1989 Accord revs and shuts off

Discussion in 'Accord' started by Eightupman, Oct 23, 2006.

  1. Eightupman

    Eightupman Guest

    1989 Honda Accord 5 speed, 2.0

    Car will start and run for about 5 seconds at 3000 RPM and then shut down.
    It will do this EVERY time I fire up the car. The engine seems to sound
    fine.

    Checked for vacuum leaks and the like, but can't figure this one out....


    Any thoughts?

    John
     
    Eightupman, Oct 23, 2006
    #1
  2. Eightupman

    nm5k Guest

    Dunno, I would think the timing belt job was ok, if it sounds
    fairly normal. A tooth off would effect the timing a good bit,
    and at the least would run rough, or require a perverted timing
    setting to get it to run. So I'd look at the obvious. Fuel and
    spark until you can get it running long enough to check the
    timing. Sounds like to me it's running out of fuel, but hard to
    say guessing over a keyboard. Can you rig up a fuel pressure
    gauge? It takes a banjo type fitting. I made one for a toyota
    a while back from a bolt that I drilled out. I then attach a gauge
    to that bolt, and presto, fuel pressure gauge. Make sure you
    don't have a main relay, fuel system relay problem, fuel pump, etc.
    If all that is ok, look into the ignition. I have a 89 accord too,
    but mine is a carb. So I'm not as up on the "i" version..
    You can get a manual of sorts from a "RU" site. I forgot the
    exact address. Maybe do a search for aerodeck, manuals, etc..
    The guy that hosted that drove an aerodeck.
    MK
     
    nm5k, Oct 23, 2006
    #2
  3. Carbureted or fuel injected?

    Mike
     
    Michael Pardee, Oct 23, 2006
    #3
  4.  
    'Curly Q. Links', Oct 23, 2006
    #4
  5. Eightupman

    Greg Guest

    Mine had a similar problem. My problem was compound, due to sitting
    too long without running. The main thing was that the float valve
    needle o-ring was dissolved. In other words, the fuel pump floods the
    bowl, and soon the engine has too much gas and dies. Look at the bowl
    indicator window--is it flooded? Pinch off the gas after a second or
    two--does the car run for longer than 5 secs?
     
    Greg, Oct 24, 2006
    #5
  6. Eightupman

    nm5k Guest

    According to his first post, it's a FI model.
    Could be a big vac leak, but in a way I kinda
    doubt it. It would stay running at high rpm,
    but gag as soon as the car warmed up and the
    idle dropped down to normal. His cuts out while
    it's doing a smooth 3k rpm. To me, sounds like the
    fuel is being cut off, or the ignition is dropping out.
    I'm leaning more a fuel starvation problem at
    this point in guessing. Which would probably be a
    relay, pump, etc problem. But I'm just guessing too..
    Need to have a pressure gauge on it to tell if the fuel
    pressure is dropping out.
    MK
     
    nm5k, Oct 24, 2006
    #6
  7. Eightupman

    Eightupman Guest

    Injected


     
    Eightupman, Oct 26, 2006
    #7
  8. Eightupman

    Eightupman Guest

    Car does not run longer than 5 secs....is FI, sorry all for not mentioning
    that in my second post
     
    Eightupman, Oct 26, 2006
    #8
  9. Eightupman

    Eightupman Guest

    Ok, went out to toy with it yesterday. The sumbich started up and ran
    FINE.....until I took it around the block.

    I got some history on the car from previous owner. Lets see if some of this
    all makes sense. The car did the same thing BEFORE the timing belt
    change...long before I even got under the hood. He said it (the stalling
    problem) would last a couple days and then quit for a while. While talking
    to him, (and after reading some suggestions) I asked if he noticed if the
    car would do it at a certain fuel level (ie when the tank is close to empty)
    He said that he did not pay attention to that.

    Some additional info....I can DRIVE the car all day long...up and down the
    gears as long as I do not have to stop or let off the pedal.

    So that sort of eliminates some things logically I would think. If it was a
    fuel pressure issue, I would think it would cut off any time it liked. If
    it was a H_U_G_E vacuum issue it would not have run mysteriously for several
    days at a time.

    So my thought is now...EGR valve...if it is allowing exhaust in at idle,
    that would surely shut it down. The plunger is working properly ON the car,
    but that does not mean that it is seated properly....will check that
    tomorrow.

    Thanks to all and keep the ideas coming....I AM going to figure this one
    out....sumbich.....LOL

    John
     
    Eightupman, Oct 26, 2006
    #9
  10. Eightupman

    TeGGeR® Guest


    OK, so it goes vaROOMMMMMMMMM then dies, right?

    First thing I'd be looking at is fuel pump operation. Does it run
    continuously as this drama is unfolding? Have a helper sit in the trunk
    with his ear to the floor while you try to start. The pump makes a
    humming noise.
     
    TeGGeR®, Oct 26, 2006
    #10
  11. Eightupman

    Jim Yanik Guest

    you could eliminate the main relay as a problem by taking it out and
    resoldering it,www.tegger.com has the instructions. It doesn't take very
    long to do.

    check the grounds in the engine compartment.Maybe they are corroded and not
    making good contact.

    Do you think this might have been a "flood car",one that's been under water
    at one time?

    Bad throttle position sensor? Maybe a bad segment(wornout) on the sensor,at
    the end near idle,so if you keep the throttle above that point,the motor
    runs,but when the throttle moves below the bad segment,it has no signal(or
    wrong signal) to the ECU;thus the motor dies. Info in my Haynes manual for
    my 94 Integra says you can use a voltmeter to check the TPS,output V runs
    from 0.5V to 4.5V,with an input supply(reference) of 5V. It seems to be a
    potentiometer(variable resistor),that's why it sounds like a bad segment at
    the idle end of the pot. The output voltage should be a smooth increase
    from low to high,no jumping.
     
    Jim Yanik, Oct 26, 2006
    #11
  12. Eightupman

    Eightupman Guest

    Sounds like a sound theory. except the fact that I am in the electronics
    profession, and if the pot were bad...it would be bad all the time, and not
    mysteriously run/idle fine when it wants too. Will check it anyway.

    John
     
    Eightupman, Oct 26, 2006
    #12
  13. Sounds like a bad fuel pump to me. I had one on a 1984 Accord that
    worked fine most of the time, but would just stop pumping every now and
    then.
     
    Don in San Antonio, Oct 27, 2006
    #13
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