Hey folks,
Kinda baffled with my daughter's Accord. She ran it low on fuel and had problems with it starting. Changed the fuel filter and seemed to fix the problem. Next day, she was driving and staating having problems again. Fuel is pumping from fuel line on engine side of fuel filter so fuel pump/filter seem to be ok. Now for the weird thing. Gauges are freaking out. Tach and speedo are flipping back and forth, lights are flickering, and have to insert key in release hole to take vehicle out of park. Engine tries to turn over, but sputters and dies. CEL is not flashing. Know I can jump the service port to pull the codes, but dont know what two of the six ports to insert the jumoer ends. Almost forgot. It is a '95 EX 2.2 vtec
Thanks,
James

 

It seems like you may have a faulty ignition switch. Turn the key on to the "On" position when all the warning lights turn on but don't attempt to start the car. While you're there, lightly wiggle the key back in forth without taking it out of the on position. Are the lights on the dash flickering; almost like you're turning the key back and forth between on and off? If it is, then you'll need to replace that switch.

Another possibility with the gauges going crazy is that the battery might be dead, bad, or both. This would explain the sluggish starting. Some cars act funny if the battery voltage is too low. If this is the case you might have to get the alternator checked too. A bad alternator can discharge and kill your battery. It also may just be the battery.

As for the fuel pump, you can get the pump pressure checked. The fuel may pump out when you remove the line but that doesn't mean it's pumping at optimal pressure.

I hope this helps.

 

if u want make an account on torontoaccords.com and post it in the 5th gen section. we have lots of members there that could of had the same problem in the past.

 

Moved to Car Talk.

 

I'm inclined to agree with Gfaze. A poor battery or weak alternator could lead to the problems you are experiencing.

The most likely cause, however, is your ignition key. The older Honda models did have a problem with the ignition lock. I believe there was even a service bulletin in regards to it. Try placing the key without the weight of a keychain or other keys into the lock and see if this alleviates the problem. If so, and jiggling the key helps further, it's definitely the ignition lock.


Terry

 

^ Weak alternator is exactly what I was thinking too, Terry. Sounds just like what my old CRX started doing when mine went. Thankfully it waited until I was getting off of the highway to completely die.

 

Apologize for not getting back sooner. It was the ignition switch.
By the way, Why was this topic moved from 'problems and fixes'? Last time I read the original post I was having a problem and was looking for help to fix it.

 

Also, if the starting seems to be a bit weak, try cleaning the ground line to/from the battery and chassis. If the connection to the body os corroded, you will have hard starting, as the electrical is looking for a path to ground.

 

Because neither the problem nor the fix was regarding an Acura.