Fuel pump going bad? Weird cold starting problem.

[gsus]

Ever since it has started to get cold here in the Chicago land area, my car has been having a weird starting problem. The problem particularly happens when the car sits overnight. Anyhow, before today the car would crank and die (& turn off all the electronics when the car died) 2 times, and then start on the third crank. But today, it was a bit different, the starter made a weird whirring noise while it cranked on the first attempt to start the car. The second crank only made the starter make that noise for a quick second and the power died (the engine never came on). Anyhow, I let the car sit for a few seconds in between cranks after that, and on about the 7th attempt the car stayed on. Now the car really doesn't keep on trying to crank to attempt to start, it starts right up once the power doesn't cut out.

Now the car is not displaying any electrical problems before cranking the car or after it has successfully started. However when I was in HS, I had an Accord same year and model as the one I have now, and one day the fuel pump gave out on me (that's what the mechanic told me anyway). When the fuel pump went out on me, I had no electronics working at all. I'm wondering if maybe my fuel pump is failing and causing those quick power loses? Or do you guys have any other suggestions for what might be the culprit?

[w261w261]

Don't know about the "weird whirring noise," but the crank-and-die part of the problem could be the infamous main relay going bad. Next time it happens, remove the change drawer on the left side of the dash, then look in and up to the left. You'll see the main relay sitting up there (maybe use a flashlight the first time). The problem is that the solder on the (internal) connections gets micro-cracks in it after awhile, and results in the fuel pump not working on startup. Take the end of a screwdriver and give the relay a whack, and see if the car then starts.

The relay can be resoldered (see many threads about it on here) or a new one from Honda is like $65. Getting it out and a new one back in can be a pain.

[LX-incredible]

The fuel pump doesn't have anything to do with the other electronics. I would check the battery cables and ground connections first. It's pretty easy to take them off and clean all the corrosion off with some sandpaper. After that I would look at the battery.
The ignition switch is another possibility. Indicator lights, ecu, fuel pump, and ignition share the same contact as I recall. Headlights, parking lights, hazards, dash illumination, interior lights, and horn are all nondependent on the ignition switch, so if you're loosing them the problem is quite likely in the battery or the cables.

[w261w261]

When you say the car "cranked and died, and turned off all the electronics when that happened," do you mean everything went dark? And when you turned the key again, things came back, at least enough to crank? How much time between cranks when this happened? If that's the case, then start by cleaning off the battery terminals and clamps. The ignition switch is always a possbility, try wiggling it around a bit if it happens again.

[AccordB20A]

when i 1st saw the title of this thread i thought 'hey. someone with the same problem as me' buty i see yours is different. My fuel pumps going bad because after my cars left for over 5 hours to start it i need to turn the ign on wait the the fuel to pump and the pgmfi light to go out, turn key off and back on prime more gas..i gotta do this 10 times till i can hear the pump get load on it then crank it and it starts up 1st time. That wood be a bad fuel pump.

[Hauntd ca3]

it does sound like a main relay prob.
had a similar prob with my 5g.
new relay fixed it

[gsus]

I took a video of the starting problem. It starts on the third try, I hit the accelerator on the last attempt to start, because I feel that it helps keep the engine on.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=5KEDkDWMRSM

I'll definitely look at the relay that you guys mentioned... I do hope it's as simple as that to fix this problem. It's annoying. I'll also take a look at the battery cables...

[jackal]

It is unlikely that the problem is related to the fuel pump but it does seem to be electrical. The whirring sound you heard when you cranked was the starter spinning without it engaging to the flywheel and therefore not cranking the engine. This could be because of a bad starter solenoid but if it worked after then it was probably temporarily stuck. The fact that you mentioned the power dies means that most likely either the main relay or perhaps the ignition switch are bad. It could be you have a short circuit in the starter circuit. Maybe a bad starter. But it sounds like your power dies after you let go of the key.
I had a fuel pump problem a while ago where the engine would start then die but all the dash lights would turn on.

[jackal]

It is unlikely that the problem is related to the fuel pump but it does seem to be electrical. The whirring sound you heard when you cranked was the starter spinning without it engaging to the flywheel and therefore not cranking the engine. This could be because of a bad starter solenoid but if it worked after then it was probably temporarily stuck. The fact that you mentioned the power dies means that most likely either the main relay or perhaps the ignition switch are bad. It could be you have a short circuit in the starter circuit. Maybe a bad starter. But it sounds like your power dies after you let go of the key.
I had a fuel pump problem a while ago where the engine would start then die but all the dash lights would turn on.