everytime i start the car, i have to turn the key for about one second before it starts. my other car, an accord, starts with a quick turn. am i hurting the car in any way? it seems odd to me that it takes this long just to start it.

 

same here kinda... i dont think we're hurting the car... maybe we didn't turn it with enough force or something.. just my guess. anyone have a good explanation?

 

mine too, to start the car i would have to hold the key for almost 2 secs and my parents' 1998 chevy lumina takes less than a sec

 

It's a big 4-cylinder. It just needs a little more juice to light up I assume.

 

Try this... Turn it and release immediately, then turn it again and see if it starts. My Civic used to need this all the time and I never ruined a starter in the 5 years I owned the car. The TSX now seems to work with the same trick.

 

I have also noticed this on the TSX. The one trick is turn the key all the way just before the crank position (II?) and let it sit there for 1-2 secs. Pretty sure this allows the fuel pump to run and get fuel where it needs to be ... made my starts quicker. This is a trick I was shown by a Honda tech about 10 years ago

 

my dad has a CR-V which i assume have the same 2.4l i4. his car starts really easy which this car takes a bit more time.

 

I think you all should get this checked out. This was the case with mine.. it would take longer at sometimes and it worked fine the others; and this is what ended up tobe http://www.acura-tsx.com/forums/show...l&pagenumber=2

 

Is it possible for a car to have an undersized starter as a design issue? Guess only time will tell for the TSX. How long do starters usually last on cars?

 

Maybe it has something to do with the immobilizer chip in the key. It must take a second for the key and the ecu to exchange signals. Also the TSX has a large I-4 engine with high compression so it may take longer to start. I think i read somewhere that high compression engines are harder to start.

 

High compression engines could be harder to start... for 2 reasons:

1) high compression
2) higher octane fuel (which is not as explosive as lower octane fuel)

I would guess that if the car starts within 4 or 5 "starter motor cranking noise" cranks, it's probably OK.

 

They are, mostly for reason number one. That's why diesel engines are so hard to start (their compression ratios can get up to 24:1-26:1 range). If you notice diesel truck/bus drivers usually don't turn their engines off when they stop for food, etc. When you start the engine and make those first combustion events happen, the starter motor has to simultaneously do the work on the compression strokes and overcome the flywheel inertia.

Perhaps Honda dug into the parts bin for a starter motor from a lower compression engine? I always do the trick that Provench mentioned. It works so far.