Randomly wont start?

AGONYOFLUST

MEMBER
1990 HONDA CRX
261,000 MILES

For the past couple months my car has randomly not been wanting to start. Sometimes it's totally fine, other times it won't start for a good hour. The fuel pump relay was replaced, that helped for a bit. Then it started doing it again. So I replaced the fuel pump. That seemed to help for a day and now it is doing it again. It sounds exactly like it is going to start but it just won't turn over. Also, when I am driving the check engine light will come on, but only rarely. It also idles sort of rough sometimes. Like a little hiccup.
Any ideas?
Thanks!

5 Replies

RASMATAZ

MECHANIC
75,992 POSTS

Have the computer scanned for code/s -start here

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Wednesday, June 6th, 2012 AT 6:54 AM

AGONYOFLUST

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3 POSTS

What does that do? Probably a really stupid question, but I know next to nothing about cars.

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Wednesday, June 6th, 2012 AT 6:59 AM

RASMATAZ

MECHANIC
75,992 POSTS

It identifies problems within the engine management system-You need to have it scanned to find out what causing the CEL to come on-Know nothing best have it checked by a professional

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Wednesday, June 6th, 2012 AT 7:05 AM

AGONYOFLUST

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Guess it's time for a new mechanic then. My current one was the one that said it was just fuel relay. Bummer.

Thanks! Guess I'll try taking it to someone else and have them do that.

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Wednesday, June 6th, 2012 AT 7:11 AM

KHLOW2008

MECHANIC
41,814 POSTS

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/honda-car-1990-1995-obd1-code-retrieval-procedure-and-definition-table

You can retrieve trouble codes manually. The relay tends to fail intermittently but since it did not solve the problem, it most probably is a failing ECM. If you are good at electronics, remove the ECM and check for leaking capacitors. Replace them and it should be good.

Note that when the engine fails to start, does the MIL goes off after 2 seconds of turning ignition on. If no, then the ECM is failing as you have replaced the PGM-FI main relay.