I have a 1998 honda accord that don't won't to start all the time.   I have read that other honda owners are having this problem.  I have had a mechanic to look at the car and of course the car starts with him my husband is trying to figure this out.  I think I am going to contact the main Honda headquarters and see if this is a problem that might need a recall.  This is such a pain. I'm afraid to drive my honda. I would like to know have any one found the solution?  Thanks ladyj

I had a simlar problem with my honda accord and it turn out to be the starter relay

It is funny this forum has so many people having trouble starting Hondas. Usually they aren't that bad of a car. You might look for similar problems in other threads here, maybe going back into the archives. If you don't find anything, post back with more details.

Did anyone get a fix for this. My 98 Honda is acting up. I took it to the shop and of course it started fine. I bring it home yesterday and today it won't start. Any help or direction would be appreciated

Give us more details. Do you hear the fuel pump working? Does it start for a second and then dies? Does it start in cold weather, or in the morning, and not in hot weather and after it's been left in the sun?

Well I have a 98 honda 2 door coup with a 3.2 liter V6. It seems to be a little edgy lately. For the past couple of months periodically it would start, but run rough and then die, I would give another hit to the ignition and it would start and run fine.

A few days ago I went out to start the car, and it would just crank over, but wouldn't start. Knowing the past I walked away and tried again a few more times but it still wouldn't start. I called AAA and had it towed to a honda dealership where the next afternoon I get a call telling me that the car started just fine and they couldn't find any issues with it. I asked them to keep the car another day and try again.. but again no issues the car started fine.

I then pick up the car from the dealership and drive it home parking it in the driveway. Two days later go to drive it and it won't start. Give it some time and on the 3rd try about 30 minutes later it started. That was today in the afternoon. Since then I have continued to try to duplicate the issue with no luck.

What I'm noticing:
1.) All check engine lights and dash lights function properly. The check engine doesn't stay on.
2.) The engine cranks over like it normally does, however it doesn't start. (haven't been able to verify if there is a lack of spark) But I have always dealt with electronic components that either work or don't.
3.) I can't hear the fuel pump but then again I never have heard the fuel pump before. Again I thought they either work or don't.
4.) This issue seems to have only happen on hot days ( to my knowledge)

Is anyone experienced this with another Honda?

I cannot tell this for sure, because I have no experience with any Hondas newer than '91. But if it's happening only on hot days, then it reminds me of a 88-91 Civic problems with main relay. It used to cause the Civics not to start on hot days because of it's "dry joints" that would not conduct electricity. Let it cool down and it will start.

Try this next time it won't start. Open up the hood and all doors. Allow the car to cool down as fast as possible when it won't start. Try starting it in 2-3 minutes. If it will start that way - you might have a faulty main relay. Again, I'm not sure if newer hondas even have the main relay, but you might ask the dealership if they could take the relay out (if it exists) and check it's joints.

The trick here is that the relay is inside the cabin, so opening up all doors and hood would just allow the car to cool down a lot faster, and hondas with a faulty main relay don't have troubles starting in cold weather.

I actually found this forum looking for anyone else who having the same problem I am. Yesterday afternoon, which was hot (about 96 degrees faranheit) my honda almost wouldn't start. What I mean by that is when I turned the key, the engine turned over really sluggishly and the lights in the dash were going dim, then out, then back but dimly, in the same rhythym as the engine revving. The car did start, it didn't seem to be having a problem with the radio or air conditioning, and it shifted gears and drove up hills with it's usual pep.

So I think I might be having a similar problem. ; ) My car has really shown no issues before, other than the speakers suck (which I knew the *moment* I drove it off the lot-- no one can seem to fix it).

I got home after a ten mile drive. Parked the car in my driveway, turned it off, waited a few minutes, then decided to try turning it on (hoping that somehow it was now, magically, OK). It, once again, was slow to rev, dim dashboard lights, then it started.

So what is it? A starter (which'll cost around 160$ not including labor <sad grin>), a battery (maybe 90$?), or an alternator (several hundred dollars with labor)? I paid off this car not too long ago with the intention of keeping it for a while. It's kind of ironic that it is starting to have problems (bushings, bearings, and now this starting problem) expensive enough to equal the payments on a new one. Any help for a complete non-mechanic?

-callahan
MCSE, MCSA, MCT, A+, Security+ certified car incompetent ; )

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I have lately problem with my 1998 honda accord when I left it in the sun for couple of hours it does not start ,so by reading this forum I try to leave open my window panes little bit so the cabin temp does not go too much high and actually it works pretty good only in extreme conditions I have the starting problem now , another thing I have noticed the green light on the dashboard does not comes up when car does not satrt , so I went to honda dealership to by parts it is 29.99 plus tax(main realy) . But is there anyone can help me how to replace this main relay as dealership wants to charge 300 dollars to even look at my car . I have been to mechanic they donot have a clue so please help

P.S Is somebody mad enough to catch a top guy in honda and try to address this issue collectivly as they would not listen to one customer at all I am so mad right now I am afraid to take out my family and I think it is not fair for us to go through this mess every day (excuse my language but I am agitated)

Here's a cheap thing you can do to see if it's your battery.

Take your power cables, connect your battery to a known good battery in another car, and try to start your car. If everything runs normal (does not turn over sluggish, lights are normally bright... ), then it's most likely your battery.

As a matter of fact, a friend of my suggested that very thing. He's coming over tomorrow to check it. If it is my battery, we're going to run out, buy one, and replace the bad one. If it isn't, well, I think AAA can tow me to the dealer come Monday. ; )

I did already check that battery is good it is some connection in ignition circuit like main relay or satrting coil that get dis-connected with heat and stop the whole ignition process.

To rule out the main relay - take it out and resolder it. See if that helps. It's also a very cheap thing to do.

Don't go out spending a lot of money until you try the cheap things.

This is all pretty interesting. I have a 92 Accord that has trouble starting sometimes. It's happened again the last two days here in New York and it has been very hot out, 100 degrees yesterday. I walked to work this morning (3 in the morning) and went by where I had left the car, and it cranked right up. After leaving work (vey hot out) it would not start. I'll try the same thing in the morning and see what happens. Anyone know where the relay is inside the cabin?

Thanks!

Check the FAQ post in this forum for Civic problems. You'll find a link that will show you where the relay is (in a 88-91 Civic, but yours shouldn't be much different).

By the way, this sounds JUST like the main relay problem (outside heat related to starting).

Thanks for the reply. I walked by the car this morning on the way to work, and it started right up. It was cool out today (about 80) when I left work and it started right up again. Great!

I'll change or solder the relay at first chance. This thread probably saved me a bundle if I would have taken the car to the dealer.

Thanks again,

Bill

A similar thread on this forum helped me do the same thing - resolder the relay. Glad I could help someone else with the same advice! :)

Is it actually called the main relay, because my mechanic said there are many relays down there. Or is the whole thing? Could someone explain this to me?

It is a "Main Relay". Written so on the relay cover. Check the link in the FAQ for Main Relay fixing, and you'll see what it looks like.

I started having a stall problem on my 98 accord,which has 136,000 miles, about a month ago.
I was at a stop light and when the light turned green and I hit the gas the engine stalled. I was able to start it up again right after it stalled.

Over the weekend I started up the car and after about 5 minutes of just sitting in idle waiting for someone the engine stalled. I could not get it to start up again until I came back fifteen minutes later.

Could this be related to the main relay? Any help would be appreciated

Noob