Again with the NO starting...

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Civicsolidus

Fixer Upperer
For the longest time my car has had starting troubles intermittently.
Long story short, I finally put in the ecu that supposed to be with the engine and now it has troubles every single time i try to start it. I know its either wiring or the main relay.

I use to be able to turn the key and start right up. Now I have to turn the key and wait for the fuel pump priming and the check engine light to stop and start it. Sometimes when i turn the key the fuel pump prime noise doesn't come on at all and the check engine light stays on and won't start. I can jiggle all the wires under the drivers side dash and most of the time it'll start to prime and then i can start it. whats the deal?

I pulled the main relay out and opened it, i'm not an expert but it looks like it is working just fine or at least should...any ideas???
 
try a new relay,,and it sounds like something in the wiring is loose,or crimped or something
 
Check your fuses under the dash make sure its good and pushed in all the way. Then look behind it and see if you can see bare wire were it plugs into the fuses... Thats all I got good luck.
 
could the starter be the problem. cause i need to know before i dish out a buck 50 on a new one
 
Is the car turning over when it doesn't start? If so then its probably not the starter but if its turning over slow it could be the start, battery, alternator, or even a lose battery connection or lose alternator connection. Also does your computer have the codes that tell you what is wrong with your car... hint hint...
 
Is the car turning over when it doesn't start? If so then its probably not the starter but if its turning over slow it could be the start, battery, alternator, or even a lose battery connection or lose alternator connection. Also does your computer have the codes that tell you what is wrong with your car... hint hint...

Autozone, Advance Auto, Kragen, and Pep Boys all offer free ecu reading services (you at least get the code from them).

It's very possible that the starter solenoid is bad. It happens pretty often, but most people replace the whole starter rather than spending the 10 minutes with a wrench to replace the solenoid (that's the part that tells the starter to crank and gives it power).

They go for $10-$15 brand new, and I'd definitely suggest it if you're out of other diagnostic tests. You can also use a multimeter to check the draw on the main cable running to it, so you can find out if you even need the solenoid.
 
well i took the starter out and tested it there is absolutley no problem with the starter, works like brand new.

this problem has gotten worse. could it be my fuel pump that simple? or maybe would it have something to do with changing the ecu?
i know its not a short or a ground or anything like that because i tore the dash apart yesterday and tested every single wire, cleaned every connections and even used electric grease on some connections.
 
Alright man check this out. This is some crazy shit. My homie had the exact same prob with his REX I fucked with this thing for a week before I found out what the problem was Not saying this is your problem but it will give you a place to start. Now under the hood go to your battery follow the ground cable down to the clutch linkage look good? Now in between the clutch linkage and the battery is another bolt holding the ground cable to the body if this is loose all sorts of things cna happen pull that bolt out and clean the living hell out of the fitting and the body ( I took it down to bare steel) Now hook it back up and give it another shot. Good luck

Ronnie
 
Alright man check this out. This is some crazy shit. My homie had the exact same prob with his REX I fucked with this thing for a week before I found out what the problem was Not saying this is your problem but it will give you a place to start. Now under the hood go to your battery follow the ground cable down to the clutch linkage look good? Now in between the clutch linkage and the battery is another bolt holding the ground cable to the body if this is loose all sorts of things cna happen pull that bolt out and clean the living hell out of the fitting and the body ( I took it down to bare steel) Now hook it back up and give it another shot. Good luck

Ronnie

That's a great suggestion. While you're testing this problem, clean your battery terminals. It'll give you more precise test results.
 
its not my ground, checked that out, replaced my battery terminals thats not the problem and even wire tested most of the wires running under my dash.

i just thought of this yesterday when i was talking to my friend about the problem. does my jdm b16a have an oil pressure sensor that tells the fuel relay to work? cause i know thats how it is on both of my parents' cars. if there isn't enough oil pressure the main relay won't tell the fuel pump to prime
 
That is kind of a hum-dinger. You could short out the fuel pump by running your + directly to the main relay, where the fuel pump wire runs to the fuel pump. If the pump comes right on, you can bet it's the relay or the wiring leading to it. You may also want to replace your fuel pump fuse, even if it "looks good".
 
changed out my ecu to a p28 that i had sitting in my garage. car fired right up. granted it runs like shit but it runs nonetheless. just bought the p30 and i think its blown damnit. i'd like to stick with a stock non-chipped ecu like a p30 or pr3 but i'm looking at another 100-250 for one of those. freaking electronics....
 
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