99 Accord wouldn't start
My daughter has a 99 Accord LX with about 94K miles on it. We bought
it as a one owner, off a lot last Thanksgiving. Very clean, known female owner, only extra option was an aftermarket remote starter. The car has been running very nicely and I replaced the timing belt at 85K. The car has been running so nicely I haven't done anything else to it, except drill it into her that she needs to change the oil ever 3K and rotate the tires every 6 months. She puts on about 12K a year. She came home from New Jersey for Christmas and as she was getting ready to visit friends on Saturday night (after Xmas) it had been raining heavily all day here in Massachusetts and the car sat in the cold rain all day. She went to remote start it and it turned over just fine, but wouldn't start. This is the first time it wouldn't start immediately. So she went out and tried sitting in it and it wouldn't start. Lot's of battery, but no start. So I tried, and still no start. We ;popped the hood and I watched the engine and tried the remote starter. I could see what seemed to be the reflection of arcing inside the distributor, about 1 inch ling arcs of parallel arcs, on the distributor as she turned over, but no start. I wondered if these lights were emanating from inside the distributor or shining ion the distributor from arcing in the spark plug wires? I still don't know on that score. The spark plug wires run in their loom just above the distributor. I took a hair dryer and blew some warm air on the distributor for 5 minutes. This is some silly old trick I used to do back in the he 60s when we'd get wet electrics in cars. Viola, the car sputtered and then caught and started. Hmmmm.... The next day I went and bought a new distributor cap, rotor, a plug wire kit, and plugs. Replaced them all. The plugs I took out looked fine, but for all I know they were original. or maybe not, I couldn't tell. I looked over all the other parts and what I notices was the end of the rotor where it "sweeps" the distributor contacts was very worn down and there was barely any copper there at all. I think the rotor may have been the culprit. Car has been starting fine for the last two days and running fine. Just figured I'd ask for some feedback from the formidable brain trust here. Did I just luck out and still haven't fixed the problem, or did I maybe find the culprit with the rotor? I thought at first it might be a fuel pump issue, but after it started when I applied some heat to the distributor I then suspected the electronics. Peace out and Happy New Year all! PS Any New Jersey folks out there that might know of a good service place (wither indy or Honda dealer) near Leonia? (Just at the NJ side of the George Washington bridge) Steve L Ashby Ma |
Re: 99 Accord wouldn't start
"Steve L" <srl1215@comcast.net> wrote in news:gjbast$dfm$1
@news.motzarella.org: > My daughter has a 99 Accord LX with about 94K miles on it. We bought > it as a one owner, off a lot last Thanksgiving. Very clean, known > female owner, only extra option was an aftermarket remote starter. The > car has been running very nicely and I replaced the timing belt at > 85K. The car has been running so nicely I haven't done anything else > to it, except drill it into her that she needs to change the oil ever > 3K and rotate the tires every 6 months. She puts on about 12K a year. > > She came home from New Jersey for Christmas and as she was getting > ready to visit friends on Saturday night (after Xmas) it had been > raining heavily all day here in Massachusetts and the car sat in the > cold rain all day. She went to remote start it and it turned over just > fine, but wouldn't start. This is the first time it wouldn't start > immediately. So she went out and tried sitting in it and it wouldn't > start. Lot's of battery, but no start. So I tried, and still no start. > > We ;popped the hood and I watched the engine and tried the remote > starter. I could see what seemed to be the reflection of arcing inside > the distributor, about 1 inch ling arcs of parallel arcs, on the > distributor as she turned over, but no start. I wondered if these > lights were emanating from inside the distributor or shining ion the > distributor from arcing in the spark plug wires? Plug wires were too old and the insulation had broken down, resulting in current shorting to ground before