FiftyFive

I just purchased a 1989 Acura Legend, while its a great car, it does have a problem.

The car seems to have a hard time starting. It will crank for 15+ seconds before finally it runs. Once it runs i have to keep my foot on the gas to keep the rpms up or it will sputter and die. The car seems to run great once it is warmed up.

This only happens when the car completely cools down. Once it is warm i can turn it off then back on without any problem.

I replaced the main relay thinking it was that but the problem presists.
Any ideas/suggestions?

Any input would be much appreciated.

Thanks!
Hans

Crazy Bimmer

Spark plugs?

aackshun

Ignition cables? I unno, I'm not too mechanically inclined either.

csmeance

try new plugs, coil packs and seafoam. Seafoam first, then plugs then coil packs.

Zippee

Seeing as it's temp related I'd look for low compression; rings or valves. Does it show any smoke out the tail pipe?

FiftyFive

But if it were plugs why would i run great once it warmed up? Im going to try them anyways.

FiftyFive

Light white smoke, but very little of it.

dallison

you may want to go from cheapest to most expensive.

try throttle body cleaner and then replace the plugs in that order, make sure to gap the plugs before installation

try that and see, then possibly coil packs.



i would do a lot of research on the seafoam b/f you do it


you could have a clogged fuel system.

dallison

at start up or when driving after warmed up?

FiftyFive

And when it heats up there no more clog?

dallison

no, i would say just from it's age that it may be clogged enough, well.... it could be a few things i guess.

i know it's not that cold out in ct, but the cold start sensor possibly, just guessing

FiftyFive

Seems constant throughout, i believe, not 100% sure

iTimmy

Basic tune up would be the easy place to start, spark plugs, wires(if it has them), air filter, fuel filter and fuel injection cleaning(seafoam will work for this, and blow out the nasty shit in the intake). It could be a faulty cold start injector, if its equipped, it could be a weak battery, a lot of things can cause that sort of problem. From my experience honda engines tend to turn over longer then other engines as they age and it could be "normal".

FiftyFive

Well it has a brand new battery, so all the connections are ok. It cranks strong just doesn't start for a while, Flooded maybe? Injector leak? Im going to do plugs, dist cap, air filter asap.

Zippee

Run a compression check, my guess is it needs a valve job.

FiftyFive

Would i hear valve ticking if this was the case? The engine runs great once it heats up, very quiet and smooth.

Zippee

Not if you have a burned valve or they need grinding. How many miles on the car?

FiftyFive

170k, but i hear thats nothing for these cars.

Bdog

Could have a leaking injector which slowly floods the car and when it's cold is hard to start, once warmed up they usually start with no problems.

Crazy Bimmer

Well i hear they tend to need new head gaskets often.

FiftyFive

Thats what im thinking, how would i fix this? Replace injectors? clean injectors?

Zippee

With 170k on the car and a little smoke in the exhaust I'd bet money the compression is low....might be rings or head gasket but I'd look to the valves first.

A compression test, or better a leak down test, will tell the tale.

Osamu

did the 1st gen Legend have the same head gasket problems as the 2nd gen?

I'd ask over on acura-legend.com. I only owned a 2nd gen, so I'm not too familiar with the 1st gen. My 2nd gen had a hard time on cold start ups too, but almost never died after start up. It seemed to help a little if I let the fuel pump pressurize for a while before turning it over.

Crazy Bimmer

Oops, didnt realize the 89 was the 1st gen. My bad.

FiftyFive

The head gaskets are not an issue with this car. I did take off a the "pressurized bolt" on the fuel filter this evening, there was no pressure behind it..

I changed plugs and dist cap, intake was good, almost new. I will see what happens tomorrow morning and report.

speedstream

head gasket or a cracked head?

Hey I drive an AS IX SE. Nice car buddy

The Dougler

iTrader: (1)

I'd look into the leaky injector, not sure how to test that though. Compression check is a must! Could be something like a MAF or IAT sensor giving false readings while cold. Might need a solid throttle body cleaning too, this could be the cause because over time it can get filthy and require a bench overhaul. Check the valve lash also porbably due for adjustment.

FiftyFive

Good idea, It seems that it is a fuel pressure issue. I believe the top fuel filter bolt should always be pressurized. I was going to unbolt it and there was no pressure behind it and the bolt faintly smelt of fuel.

TSXEd05

I had a fuel pressure issue on my wifes 300M that sounds similar to the problems you are having. It seems that after sitting for a while the fuel system would slowly loose pressure and I would have to crank it for a while to get the system pressure back up. It was fixed under warranty and I believe they replaced all the little rubber O rings on the injectors and throughout the fuel system. Good luck!

FiftyFive

Injector o rings and injectors, hm.

TSXEd05

Not the injectors, just the O rings and other seals in the fuel system. Whatever they did, it worked. Starts right up now.

FiftyFive

Oh, ok. I was getting a little worried, injectors are expensive and i got the car for only $250, just want it to start correctly. I found a injector gasket/seal kit, looks like it comes with everything. I'll go ahead and purchase that.

FiftyFive

I found the problem!! It seems like the car has a very slow fuel leak right in front of the rear drivers side tire. It only leaks when it is off and is leaks so slowly that the only thing it is causing is the fuel system to lose pressure between starts. Now i gotta find out how to fix it.

TSXEd05

Is it leaking from the fuel line? Maybe it's just a case of dryrot and can be fixed easily.

FiftyFive

Hopefully, it is a small leak because it looks like the only thing its losing is pressure, there will be a small puddle about the size of a silver dollar after sitting for 4 hours. It does not leave a trail when i drive. there was no pressure at the fuel filter when i checked, so im 99% thats the problem. I'm going to try to put some permatex gas leak cement on the area tomorrow and see if that fixes it.