Hi I just purchased a 1986 honda accord dx yesterday from a private party. was driving great yesterday, no problems. with 90,525 miles (yes all original) all receipts - new transmission/motor rebuilt with carb. In 2010 with 80,xxx miles. New battery with warranty, starter, alternator, exhaust, shocks, cv boots, radiator, and alignment. I picked her up for 2400$ from a private party. It's super clean and sounded/drove great yesterday. just filled full of gas.
Ive never had a honda before, and I just spent all my saved money to buy, I'm a working college student, now out of a car again, any input would be greatly appreciated!

Heres my problem:
I started it this morning with no problem, It was cold but not freezing, just a little bit of dew/frost on the windows. (pumped one pump of the gas pedal before starting like the instructions say). It started great. Let it run for 3 mins before putting in reverse and backing out of driveway (backing down a not very steep hill about 2 car lenghts long before dying). As I was backing out it was having a very low, subtle clunking like choking, barely noticeable as i was moving in reverse. got out of the driveway and I stopped. Just about to put into drive, and that's when it died. Just turn off no sounds when dying just like i had turned off the car on purpose. just totally dead. I try to re start it and it tries an tries and sounds like its just about to start, but doesn't. No smoke, nothing. Trying to start it for about 10 minutes (with same result) before I had to give up and leave- I've got school and work I have to attend.

Did i flood the engine because of the carburated engine? is the fuel pump/filter out, I had just filled it up with gas last night and it did 2-3 slight clunk-y jumpy subtle things right after i started it right after filling the tank. but then it didnt show any signs after that of anything wrong. i parked, started and redrove it 3 more times after that last night and it was fine.


any help, opinions, comments at all will help and is VERY much appreciated.
thanks so much!
-M

 

Cars need gas and spark.
The easy but sometimes painful way to see if you get spark is to pull a wire of a plug and see if it arks to the top of the spark plug when you try to start it.
The next is gas. You can get some ether called Hot Shot and see if you shoot that into the carberator will it start. Or since you have a carberator take the air cleaner off and see if holding the choke open (the flap on top of the carberator) helps it start. If you smell gas you are probably getting gas and not making spark.
This is an older car and so many things could be wrong.

If it cant be started again it may be the ignition coil. Those do wear out. If you are not getting gas it could be the fuel pump or the filter.

What you need is to put it on a machine that tests everything to see whats wrong.

 

I see this was posted ~2:30 EST. Try starting the car again?

If still no start then go for checking for spark at the plugs. If you have spark try spraying some carb cleaner into the carb.

Let us know what happens with these......a few us stll play with these old cars, I love mine