the plugs. Common problem on neglected vehicles. Wires should be replaced (with OEM) every five years. > I still don't know on > that score. The spark plug wires run in their loom just above the > distributor. > > I took a hair dryer and blew some warm air on the distributor for 5 > minutes. This is some silly old trick I used to do back in the he 60s > when we'd get wet electrics in cars. Viola, the car sputtered and then > caught and started. Hmmmm.... Generous doses of WD-40 does the same thing much more quickly, but is lot smellier. > > The next day I went and bought a new distributor cap, rotor, a plug > wire kit, and plugs. Replaced them all. The plugs I took out looked > fine, but for all I know they were original. or maybe not, I couldn't > tell. I looked over all the other parts and what I notices was the end > of the rotor where it "sweeps" the distributor contacts was very worn > down and there was barely any copper there at all. I think the rotor > may have been the culprit. Maybe that also. Especially if it was aftermarket. > > Car has been starting fine for the last two days and running fine. > Just figured I'd ask for some feedback from the formidable brain trust > here. Did I just luck out and still haven't fixed the problem, You fixed it. > or did > I maybe find the culprit with the rotor? The wires, more likely. Change the entire high-tension side every five years (2 years for the plugs) and you'll be fine. I do hope you used OEM and not aftermarket parts. -- Tegger The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ |
Re: 99 Accord wouldn't start
> > I do hope you used OEM and not aftermarket parts. > > Thanks for the feedback. I would have used OEM except this was an unplanned repair and it was Sunday morning. Honda service/parts not open, so I bought Bosch at Advanced Auto parts. NGK plugs. It was so easy to do I'll do it again next year and try to get on the proactive side of this. |
Re: 99 Accord wouldn't start
"Steve L" <srl1215@comcast.net> wrote in news:gjc067$hva$1
@news.motzarella.org: > >> >> I do hope you used OEM and not aftermarket parts. >> >> > > Thanks for the feedback. I would have used OEM except this was an > unplanned repair It was an "unplanned repair" solely because of poor and neglected maintenance. No other reason. > and it was Sunday morning. Honda service/parts not > open, so I bought Bosch at Advanced Auto parts. NGK plugs. It was so > easy to do I'll do it again next year and try to get on the proactive > side of this. > > You'll "try"? Everybody says they will "try", or will "eventually get around to it". I hope you really do. -- Tegger The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ |
Re: 99 Accord wouldn't start
On Mon, 29 Dec 2008 21:14:29 -0500, "Steve L" <srl1215@comcast.net>
wrote: > >> >> I do hope you used OEM and not aftermarket parts. >> >> > >Thanks for the feedback. I would have used OEM except this was an >unplanned repair and it was Sunday morning. Honda service/parts not >open, so I bought Bosch at Advanced Auto parts. NGK plugs. It was so >easy to do I'll do it again next year and try to get on the proactive >side of this. > I bought these once for my sister's Elantra. Had them fail within a year. Got a replacement set under warranty and that set failed as well. Get the OEM ones as soon as you can and take these back if you are able to. |
Re: 99 Accord wouldn't start
<nick@nowhere.com> wrote in message news:vc3nl4hekt8cso4k5ice927nm0giom5plo@4ax.com... > On Mon, 29 Dec 2008 21:14:29 -0500, "Steve L" <srl1215@comcast.net> > wrote: > >> >>> >>> I do hope you used OEM and not aftermarket parts. >>> >>> >> >>Thanks for the feedback. I would have used OEM except this was an >>unplanned repair and it was Sunday morning. Honda service/parts not >>open, so I bought Bosch at Advanced Auto parts. NGK plugs. It was so >>easy to do I'll do it again next year and try to get on the >>proactive >>side of this. >> > > > I bought these once for my sister's Elantra. Had them fail within a > year. Got a replacement set under warranty and that set failed as > well. Get the OEM ones as soon as you can and take these back if you > are able to. > Wow.. I figured all that German engineering quality, they were much more than the cheaper stuff. |
All times are GMT -4. The time now is 05:11 PM. |
© 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands