My ignition works 40% of the time =\

[cn lxi]

Hey there im new to the forum.. but im also in love with my honda, its the first car i ever bought by myself! Still has alot of work to do, but here is my problem...

Im pretty sure its an ignition problem..i took it to a japanese automotive in town, he said its my fuel pump is out but i think hes just trying to get money out of me...

My ignition works half the time, i have to park on a hill just in case the ignition doesnt work i can just bump start it, when i turn the key and it doesnt work, there is no click from the starter, i actually thought it was a starter problem to begin with so i put in a new starter, and that didnt fix the problem... if you guys can help me with this problem, i will be soo happy :D

[Oldblueaccord]

Well since your new to cars somewhat you need to read up on automotive electrical circuits a little.

I think you need to look into your battery and charging system. Since you replaced the starter and the cars starts on a roll I think the ignition and fuel pump are ok.

Battery at rest should have 12.7 volts. It will start barely at about 11v. Car running it should be about 14volts.

On the cheap check the battery terminals. They need to be clean and tight on the battery post. Aftermarket batteries the terminals are a little small so the terminal will have to be tightened all the way to make a good connection.


wp

[ShyBoyCA6]

Is auto or 5spd?

[kentwat]

Here is a good place to start the manual.
http://www.3geez.com/forum/showthread.php?t=30792

I second what was said above check battery terminals. They need to be clean and tight. Does your key have a lot of play in it? Ignition switch or key may need looking into also. Welcome.

[ecogabriel]

One cheapo thing you should do is replace the battery's pitiful negative cable (if it has not been replaced already) those tend to give problems. Notice that that cable goes from the battery to the car's body and from there to the engine. Any regular cable would take care of the battery-body part but you would need another one for the body-engine ground.

I started having issues with my cable - lights dimming at times, battery discharging erraticaly, and difficult startups. I ended up swapping one from a 4G accord. It is way too long, but I sent it straight to the engine, and from there I made another ground to go to the body.

If you google here there are some threads on how to make grounds that would be better illustration of what I am talking about.

And Welcome!

[cn lxi]

Thanks for the welcomes guys..

@shy its a 5spd

@eco i will look into replacing my negative wire, thanks

@oldblue and kent my battery is brand new, so i dont think it should be giving too many problems..

Also guys another thing that might help us troubleshoot this, is when i turn the key and the engine starts turning over it will make the normal sound then it will make this crazy grinding starting noise, like its restarting the starting sequence over and over really fast then it will get through it and start up if i hold it and not stop turning the key...WIERD HUH???

WHAT IS WRONG WITH MY BABY =[[[[[

pls help guys :]

[ShyBoyCA6]

Couple things you can check:
1. Clean battery ground or replace it with a new one with a better wire gauge.
2. Check your fuel pump could be letting you know its time for a new one.
3. Could be your main relay (Tend to wear out from age). these cost a alot so your better off getting it from the yard used. pocket a couple.

I wouldn't crank it when you hear that grinding noise (not sure if thats ok on the Distributor).

If it is the fuel pump then that is easy to change yourself and will save you money on your end. But if you have no experience or confidence then take it to a mechanic. you dont want gas squirting out of the tank or lose pressure in the tank.

Charge your battery and check if it holds the voltage. I had a similar problem and turned out to be my main relay.

[Dr_Snooz]

Are your dash lights coming on when this happens? Do the lights in the car dim when you start it up?

This definitely sounds like a bad starter to me or possibly a bad flywheel. If you got your new starter from Autozone or the like, the odds are about 80% that it's still bad. It would be unlikely for it to be bad in the exact same way as the old one, but it's possible. The grinding makes me think that you need to check the condition of the starter gear and flywheel ring gear first. Also, give the starter a whack with a wrench or something the next time it won't start. If it starts after that, then definitely replace it with a decent starter from Napa or Rock Auto.