I have a 95 accord lx 4 cylinders. My car has recently been having problems about for a month now. One day my car will start up right away then when i go somewhere and have to leave the car for 10 minutes i come back try to start it but just cranks. I have to keep on trying and trying for abut 15 20 minutes then finally it will start again ( if im lucky). Then there are some morning will it wont even start at all. I was recently told it could be my battery i checked the voltage and it was very low so i replaced it and got a whole new battery. that still did not fix the problem. I was then told maybe it could be the spark plugs. When i checked the spark plugs they were drenched in oil and found an oil leak. i fixed the oil leaked replaced spark plugs and first day after that it started up fine no problems. The next day i try to start it and no luck at all just cranks. What is wrong with my car? could it not be getting any fuel to start? what could i possible do?
Thanks!

 

As you can see, taking random advice for what might be the problem can be expensive and frustrating.

First step w/ no start condition is to determine whether spark or fuel is missing. Easiest way is to spray starter fluid or throttle body cleaner in the intake duct for 3-5 secs. Attempt to start. For diagnostic to be effective no-start condition must be present.

If car starts briefly, then spark is OK and fuel delivery is likely the problem.

If fuel delivery is suspect, listen carefully when you turn the keyswitch to On. Fuel pump in fuel tank should turn on (soft buzz) and run for 2-3 secs, then cut off. Check engine light (CEL) should go off w/ fuel pump. If you don't hear fuel pump run and CEL cut off, the main fuel relay may be the problem.

If engine fails to start w/ starter fluid or throttle body cleaner, then spark is likely missing.

Next step for no-spark is to check for power (12v on blk/yel at distributor connector) to the distributor, then if power is avalable check for spark to spark plugs.

Let us know what you find and we'll suggest further investigations.

good luck

 

sorry for the late reply i have been on a very tight scheduel and did not have much time to work on my car but i have follow all your steps and the fuel pump is fine it is getting fuel. i have replaced some other parts in the car that i felt that could be the problem got them from the junk yard so i did not have to spend a ridicoulous amount of money. And from those parts i have found that my car starts more often but the same problem still persists. I have talked with a lot of other mechanics and they do not know what the problem could be. This problem came out of no where. Once it starts if i turn it off and try turning it on again it will start right up try after try. But if i wait for an hour to go by and try again it will take about 10 attempts. Also the noice it makes seems to have changed it still seems like its turning over but also it makes a Du DA DU DA DU DA lound sound and you can feel the whole car move.

I would really appreciate any other advice to help me get to the problem!!
Thank you!!

 

Lets take a step back here. Both of your posts are vague. Lets find out what has been done so far.

1. When the plugs were drenched in oil, was the oil on the side where the spark plug wire connects? Or past the threaded part where the spark tip sits in the engine? What did you do to correct this?

2. What parts have you changed so far?

3. Important, you need to diagnose the problem. What have you done to diagnose this is a no spark or no fuel issue? Do you have a volt meter? Do you have a timing light?

EDIT: When you turn the key to start the car, does the starter spin the engine like normal? Does it spin the engine slowly? Does nothing happen at all? Is the car not firing up (that is when it is started and you release the key). I just want to make sure we know what is going on here.

 

Okay sorry for being so vague, let me try to make things more clear.
1. The spark plugs were covered in oil from the threads to the tip where the spark is. I bought all new spark plugs.

2. I have changed the spark plugs, the rotor, and the main reset switch (so far).

3. When i turn the key the starter does spin the engine normal. The car does not fire up (most of the time). When i turn the key and leave it turn it will turn over and make the sounds as i described. When i let go it doesn't start at all. If i keep doing this it make take to about 10 times till the car will actually start. From there i can turn the car off then turn it back on and it fires up right up like there is no problem at all.

 

Oil on the electrode side of the spark plug (inside the engine) and not in the spark plug tubes (where the spark plug wire connects to the plug) is not good.

It could be bad rings in the engine, a head gasket problem, or possibly a clogged pcv valve.

Do you get a lot of smoke from the exhaust when you are driving? Are you losing a lot of oil?

I would start with the simple stuff first.

Do you have a compression tester?

When the engine is cold, remove the radiator cap, and see if you have oil mixed with the coolant. If you are due for an oil change, check that the oil looks like oil (light or dark) and doesn't look milky (oil mixed with antifreeze).

I would start by replacing the PCV valve on the intake manifold. A stuck pcv valve can cause the engine to pull in oil into the intake manifold. I would also clean out the rubber hose for the PCV valve as well.

 

If spark plug wells have large oil accumulation you will get oil on plug threads and tips when you remove the plug. I would replace the spark plug tube seals to stop the leak. This is unlikely cause of starting. I've run for some time w/ lots of oil in spark plug wells w/o problems.

From your description, spark is likely missing when no-start occurs. You need to confirm this by checking for spark w/ timing light (no flash on spark plug lead means no spark) or grounding a plug to the engine and turning engine over to visually check.

It could also be a bad ignition switch assy. Notice whether Alt and Check Engine Light are on when no-start condition occurs. If not, the keyswitch assy is likely bad.

good luck

 

If the oil on the sparkplug tips looks clean & fresh, then it probably ran down to the tip as you removed the sparkplug. Oil from rings or other internal problems would be partly burned.

Oil in the sparkplug tubes can short the spark, depending on whether the rubber boot is sealing well or not. If the spark is shorting around the plug, in the oil, then the timing light would appear like there's a good spark.

 

New update guys!

So i decided to take my car to a specialist and they found out i have a blown head gasket and that is why my car has been having this problem. He estimated about 1700 dollars to get it fixed but i found that ridiculous. This does make sense that my car has been having this problem. Since the water leaks in it cannot start. But as i am trying to get it to start it evaporates the water and then it can start. What do you guys think? Can this really be the problem? And how much should a head gasket usually cost? Thank you for your support!

 

Yes, leaking head gasket can cause starting problems. Are you losing coolant w/o any obvious leakage? A cooling system leak test followed by inspecting spark plugs for water can confirm head gasket leak.

$1700 for a head gasket job is too high IMO. Head rebuild should be $250-350 and labor perhaps $500-$600. Suggest getting additional estimates from shops specializing in Acura-Honda repairs.

good luck