Hey guys, my car croaked this morning on the way to church. I had to push the thing like 500 feet back to my house. Here's the details:

It ran for about 30 seconds and there were 3 lights that came on: ! light, Engine symbol, Maint Reqd. Then it died.

It is a 2003 TL Type S. 105K. It has a 2-month old battery, 2-month old timing belt system and water pump. 1/2 tank of fuel.

Here is the YouTube video of me trying to start it up:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWj4JXFTDOQ

I think it may be the Fuel Pump or maybe the Alternator? In either case, I can replace them myself. I'm hoping it's nothing worse, I'm wondering if anyone can get me pointed in the right direction.

Thanks,
JC

 

Its not the alternator. You have adequate cranking power so the battery isnt done. It may be any number of things. Do you have access to a hand held OBD2 scanner to see if you can get any codes? That may be the easiest way to figure out.

 

Was that knocking i heard at the end of the video?

 

What happens if you give it gas while cranking?

 

Thanks for the replies gents.

Yes there is knocking mostly the whole time, and definitely at the end.

When I give it gas - either pumping it or flooring it - the car seems to want to start, but it can't quite get over the hump.

It also seems like the car is backfiring?

 

I would recomend you buy a OBDII scanner so the code will be display, I think it more than fuel problem, may be a bad fuel pump?

 

The knocking worries me. I cant tell if its due to the fact its running lean or if there is a problem. Try holding your foot to the floor while cranking it. That or see if you can spra a little fuel or starting fluid in the TB to see if the car runs without knocking and will stay running.

 

That very shake with knocking right at the end of the video when the engine finally cuts off, that happened to me when I stalled the engine when I first tried to Seafoam through the TB port. Maybe there's water or something else in the intake?

 

i think its the fuel pump or the crank sensor but get the scanner and check.

 

who did the timing belt. that knocking sound sounds horrible, was it their before (after u did the timing belt?)

 

I had the timing belt job done about 2 months ago. The knocking sound was not there before I had it done, nor has it happened since. I had the job done by a friend of mine who is an ex-Honda dealer mechanic. He used all Acura/Honda OEM parts.

Gosh I hope it's not the timing belt.

Sounds like I need to pull the codes. I'll keep you guys posted when I find anything out.

 

Do you smell gas during or after you try to start it?

 

Maybe its because the engine is so dirty.

Just kidding, sounds serious and like an uncommon problem. Good luck, and hope you find a fix!

 

No gas smell.

 

do you have spark?
compression?

im thinking it has something to do with the timing...dont know why, maybe it was off by a bit? just a shot in the dark

 

The knocking sound is a concern. Could it have jumped one tooth off the t-belt. If it was not the the timing belt problem, not fuel pump, not the coils, assuming you do get sparks on all 6 plugs, it could be your Air Flow Meter is shot.

 

Based on how well the engine is tuning over, the battery sounds fine. But, just out of paranoia, you might want to clean the terminals and charge the battery fully to eliminate that as a concern. You can get all sorts of weird behavior if the voltage levels drop too low.

And check visually for loose connections and ground wires.

I once had really odd electrical problems in a Chrysler Horizon when the ground wire for the alternator had become disconnected.

Also, have you had any other indications of abnormal behavior before this incident? Did you replace the battery for a particular reason?

Is there any chance you got a tank of bad gas?

Best of luck and be sure to post an update when you figure out the problem!

 

i think u popped a coil doesnt sound like it firing on all cylinders dont asume the worst have it looked at my wifes odessey sounded the same when hers went