hard cold start issue

[idrivea86lxi]

ok....1st off, hello! new to the forum...not to the forum world. lol. i drive a 86 lxi sedan automatic. i am having this problem with cold starts....well, just first initial starting for the first time of the day. does it when its cold and when it was warmer in the earlier part of the year. now when i go to start the car....it will normally just not catch or will die right off the bat when it catches. then after i turn it over again, it will start but idle REALLY low *sometimes just die* or keep idling super low for bout a minute. if i try to tap the gas it will choke/bog.....and sometimes if i have the gas on it....it will kinda run like its runnin on 2 cylinders for a second and keep popping/sputtering until it clears into the higher rpms and run fine. after its fine i can turn it off and itll start right up every time. i've got all new plugs, wires, cap, rotor, coil, IAC, o2 sensor, fuel filter, pcv, vacuum lines, tw sensor.......idk.....any help? and my other question is......on a 86 lxi....what color wires go to the coolant sensor AND tw sensor. the connectors were taped to the wires when i got it and the wires basically fell out of the connectors so i just crimped on some ends to plug into the sensors. i think i got them mixed up cuz after i shut the car off the rad fan will run for like 5-10 minutes. lol....any pix or anything to help so i know what wires go to what on the 2 sensors. again...glad to join the crowd and thanx for any help!

[coope]

when u start it let the fuel pump bumb then crank it and see what it does i had that prob. not that exact prob but some like that but try that and get back with us.

[idrivea86lxi]

yeah i can hear the pump prime and shut off every time. i'm beginnin to think it is the pump cuz when i'm on the highway around 70mph if i try to accel more it will kinda shutter some and if it downshifts....it hesitates real bad.

[moonjaw2002]

Couple of questions.When you tuned up your car did you check the timming.
Was the iac a new one or a refurbished one.It might need to be adjusted.
Mine had the same symptoms as yours.Also did you clean the throtle body when you replaced the iac.Have you run any fuel injector cleaner in your gas.
Mark

[idrivea86lxi]

it was a new one from autozone...like $90. didn't know u could adjust them. and i've run some injector cleaners and such.....don't do shit to be honest. lol. and no i haven't even touched the distributor or checked timing since. prolly need to. i'm leanin towards the fuel pump tho cuz my neon did that. it used to have a hesitation at around 60mph crusin and then one day it just died when my dad was drivin it. errrr.....i'll check the timing tomorrow if i can remember where my light is.

[moonjaw2002]

It could be the pump,but you stated that once running it runs fine.It is very easy to check the iac to see if it is working correctly.When the car is cold start it and remove the two screws and cover to the iac.You can stick your finger in it and see if it has air sucking in the hole.You might be able to hear it also.It should not be sucking air when cold,the valve should be closing the hole.If sucking air take a large flat blade screw driver and turn the black piece
till it stops sucking.I used a wide wood chisel to do mine.This will also help with the idle,it did on mine.
If the fans came on and turned off then you have the wires hooked up right.
Mark

[idrivea86lxi]

ok i'll check it out. as far as the wires go. the fan is supposed to run for 10 minutes after the car is shut off? can anyone show a pic of what wires go to the coolant sensor and which go to the tw sensor?

[AccordB20A]

Definately sounds like a collant sensor related issue. Cause its not upping the idle and amking the mixture richer for cold starting like it should.

[idrivea86lxi]

are these things called hondas common to have distributor or ignition control module problems? even the ecu? i'm really tryna figure out what this problem is....but i still gotta check out the new IACV to see if its workin/adjusted properly....and last time i checked when it was runnin like crap *as always* there weren't any ECU codes showing....

[w261w261]

are these things called hondas common to have distributor or ignition control module problems? even the ecu? i'm really tryna figure out what this problem is....but i still gotta check out the new IACV to see if its workin/adjusted properly....and last time i checked when it was runnin like crap *as always* there weren't any ECU codes showing....


Sorry you've been having problems. Mine has been bulletproof for 140k now. But I have replaced the distributor, the coolant sensor, and the main relay. The coolant sensor just in time btw, as it was almost unstartable. Had to do it in the parking lot of the Honda dealer. The distributor was making the tach jump around with an occasional flash of a warning light. The main relay was the typical problem of a start, run 1/2 second, stop, repeat.

