I own a 2000 Accord EX sedan, 4 cylinder with A/T. I recently noticed that on first ( cold ) start in the morning there's a delay in getting the engine to kick over. On the subsequent attempt, as well as throughout the day, the engine fires right up without delay. Any advice on what's happening here would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

Does it run rough for a sec after it starts?

what your describing could be anything from a weak battery to a blown headgasket...

 

Yea, a little more detail on "kick over" will help.

Do you mean the starter to spin the engine....a delay in it spinning or spinner slower than normal.

Or the starter spins the engine fine but it won't fire up and run.

 

I have noticed on my 94Ex that first start can occasionally be difficult. I confirmed that low/no initial fuel pressure was problem by waiting for main fuel relay to go off (2-3 secs of On) followed by good start.

If you get a good start after waiting for fuel pump to go off, then problem may be simply leaking fuel injector or fuel pressure regulator allowing fuel pressure to decline to zero overnight. When you attempt to start, you must wait for fuel pump to bring pressure to about 40 psi before engine will start.

However if fuel pump does not come on when keyswitch is first turned to On, then perform following checks.

Turn keyswitch to On w/ fans/radio off and listen carefully for fuel pump to come on and run 2-3 secs and go off. If you don't hear the fuel pump, then try going Off-On again and see if pump starts/runs. If pump is not running when keyswitch goes to On, then either main fuel relay is weak/failing or ignition switch is flaky. Both are relatively easy fixes.

good luck