times. After it dies, it will NOT start at all until it cools down completely and even then it sputters a lot before it starts. Once it's started, it idles fine in park but sputters under an average load on the throttle and dies. Afaik, the only codes thrown are an O2 sensor which I assume was cat related but now i'm not sure. Code is a P0420. What should I test? I need this car back badly...

EDIT: Just to update, main relay was replaced, still wont start.

A little history; the car did this a year ago too after sitting for a month but it started back up eventually and ran fine for months. I don't know if this helps, but I know it's something deeper than basic tuneup stuff.

Won't start with starter fluid being sprayed into the intake and vacuum hose.

The no start until it cools may be due to the main relay. If it is the main relay, usually, resoldering the solder joints on the main relay fixes it.

The P0420 trouble code is probably unrelated.

why would a relay cause this issue? It seems like such a trivial part to cause this. Where is it located and how can I test to see if it needs to be repaired or replaced?

Lets start with the basics.

Has any work been done recently on your car?

Turn the key to the II position, but do not try to start the car. When the check engine light turns on for the bulb check, the fuel pump should turn on for about two seconds. It is a faint buzzing/whirling sound from the back seat, so turn off the radio, blower, etc... and listen carefully. Let us know if this sound is present or missing when the car will not start. You may have to get an assistant, remove the gas cap, and listen where you fill the tank.

Also, how many miles are on the normal tuneup items? That would be the distributor cap, distributor rotor, spark plugs (what brand?), and air filter?

It may be the main relay or some other cause.

PGM-FI Main Relay
It operates the fuel pump and supplies power to the fuel injectors. It can fail due to cracked solder, which results in intermittent/nonexistent current flow to the fuel pump or the injectors.
How the Main Relay works

Main relay symptoms are:
Car won't start when hot.
Car does not start after parked for just a minute.
Car starts but quickly dies.
Windows have been rolled up on a hot day when problem occurred.
The heater was on before turning the car off.
No (humming) sound from the fuel pump the moment the ignition switches ON.
Check engine light comes on (rare cases) or stays on longer than usual and/or no sparks (electronic timing only.)
10-15 of waiting and the car pushed to a shade, will usually start.

Attached are pictures of the main relay location on your car and testing procedure.

I thought I tested the relay correctly but after I installed the new one my car still wont start. Doesn't matter though because I think I screwed up the original one anyways.

So any other ideas guys? It ran fine before it sat for 2 weeks... It did this before like a year ago after sitting for a month also. I wish I knew more about this stuff, but I don't work on cars very often. I don't have the money to take it to a shop otherwise it would have been there by now.

See my previous post about some basic items.

How do you think you screwed up the installation of the relay?

https://www.hondaaccordforum.com/for...hen-hot-48102/

Check this thread as I had to deal with this and went through every possibility.

Get a can of ether and when it stalls have someone spray it directly into the throttlebody while you are cranking the engine. If it fires you have a fuel problem. If it doesn't you have a spark problem.

then we can go from there.

do you hear the fuel pump when you turn the car over its like a lil tick?? Make sure to test all your fuses i had the same problem and the only thing it was was a fuse check all your fuses under driver side they might look good but they could still be bad so i def say check your fuses.

All of the basic maintenance stuff is fine. The car drove well before I went out of town for a couple of weeks. Got 30+ mpg.

I didn't screw up the install, I screwed up the old one testing it. I hooked up a couple of jumper wires off the battery, put them to the proper pins and tested continuity of the other pins just like the guide said, but the wires got hot and sparked. The brief time I did have it hooked up though, my meter had no continuity reading.

Silver, I checked out your thread but my problems are quite different than yours. Thanks for the info though.

The fuel pump sounds fine, I had my gf turn the key and I heard it run for 2 seconds. I haven't tested fuel pressure.

I was advised by a friend to rent an HEI spark tester and test the ignition coil. What do you guys think?

So you're still unsure if it is spark or fuel? If so you need to get a can of ether and have someone spray it directly into the throttle body while you crank the engine and step on the gas. If it fires up for a bit you know you have spark if not you know you dont have fuel.

I love my HEI tester. They are cheap and fool proof. It's up to you to do the ether test or HEI

I tried spraying starter fluid in the intake and down the brake booster vacuum hose while the engine was being cranked with no success. I noted that in the first post. I am sure it's a spark problem now.

why did you use the brake booster line??? Did you try directly spraying it into the intake manifold via the throttle body? If not then Take the intake tube off where the butterfly valve is have someone spray it in there (keeping their hair and face off to the side) while you open the throttle and crank it.

Hmmm I'm thinking coil. I was getting an intermittent P0420 code and wasn't ready to part with 450 to replace the cat. When my car had its hot stall out issues I went through the basic ignition items first. When I pulled the coil out I noticed the back was scorched. I replaced it and since then I have not gotten the p0420 code back.



To my understanding a failing coil can cause inefficient ignitions causing the cat code.

I used the brake booster line because it's the biggest direct vacuum to the intake manifold. Afaik, that's where you're supposed to do stuff like that lol.

Thanks silver for the info on the 420. I'm def going to test the coil today. I will report back soon.

Ok guys, autozone didn't have an hei spark tester to rent so i just bought the coil. I replaced the coil now and still won't start. It's going "phuhh" when it's turning over. Does that noise mean anything? It's not even sputtering anymore... It used to sputter and at least think about starting. Now, nothing.

Noises are tough to diagnose over the web. You may want to post a link to a video.

Is there any chance the car ran out of gas?

Does the car have an alarm system installed?

You still haven't confirmed that the problem is due to lack of spark or lack of fuel. Here is a link on how to test for spark.

Starting Problems

P0420 is a bad cat may be a cloged cat If it were me I would put a cat on and retest it is bad anyway Ifyou go aftermkt. much less $ but will not last as long No matter what else it may be the cat is bad anyway

problem was a distributor, and the P0420 code no longer exists. I've driven the car for 2 weeks now. Thought I should follow up with you guys, if anyone else has this problem they can learn from my mistakes!

My Accord 2000 V6 EXL 198,300 on the original engine use to Stall when Hot, however after cranking the engine few times eventually it will start. I have replaced the main relay today, looks like issue is resolved. Purchased main relay (Honda OEM) from the eBay for $50 including shipping.