lingering sporadic warm starting issue

The car is my 88 Accord LX-i, and the problem has lingered for years. I'll describe the behavior. Suppose I start the car when it's cold and drive it a short distance, usually less than a mile in the town in which I live, and park and turn off the engine. At this point, the temperature gauge is usually showing some warm-up, perhaps not quite to normal operating temperature yet and the distance driven was not long enough for the engine to be thoroughly warmed up. I'll go into the post office or bank or wherever for a few minutes, I'll come back out and try to start the engine and it won't start. It cranks fine but won't fire. I discovered long ago that waiting a few minutes and then trying again will usually result in a successful start. But, continuing to try to start right after first trying is futile; the car simply will not start until I've waited a few minutes.

Again, cold starting is never a problem. Likewise, the problem does not occur if I've driven long enough for the engine to be thoroughly warmed up before shutting down. However, hot starting is not consistently smooth; sometimes, the engine (hot) runs rough for the first few seconds after starting.

Within the last few months, the following parts have been replaced: coil, distributor (a new Richporter), spark plug wires, and spark plugs. One fuel injector was also replaced to resolve a leaking injector problem.

Sounds like a bad main relay to me.

The Main Relay controls the fuel pump, right? That's what I gather from https://www.rockauto.com/catalog/x,c...,parttype,3380

That's the animal. If it's working properly, you should be able to hear it click when you first turn on the key. Replacing it is good times, BTW.

Hey Snooz,

Boy, it's thin here these days. A thread like this, only 3 posts and then nothing...I leave for a couple years and it looks like so did everyone else.

Hal

Ok, so we'll continue the thread. Why would the main relay fail in that particular way, only in a medium-warm start situation? Vagaries of the unit?

I remember my installation all too well. The cursing. I wrote a very humorous story about it. And I bought a new tool after the fact, a rotating-handle ratchet wrench, which I of course have never used. To those who never reinstalled the relay properly, but left it just shoved in there, I decry their... their.... inauthenticity. I was, at the time, thankful that I didn't drop a nut down into the bodywork where it would rattle.

Hi folks. I've been traveling away from home (air travel to another state, away from home as I write this) and do not have a final report on the starting issue. I'll try to remember to post a follow-up once I've had more time to assess it. But, I do believe the problem has diminished and I guess that is due to the multiple tune-up-type actions taken within the 6 weeks or so, some dating before this topic was posted and some dating after. The changes include: replacing of fuel injectors (had to replace one due to leaking, so later replaced the other 3), new distributor (before this forum discussion) that was free under warranty, plug wires (realized the car still had the original wires on it, LOL), and spark plugs (NGK).

I have not done anything regarding the Main Relay; I'm hoping that won't be necessary.

3geez has been disintermediated by Facebook. People prefer it because you can be a no-nothing blow-hard who postures and acts cool and posts useless web memes and nonsensical comments. It's everything we aren't, but American society is. Facebook is great for people who want the NSA to know just how trivial and pointless their lives are. They rest easy knowing they are doing their part to help the corporatocracy build psychological models of them to determine just how susceptible they are to the latest marketing campaign. I'm too busy indulging my overwhelming cynicism and contempt for everything trendy to have any time for Facebook. Being a curmudgeon is hard work you know.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by derolph

Hi folks. I've been traveling away from home (air travel to another state, away from home as I write this) and do not have a final report on the starting issue. I'll try to remember to post a follow-up once I've had more time to assess it. But, I do believe the problem has diminished and I guess that is due to the multiple tune-up-type actions taken within the 6 weeks or so, some dating before this topic was posted and some dating after. The changes include: replacing of fuel injectors (had to replace one due to leaking, so later replaced the other 3), new distributor (before this forum discussion) that was free under warranty, plug wires (realized the car still had the original wires on it, LOL), and spark plugs (NGK).

I have not done anything regarding the Main Relay; I'm hoping that won't be necessary.

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......and back to the tech. Del do you think replacing the rest of the injectors fixed it? It does sound like leaking injectors since when it fires up it chugs some.