I needhelp and ideas figuring outan intermittent starting problemwith my 1994 Accord EX 2.2L manual trans that I thoughtfixed6 months ago when I replaced the entire distributor with a new one, including new igniter. Now the problem is back....the car will start fine when it is cold, but if you drive ita little while and stop somewhere (like to get gas) and shut it off, it will not re-start.....it acts like it is out of gas, but it is not. After waiting 5 or 10 minutes, it will usually re-start. It never shuts down while driving, only when trying to re-start.My hunch is that there's a bad sensor or connection somewhere sending bad info to the computer....anyone have ideas? thanks.........Terry

 

2 things come to mind.......
First is be sure you turn on the key and wait for the CEL to shut off; thus allowing full fuel pressure, and a good injector spray pattern.
Second the ECT may be reading wrong;


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I just went out a ran through the routine of turning on the key and listening for the click from the relay and to hear if the fuel pump was running. This is about 20 minutes after the car would not start. I did hear the click, and I heard the fuel pump run for about 3 or 4 seconds and then shut off, and the carstarted right up. It re-started 2 or 3 times, and then would not re-start. When it does not start, I do not hear the relay click and the fuel pump does not run. Can you tell me where the main relay and fuel pump relaysare located? The crappy Haynes manual does not show me.....it says "center of the dashboard"....WTF?

 

Main Fuel Relay on 94 Accord is under the dash on driver's side on RH side of steering column. It is not easy to access or remove. Remove dashboard lower cover and knee bolster to gain some access. Still not easy. It's mounted on a steel bracket. It may be easier to remove the bracket. Note how it's mounted carefully to allow remount. I removed mine and have never been able to remount.

You may try reflowing the solder connections of the circuit board if you're handy w/ soldering iron or simply replace relay ($50 or so).

good luck

 

TexasHonda: Thanks for the tips.....I Googled "1994 Accord main Relay location" and found some great info on some other sites also. After reading everything, I'm 99% sure that my relay has cracked solder joints....it looks like this is a very common problem with mid-90's Accords. I will be removing it tomorrow andwill attempt there-soldering of the joints. If that doesn't work, I will replace it. I will post my results if and when I get it fixed. Thanks for responding........Terry

 

Follow up on intermittent starting problem with my '94 Accord EX......I took apart my main relay and found that most of the solder joints on the posts showed evidence of cracks. Because this is my daughter's car and she is 100 miles away at college, I decided to replace the relay with a new one.....$79 for the RZ-0088 at the local Honda dealer. The starting problem I described in my original post is now gone. Now when I turn on the key, I hear 2 clicks from the relay, the fuel pump runs for the 2 second interval, and the car starts instantly every time, hot or cold. I will try the re-soldering procedure on the old relay andkeepitfor a spare in case the new one develops cracks in the future. Thanks to this forum for all the help.........Terry

 

Thanks for the followup. It helps to know what advice was useful.

Regards

 

great help and work.