Ok peeps, I need your help. Let me provide you with some experiences...

1st, sometime leaving a gas station I will start the car up and it will immediately die. Sometimes I may put the car into reverse before giving it time to "normalize." However, it will not want to start back up. It will keep turning ovver with no signals that the car wants to start. Almost seems like absolutely no gas into engine. If I wait a minute or turn the key from accessory to on, accessory to on, accessory to with out trying to start it, it will start right up next try and run fine the next couple of weeks...

2nd, on a HOT Dallas, TX day, my car was parked in front of my buddies house for a few hours. When I returned and tried to leave it did the same thing. No intentions of trying to work with me. Just turning and turnin and turning but no spudder or any signs of trying to start. Well this time a waited a few minutes and still nothing. Waited longer and still nothing. About a half an hour later, I did the turn the key thing to load the car up with gas and started right up on second try. It ran fine for about a month...

3rd, on a HOT Dallas, TX day, my car sat in my driveway all morning and most of afternoon. When I tried to start it, guess what? You got it, nothing. Just turning over and over and over with no signs of starting. Well I waited a few mintues, nothing. Did the key thing to load the car up with gas and it started and I put my foot on the gas to rev it up and it just choked and died immediately. Would not start again with the key trick. Now, since I'm so smart, I decided to take the gas off and try and start it. Started right up on second try. Has ran fine for about 3 weeks, minus one gas station incident.

FYI - the gas station incidents are ONLY at gas station, and when I run in to get cigarettes or beer. I did not put ANY gas in the car ANY of the times. All of the times the car had plenty of $3.00/gl gas in it. I ALWAYS run premium in the car.

Sorry for the long thread, but I sure could use some help. The car has an extended warranty, but the Acura guys will not touch it unless it is acting up. If I decided to not try and start it up and simply tow it to Acura, it would start by the time they got to it anyways. Any ideas?

 

Faulty fuel pump?

 

Acura guy said maybe. He won't replace under warranty until reasonably sure...

 

Maybe she wants you to quit your bad habbits.

 

call acura customer service line and see if your car is part of the fuel pressure regulator recall, on some of the CLs the fuel pressure is not high enough and when you do short runs and then shut the car off the heat from the engine boils the fuel in the fuel lines and can cause what you are discribing.

 

That was what I was thinking. It sounds like a fuel pump going bad.

 

If it was a fuel pump, taking off the gas cap would not fix the problem...right?

 

Taking the gas cap off will more than likely trigger the check engine light to come on. Most newer cars do it for some reason. Not sure if taking it off would help though.

 

The fuel cap is an emissions control device. It maintains the pressure on the evaporative system. (gas evaporates creating vapors that escape into the atmosphere unless contained) There is a sensor that determines if it has pressure on it (it's supposed to) and when there is no presure it flags the MIL (check engine light). Thats why if you leave the cap off the light comes on.
My vote is the fuel pressure regulator, it's an easy check. Acura techs can check the fuel pressure when the key is off, it should not bleed off and maintain pressure.
Try this: when you think it might happen turn the key on and off a few times leaving it on for 3 seconds and then off for 3. That should run the pump and build up the pressure, if that doesn't enable it to start it just might be the pump although I find that unlikely and a proper systems check is in order.

 

Nivek_M4, you hit the nail on the head. That is how I ususally start the car when it will not start. It has worked everytime except for one. And the time it didn't work, I took the gas cap off and tried to start it. It started right up on second try. I know that leaving the gas cap off will trip the engine light. However, I just took it off to start it and then replaced it once the car was running.

Civiking, I called the Acura people, there was no recall for my car...

 

Well, I just talked to Acura. They can test the fuel pressure, but if it comes back good I have to foot the bill for a $95 fuel pressure check.

He did mention to me that it could be my key and when you place it in the ignition and turn it too quickly the car won't read the chip and think it's getting hot-wired. Anyone else run across this, or again, is this just my stupid ___ car...

 

Wouldn't the little green key on the dash be on if the key were the problem? You may shop around for a fuel presure check although I am still pretty confident that the FPR is your problem.