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View Full Version : Starting/Running problem --HELP


Flight120
04-17-2004, 12:21 AM
I just got an '88 Integra LS with 250,000 miles on it. It's a one-owner (No, REALLY!) car with all maintenance performed and documented. Head gasket, rebuilt head, water pump, timing belt, thermostat, CVs, tires, battery, brakes, and some other stuff in the last year and a half. The car runs great, and everything works in it. When I got it the alternator wasn't charging, and I replaced the brushes. Since then it's been good. I've driven it around for a few hundred miles so far.

Yesterday I drove it probably a hundred miles off and on, mostly highway. Everything felt fine. I got off of the highway and stopped at the bank drive-through. After sitting for several minutes idling with the A/C on, the car just died. I tried to start it again, and it would stumble and die. I tried giving it gas after it started, and it would sometimes rev to about 1500-1800 RPM then die. The temperature gauge was reading a bit high after the first minute or so that I was sitting there, but I didn't think much of it. (I am keeping an eye on that sort of thing though, since I just got this car.) I pushed it out of the drive-through and checked under the hood. I jiggled every electrical connection I could find and tightened up the battery cables. I tried several things, and nothing seemed to help. A couple of times it would seem to start and run, then wouldn't rev and eventually died again.

After about 20 or 25 minutes, it started and slowly would rev again. I kept the revs up and drove it home. When I got it home, it started right up again no problem. Today I drove it around a few places with the A/C on, stop and go driving the whole time. No problems.

What do you guys think? Heat related? The gauge never got within about 3/8" of the red area, but was somewhat high while I sat there. It didn't seem to me to be an ignition problem.

I had almost a half tank of gas. Some kind of fuel starvation or vapor lock? I listened for the fuel pump. It worked for a second with the first turn of the key, then would operate the entire time the key was turned to start, and the whole time the engine was actually running. When the engine died, it would stop. That seemed right to me. Fuel filter? Intermittent fuel pump? Any ideas? Suggestions? I wouldn't mind if something was BROKEN then I could FIX it!

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Tom

crxmouse
04-17-2004, 07:41 AM
man!!!!! that must have been a wonderfull day. did u happen to wash the moter that day? was there any damage to the comperser

Flight120
04-17-2004, 10:46 AM
man!!!!! that must have been a wonderfull day. did u happen to wash the moter that day? was there any damage to the comperser

No, I haven't washed the engine yet. It's not that dirty, and I figured I'd take care of all of my greasy work under there before making it look nice. So far, all I've done is remove and replace the alternator and change the oil at the same time. We also replaced the brake fluid and bled the brakes. Oh yeah, and wiper blades (I think that might be the problem! :D ).

Damage to the A/C compressor, you mean? Not as far as I know. It works like a champ! coldest air of any car we own. The car seems good for now, I'm just nervous about getting it too far from home and getting it too hot.

Thanks!
Tom

crxmouse
04-17-2004, 12:25 PM
as far as the overheating is (A) the tremo work right (B) are both fans turning on or posably the heater swing valve.... But not sure with the hard starting sounds eletric.

Flight120
04-19-2004, 10:15 AM
Ok, so I replaced the fuel filter and pulled the main relay and resoldered all of the connections. I then took a two hour drive into the mountains, and other than getting a little hot, no more problems. The car starts every time, and idles fine. I'm going to replace the thermostat today and flush the cooling system and check all of the heater hoses for dry-rot and cracks and stuff. Hopefully the temp will steady out, and it looks like the car is good!

Thanks guys!

Tom

custom_junky
04-19-2004, 12:13 PM
as for the high temp, you changing out the coolant and what not will problebly fix that problem and with the hard starts if it happens again, it is possible that water got in the fuel lines.