Trouble Starting Car

[shadow]

The next time the car won't start and a dead FOB battery is suspected, try using the procedure to start with a dead FOB battery.

You simply put the H logo on the FOB next to the start switch then start the car. The procedure is in the owner's manual.

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[Gansan]

Welp it just happened again. This time waiting a few minutes didn't help. After trying a number of times I then disconnected the battery for a minute, then reconnected. However that didn't make a difference. Luckily I was just outside my house and I was able to push the car into the garage. I tried looking at the fuse box and pressing down on the relays to make sure none were loose. sigh.

 

[the27thaxe]

I was thinking while I was on my way there that it may charge up enough to make it look ok when they checked it. I'll keep from driving it for several days and see.

So Yes and no. Your alternator is supplying power to the car through the battery and yes it does sort of trickle charge the battery a bit, but if say your battery was stone cold dead and you jumped it, drove around for an hour and then shut it off, it will still probably not start. If a battery drops too low it will need to be charged by a charger to get it back into spec.

I work at an auto parts store, did you get a print out of the test results?

 

[remc86007]

I've had a situation like this once. Right after I shut off the car, I went to start it again. It was cranking fine but clearly the fuel system or ignition wasn't engaging. Shutting it off for a minute then trying again worked fine. I'd check the battery in the morning after it has been sitting with a cheap voltmeter.

 

[Gansan]

I've had a situation like this once. Right after I shut off the car, I went to start it again. It was cranking fine but clearly the fuel system or ignition wasn't engaging. Shutting it off for a minute then trying again worked fine. I'd check the battery in the morning after it has been sitting with a cheap voltmeter.

The first few times it happened I waited a minute or two and then it worked fine. However, the most recent time it wouldn't recover until I let it sit overnight. This really sucked because I was dealing with a family emergency. This morning, I took it to the dealer and we'll see if they can reproduce it. I have it recorded on video also. The red security light blinks when it doesn't start so that is suspicious.

 

[Gansan]

Update: Dealer says it was a bad fuel injector, so they are replacing all the injectors under warranty. Not what I expected, but hopefully this will resolve it.

Update 2: It wasn't the fuel injector. The dealer worked with AHM techline to try to narrow down the cause of the issue. AHM had them use a "pin tool" which they used to check the connectivity of each pin in the ECU and body control module connectors. They couldn't find a bad pin. They reassembled the wiring and since it's working normally at the moment, they have returned the car. They say it is likely one of: wiring harness, ECU, body control module. If it happens again, they will start replacing each one to eliminate possibilities.

 

[Armand]

Update: Dealer says it was a bad fuel injector, so they are replacing all the injectors under warranty. Not what I expected, but hopefully this will resolve it.

Update 2: It wasn't the fuel injector. The dealer worked with AHM techline to try to narrow down the cause of the issue. AHM had them use a "pin tool" which they used to check the connectivity of each pin in the ECU and body control module connectors. They couldn't find a bad pin. They reassembled the wiring and since it's working normally at the moment, they have returned the car. They say it is likely one of: wiring harness, ECU, body control module. If it happens again, they will start replacing each one to eliminate possibilities.

How long were the intervals between this issue occurring? Today I noticed on startup my car cranked a few more times than normal before firing up, but I didn't think much of it. About 10 minutes later when I tried to start it again, it cranked but wouldn't start, just like you. I tried a few times then waited a few minutes, and the third time it fired up. Now I'm worried I may be having the same issue that you are.

 

[Gansan]

How long were the intervals between this issue occurring? Today I noticed on startup my car cranked a few more times than normal before firing up, but I didn't think much of it. About 10 minutes later when I tried to start it again, it cranked but wouldn't start, just like you. I tried a few times then waited a few minutes, and the third time it fired up. Now I'm worried I may be having the same issue that you are.

After the first time, it was ok for a few months, but then it started happening every few weeks, then every few days. If your car is having a similar issue, you should have the dealer look at it. What really helped me was I made a video of it happening in the dashboard as the engine cranked and failed to start. It helped the service guy understand what I was talking about.

 

[Armand]

Thanks for the response, yesterday my car had the exact same issue that you described. The car only has 6,000 miles and that is the first time it had the crank but no start issue, but I will definitely record a video if it happens again. Best of luck diagnosing your car!

 

[Rreedd]

Maybe dying Crankshaft Position Sensor

 

[ez12a]

This sounds like a bad main ground issue I had. Car would completely die and not crank for a minute, then start up like nothing happened. Seemed kinda like a bad battery but it didn't explain how it would start up no problem later.

My thread:
https://www.civicx.com/forum/thread...s-radio-to-restart-and-more.36415/post-764285

Sanded the paint off of the main chassis ground a bit and I've never had this issue again. 41k miles and still on the original battery.


As far as cranking but no start, there is a recall for fuel pump: https://hondanews.com/en-US/release...call-certain-2018-2020-acura-and-honda-models

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