help me keep my 79 accord on the road

hey guys,
I've a stock 1979 accord hatch and am having difficulties starting it.
these have developed gradually over the past 3 weeks.
the engine turns over but does not fire,
the battery/started/spark plugs etc. are all doing their jobs,
I believe the problem is a lack of fuel in the carby when starting,
I've found removing the top of the carburettor and adding a small amount of petrol (a little more than a coke cap full) allows me to start the engine and its runs as per usual when driving.

if anyone has any advice for me on what to do please let me know! the starting ritual of my car has almost gotten the better of me hah.

further problems:
indicators fail to work about 30% of the time,
and my left-side headlight does not turn on unless i have high beams on (then all four front lights work)

any help would be great,
thanks guys

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SAM.SB

hey guys,
I've a stock 1979 accord hatch and am having difficulties starting it.
these have developed gradually over the past 3 weeks.
the engine turns over but does not fire,
the battery/started/spark plugs etc. are all doing their jobs,
I believe the problem is a lack of fuel in the carby when starting,
I've found removing the top of the carburettor and adding a small amount of petrol (a little more than a coke cap full) allows me to start the engine and its runs as per usual when driving.

if anyone has any advice for me on what to do please let me know! the starting ritual of my car has almost gotten the better of me hah.

further problems:
indicators fail to work about 30% of the time,
and my left-side headlight does not turn on unless i have high beams on (then all four front lights work)

any help would be great,
thanks guys

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sounds like a fuel pump.... lol easy fix.


and as for the headlight... replace it. the outers are dual beam.. the inner are single. and the turn signal. it could be a fuse. ir bulb..

I dunno if I'd say fuel pump, if it starts after adding a few drops of fuel. That sounds to me more like a choke issue of some sort. Have you tried pumping the gas about 5 or 6 times before you start it? That's actually the Honda-recommended starting procedure for these cars. If that doesn't work, try pumping it way up. If you can't get it to start after pumping it a bunch, then your accelerator pump is probably bad. Other symptoms of it being bad are a bog when you're on the freeway and you hit the gas hard to accelerate... Every time you pump the pedal, it should be squirting fuel down in the carburetor. You can actually take the air cleaner off and look down it while someone pumps it. It might be hard to see and you might have to prop the choke open, but I think you should still be able to see it.

Failing fuel pumps are pretty common at this age. But as said if the engine keeps running after a small dose of fuel it doesn't sound like fuel pump since they are electric rather that mechanical.

Usually when the fuel pump starts to fail on these they will "stick" & simply won't start pumping. Sometimes they can be kicked into action -literally- with a light tap from a hammer etc. & will run happily until the next time but will want replacing (not sure if cleaning the contacts points inside them makes any difference).
They're mounted upon a bracket under the rear of the car just behind/inboard of the left rear wheel and should give an audible ticking as they start pumping for the first 30 seconds or so after you turn the ignition key to prime the carburetor, before stopping until the engine is running - controlled by a relay to stop fuel flow if the engine stops running for any reason. So listen for it, though some aftermarket pumps may be quieter than others if it has been replaced before.

Indicators sometimes failing to operate, or sticking on without flashing when operated ( if globes & fuses are all good), sounds like a failing flasher can. A small 1"x2" cylindrical metal canister with two electrical terminals arranged in a "T" shape exiting one end (if original). This is held in a little rubber holder (along with an similar one for the intermittent wipers), bolted up under the cowl behind the instrument cluster (head properly under dash & look up).
Generic aftermarket replacements (often slightly smaller) are dead easy to get but will usually have their terminals arranged in more of an "L" pattern so you may have to push Honda's original terminal connectors & wires out from the plastic "T" shape holder (probably requires a pin to push in a retaining barb).

I believe Headlight has been covered.

thanks for the responses all! very helpful. Yeah 2ndGenGuy I have tried pumping the gas before attempting to start the car as I knew Honda recommended because luckily enough my car came with the owners manual. I've also tried pumping when starting and that has not been successful for me, but i don't have that problem of a bog in acceleration when at speed. Also, thanks for the insight from 79cord, I'm sure it will come in handy when i get some time to spend on the car. All the best