[idrivea86lxi]

i'm gonna look into the main relay. mine has like 240k on the car and a motor with about 150k or so. she was runnin perfectly fine til the last couple months and it used to run bad like it was misfiring when in gear...turned out my egr valve was blocked up and i unplugged the vacuum line for the fix. lol

[Oldblueaccord]

http://techauto.awardspace.com/mainrelay.html#Troubleshoot

Heres the info on the main relay. You can jump it out to test it before you go buy a newone. Our style is done near the middle of that blurb.



Heres a write up on the sensors



http://www.3geez.com/forum/showthread.php?t=60400&highlight=ECT+Sensor

wp

[idrivea86lxi]

thanx...i gotta check the wires in the AM.

[baby D]

its not the pump i have the same prob, checked the pump, the relay, the harness, im about to part it out, i cant find any more probs, if you can get it to run once, its not so hard to start, but i have to pump the throttle so fast i have to use my hand, i changed the pump and the filter, but the prob got worse, its so rich too, i adjusted the tps, to lean it out, same shit, advanced to dizzy, same shit, tune up, same, could it be th resiter maybe, (the injector resister), posibly the ground(ecu) side of the injector harness?any one want some, parts, ill trade this thing or some thing, i love it but it has to run, i can fix it with a carb i know, but those are just fancy toilets that flush fuel, is it posible the press. regulator is pluged?
any wayz if any one wants some louverd fenders that are hand made and unique,( wyo tech ptoject, looks like they came that way), grant gt weel, custome guage pod 4 center console out of a audi a6, burgandy guage suround,or any parts other than the harness i have them, i just need the money to get another car, i want a lude, or an early 70,s dodge dart, like the one i had when i was 16, hell il sell the whole car for 1000, as is, i have a gerret that i havent installed due to this problem ill sell for 120, 10 for the pop valve, the boost guage that goes with it is in the center consoul pod, man this thing is cool, i just cant get it to start , 14 sec, in larimie wyo(7200 ft above see level for you guys that know baremetric pressures) i miss my baby and im tired of looking at it collect dust

[baby D]

hey i have the same prob, thought id part it out, but found that the pump is good, along with the filter and harness, but get this, the dam fuel press. regulator is stuck shut, wich should be it, becouse the higher the press. the more fuel that gets through when the injector fires, so check your fuel pressure, if its at or above 30 psi at an idle, replace it , that should fix it.

please let me know, knowladge is goooooooooooooooood

[Dr_Snooz]

its not the pump i have the same prob, checked the pump, the relay, the harness, im about to part it out, i cant find any more probs, if you can get it to run once, its not so hard to start, but i have to pump the throttle so fast i have to use my hand, i changed the pump and the filter, but the prob got worse, its so rich too, i adjusted the tps, to lean it out, same shit, advanced to dizzy, same shit, tune up, same, could it be th resiter maybe, (the injector resister), posibly the ground(ecu) side of the injector harness?any one want some, parts, ill trade this thing or some thing, i love it but it has to run, i can fix it with a carb i know, but those are just fancy toilets that flush fuel, is it posible the press. regulator is pluged?
any wayz if any one wants some louverd fenders that are hand made and unique,( wyo tech ptoject, looks like they came that way), grant gt weel, custome guage pod 4 center console out of a audi a6, burgandy guage suround,or any parts other than the harness i have them, i just need the money to get another car, i want a lude, or an early 70,s dodge dart, like the one i had when i was 16, hell il sell the whole car for 1000, as is, i have a gerret that i havent installed due to this problem ill sell for 120, 10 for the pop valve, the boost guage that goes with it is in the center consoul pod, man this thing is cool, i just cant get it to start , 14 sec, in larimie wyo(7200 ft above see level for you guys that know baremetric pressures) i miss my baby and im tired of looking at it collect dust

Ain't no shame in taking that car to a shop for diagnosis though.

[justpassntime]

Yep know what your going through. My 87 LXi is doing the same thing. I have checked everything in the fuel system or anything that has to do with starting and changed parts that were even marginally bad to fix this problem.

I pulled the plugs one morning before I ever tried to start it to make sure the were dry. Turned the key heard the pump do its prime thing (supposedly) then tried to stat it nothing. Pulled a plug and its completely dry. I am not getting any fuel. When I finally get fuel to the injectors (after some time) it starts. Fuel pump all the way to the injectors is new. I have checked everything else to do with sensors and ignition system. But still no friggin fuel!

I also checked one morning to see if there was any fuel up to the fuel rail by cracking the banjo fitting there on the rail. No fuel.

I think I have a new fuel pump that is bad, but how do you take it back if you have to drive the car? I don't have the money to lay out just to get another pump to take back. By the way it was a Carter fuel pump.