Car won't start after making multiple short stops

[rh71]

So fuel relay pump seems to be the most named culprit. That part can be affected by temperature? Since this only happens when the car is good and hot. Thanks

This was my and many other owner's issue on the X5. Cold temps would randomly cause it not to start and it was the fuel pump relay, a small cheap $17 part and quick swap. And yes, do the cheapest/easiest fix first especially if it's only a few bucks.

And: "You can test the relay by putting 12v on the low voltage side. You will hear/feel it switch. "

 

[MrSquished]

Finally got the fuel pump relay changed. It will be some months before I'm back at the job that requires multiple stop starts close to each other, so I may possibly recreate the circumstances when I have time and see what happens

 

[bruceb]

Does it crank at a normal speed ? If it does, I would suspect the Fuel Pressure Regulator which is on the fuel injector rail. Inside it, it has a rubber diaphragm and they do go bad from time to time. Not very hard to replace and a mechanic with a fuel pressure gauge can easily test it. Attach the gauge to the service Schraeder valve on the fuel rail. Normal pressure when the pump is running should be around 45PSI or so ... You or the mechanic can check this when the engine is hot and if it is low, it is probably bad.

 

[NutBucket]

Being it's a Honda the pump relay is the first place to start. It was an issue with my '91 Accord. Basically the solder joints fatigue with power cycling/heat. One can easily fix it by reflowing the solder in the relay module.

 

[MrSquished]

fuel pump relay did not fix the problem

 

[AdamK47]

Have you tried replacing the vehicle yet? That's usually the easiest part to replace in order to fix issues like this.

 

[bruceb]

Test the fuel pressure coming from the pump before the pressure regulator. If you see over 60PSI (app) then the pump is working fine. Anything less (check the shop manual for exact pressure) means the pump is bad, fuel filter or lines are clogged. Also when the car does not start, check the voltage at the fuel pump .. anything less than 12VDC means an electrical issue or the pump is drawing too much current.

 

[leper84]

fuel pump relay did not fix the problem

By that you mean they changed the main EFI relay? Did they call it a PGM-FI relay?

One other thing to check is your purge solenoid. They control the flow of excess fuel vapor from the fuel tank. They are a normally closed valve- no flow unless given power or ground. Common way for them to fail is to lose seal, allow constant flow and flood your intake with fuel vapor which will cause a hard start like your complaint.

 

[MrSquished]

By that you mean they changed the main EFI relay? Did they call it a PGM-FI relay?

One other thing to check is your purge solenoid. They control the flow of excess fuel vapor from the fuel tank. They are a normally closed valve- no flow unless given power or ground. Common way for them to fail is to lose seal, allow constant flow and flood your intake with fuel vapor which will cause a hard start like your complaint.

on the receipt it says 'main power relay', does that help or should i call them?

 

[bruceb]

Pixel -- Did your mechanic ever test the Fuel Pressure at the Fuel Rail when it does not start as I told you to do above ? We know for a fact the Pressure Regulator on the Fuel Rail will cause a No Start When Hot .. It happened on my Grand Am one time and changing it fixed the issue. A good mechanic can test it easily.

 

[shortylickens]

fuel pump relay did not fix the problem

I would guess the battery is not holding a charge.
Try using a trickle charger and if things dont improve, replace the battery.

 

[MrSquished]

I would guess the battery is not holding a charge.
Try using a trickle charger and if things dont improve, replace the battery.

When you turn the key it turns like crazy. THen it will start but barely idle and sputter, like just over the zero RPM marker. I don't think it's the battery.

I will be going to a different mechanic this time, I tried two so far, my parents mechanic and my mechanic, and now I will try my sister and brother in law's mechanic. I will mention some of the suggestions from here. If they don't fix it the car is gone.

 

[MrSquished]

Dropped it off at the mechanic today with a printed out sheet with your suggestions on it. I'll know in the next couple days what they think it is. If it's too expensive I'm just going to give the car to my gf who is struggling right now. The issue would destroy resale value even though it only affects starting maybe less than 5% of the time and those times, it always starts just not right away.

 

[RLGL]

Some guy you are, give a broken car to a female......who probably can't affrord to fix it.

 

[Rifter]

Some guy you are, give a broken car to a female......who probably can't affrord to fix it.

Having a car, any car at all, is better than no car, especially when it does work 95% of the time.

 

[MrSquished]

Having a car, any car at all, is better than no car, especially when it does work 95% of the time.

This. She is in a tough spot right now. The car has not exhibited any poor behavior since she got it a month ago but she hasn't stop/started too much. The car is in great shape otherwise, the interior is in good shape, the wheels are scratched up a bit and the body has a few scratches but it drives like a charm. It rides nice. She is lucky to have it at this point in her life as she gets back on her feet. I wish I could have bought her a new car but I can't even afford a new car for myself, so it is what it is.

 

[PowerEngineer]

A 2000 Acura 2.3TL is a nice car; I'd certainly be grateful if someone gave me one!

FWIW, this sounds like a classic vapor lock problem where the heat from the engine causes gas in the fuel line to vaporize and block the delivery of fuel to the engine. you might look at the routing of the fuel line in the engine bay to see if anything looks amiss (e.g. fuel line in contact with engine block).

Googling Acura and vapor lock I found several discussions. Here's one:

https://acurazine.com/forums/second...w-resolve-1999-tl-vapor-lock-problems-628490/
https://acurazine.com/forums/second...w-resolve-1999-tl-vapor-lock-problems-628490/
May or may not be your problem, but perhaps a possibility.

Good luck!