Honda newb here looking for advice.
My mom drives a 92 honda wagon...lx I believe and the car broke down on her yesterday. She is in her 60's and disabled so I really need to get this car going again for her.
The car starts occasionally and will run for maybe a minute and then shuts off. Then after it starts, when it does it will only stay on for a few seconds...hesitates and dies. I checked for spark and all seeks to be fine. I looked for a schrader valve on the rail but could not find one to check the fuel pressure. So tomorrow I'm going to remove the fuel filter and cycle the key on to see if fuel does come out or not. I also picked up a fuel pump to put in it in case that is the problemb.
The car is parked in a foodlion parking lot and has been there since yesterday...I have no means of towing the car so I'm planing on droping the tank there and replace the pump.
Could someone point me in the right direction on getting this thing running again?? I know the fuel system consists of fuel pump,regulator,and injectors. Is there any other type of sensors that may have gone bad or maybe a shorted wire??

Thanks for all responces in advance.
-JT

 

Anyone??

 

Are the maintenance items up to date like spark plugs, distributor cap, and rotor? Does the check engine light come on when driving? You might want to check for codes.

You should verify if you have a spark or fuel problem. If you have a timing light, hook it up to each wire and see if there is enough spark generated to flash the timing light.

As for the fuel pressure, there is an access valve on the fuel rail, but it is not a standard schrader valve. I wrote a post about how to rig one up. I'll search for it and post a link to it.

You pretty much have the fuel side of things narrowed down except that the main fuel relay sends power to the fuel pump and could go bad. When you turn the key to the II position, you should hear the clicks from the relay and you should hear the fuel pump prime for ~2 seconds. If you don't hear that, then you can test the blk/yel wire at the fuel pump for power with a volt meter.

 

Ok...I hear the clicking but I dont hear the pump prime the fuel system. I even pulled the fans fuse so I could hear it better.
I believe the timing is good because when I started it up tomight it ran good but cut out after a minute. Hooked it up to check the spark and I was getting good spark.
edit...havent check for codes...but I will tomorrow. I'm assuming that I need a standard obd1 checker?? I have a obd2 handheld programmer that I use on my car.

 

“hesitates and dies” sounds more like fuel than spark. Spark usually cuts out without warning

 

In the back of your trunk, there is an access panel you can remove. There will be a 3-pin connector with one of the wires being blk/yel. That wire should get 12V when you turn the key to the II position for 2 seconds to prime the fuel pump.

Either use a volt meter or buy a 12V test light and test for power at that wire in the connector. The test light is easier to see in my opinion.

If you have 12V, then the fuel pump is probably shot. If you don't have 12V, then something is wrong with the main fuel relay.

 

It may be hard to find (with the undercoating covering it), but there is a drain plug on the tank. If you have to remove the tank, to get the pump out, draining the tank will help immensely. A few gallons left in the tank can make it very akward to remove and install.

 

Pulled the return hose off the regulator and turned the key to the on position and had fuel. (Should have done this to begin with). So the fuel was fine. Bought a haynes manuel and broke out the voltimeter to check the ignition system...all wires going to the ignition were fine. Checked the ignition coil module with the voltimeter and it was fine with car off. Pulled it to have autozone heat it up and then check it...Out of 7 tests it passed only one...bought a replacement...put it in...cranked right up and stayed running.
Just wanted to thank everyone for their help. I would advise anyone who works on their own cars to buy a haynes manuel because of how detailed they are on the ignition system.
Thanks again everyone

 

Great Job, the hesitation symptom threw me. That doesn’t happen often with spark.

 

I was thinking the same. Just so happened that when the control module heated up it kicked out.
I do know one thing...I dont want to work on a honda in sub 0* temps again...or any car for that matter