Hey guys,

I'm having a major issue that nobody, not even Acura, can figure out what is going on.

I bought a 2000 Acura RL3.5 w/ 116K used last month and within 2 days started having startup issues. There is an EGR code on BUT the EGR valve was recently replaced and problem continued. Once starting it runs great now then it got BAD...

So I go to start my car and its cranking and cranking and nothing happens. Did this for about 4 seconds. try it again and it starts up BUT it idles very very low, almost stalling out, then shoots to 1.2-1.5k rpm. As soon as it starts up, white smoke starts coming out the exhaust but dissipates after 3 seconds. Runs great.

So I go to Advance Autoparts to ask them a question and have them read my code again but when I go to start it up, same thing happens BUT IT DOESNT START. Cranks and cranks but nothing. Brought it to a mechanic that spent 2 weeks trying to diagnose and he said "no clue... lets try the PCM". I was worried he was wrong so I said no thanks and got it towed to Acura. They told me no clue but lets try PCM. So they get a new PCM in there and everything is working great....for about a week.


All of the sudden the starting issues happen again. Very intermittent at first and bogs very slightly. As the days go on its been getting a lot worse almost to the point where it wont start again. Im sitting here now and just got back from lunch and this car is taking forever to start. when it does, Puff of shite smoke. EGR light it still on. Please someone help, im not sure WTH is going on with this car? I'm afraid I wont be able to go home.

 

Has someone checked the relays?

 

I would find another dealership! Not all of them are good....also you may go to FaceBook and search RL as there is a page for US 1st gen RL owners....Lots of knowledge there...

 

I have replaced the main relay. I believe they did considering they got to a point where they felt the PCM was the cause. First mechanic went through the whole electrical system.

When we got to the shop the first time around, he said the fuel was weak. BUT fuel pump is working, no clog in the fuel filter, and injectors are 100%. I THINK something is telling the computer to run lean, very lean. Just a passing thought.

 

i will assume that dealership changed your MAIN RELAY SWITCH????? If not they should not be in business as this is very common on our RL's....

 

when I say "I think they did", im referring to them checking all the other relays.

 

ignition switch, get it tested, then check immobilizer

 

And ignition relay. They're one of the few things that seem to go out in these RL's.

 

JAM7007: I merged your Car Talk thread with this thread since we prefer you only post one thread per topic.

Welcome to the forums.

 

First, let take care of the easy and free of charge. The EGR, did you get the code for it? Is it clog/ insufficient flow or the EGR valve itself. Report back.

 

P0401 insufficient flow

 

Now where can I find the ignition relay? Do you think that the problem would be intermittent if the relay blew? Also, I sprayed starting fluid into air intake and caught for a few seconds so ignition is there , just not the fuel

 

For this is an easy fix. You need to get the brush wire the metal one, like the cleaning kit for the test tube from your chemistry class, get it? Also get the carb cleaner the one that is plastic friendly. Remove the EGR pipe behide the engine and attach a long tube to the carb cleaner and spray it. Use the brush wire and just twist around you finger, before you do this use your phone to take a picture of the hole and see how bad is the clogged. It might take more than one try, so give it a good deep cleaning. I highly suggest you dont start the car right after the cleaning because the carb cleaner is highly flammable and dont park your car inside the garage, just incase some thing happen. Notice I waited almost a day after the cleaning to start using the car again. Hope thats helpful, good luck.

 

I want to start off by saying thank you for all the responses and I WILL give this a try tomorrow morning.

BUT, do you think this would be the cause of the no start/ starting issues? This is my main issue and is what im really trying to pinpoint. Im afraid that my car will not start again and it seems to be heading down this road.

 

thanks man, going to give it a shot

 

Probably need to clean the entire intake manifold to get proper exhaust flow thru EGR. See this: Insufficient EGR Flow on Honda and Acura Cars. Accurate Automotive says, ?save money and do it right the first time? | Honda and Acura Used Car Blog | Accurate Cars of Nashville TN

 

to clear the code? yes, I agree.Great post by the way. but to rectify my starting issue?

Here is my two big questions. 1) Can this code yield a no start? 2) Does the EGR affect performance of the vehicle?

In other words, does it really matter if the EGR is completely blocked? Is it not just a small percentage of the vacuum being pulled for testing purposes only to the PCM?

 

Did you notice the key indicator light flash when the car is not cranking? Try to change the main relay, have you get it changed yet? I don't recall from your post you did it or not. You don't need to clean out the entire intake manifold to clear the EGR code. My car have 197k on it an I have never perform the intake manifold cleaning service. I just did the method I mentioned above and it worked for me.

 

Car cranks perfectly fine. It just cranks a very long time before starting. and when it catches, it bogs down at very low rpm. I have to hit the gas for it to start running properly.

Replaced main relay. No change.

 

Do you have another code beside the EGR code? Like like the code for the O2 sensor? I had a bad O2 sensor and it made my RPM to move up and down. I think you might double check the alternator or something is wrong with your fuel pump delivering system. Try to run a bottle of Techron fuel system treatment.

 

I would find a competent dealership!

 

I'm curious, did you ever get it figured out???