Ask Me Help Desk - Car don't start

I have a 1992 honda accord . It cranks but won't start , can you please tell me what could be the problem? the gyu that I bought it from used to put premium only but the dash says unleaded fuel only so I put unleaded and after one day it started to slow down when I'm driving like the fuel is not running through the system but after les than a minute it runs fine. It did it more than 3 times. I bought an injections cleaner and ran fine until today. So I though that could be the fuel pump since the car use to run with premium only. That might have messed up the fuel pump. Please help me. Thank you

. Reading sections A and B should help you determine what the problem is:

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/cars-t...tml#post219438

. Change fuel filter.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lerb

i have a 1992 honda accord . it cranks but won't start , can you please tell me what could be the problem??the guy that i bought it from used to put premium only but the dash says unleaded fuel only so i put unleaded and after one day it started to slow down when i'm driving like the fuel is not running through the system but after les than a minute it runs fine. it did it more than 3 times. i bought an injections cleaner and ran fine until today. so i though that could be the fuel pump since the car use to run with premium only. that might have messed up the fuel pump. please help me. thank you

Hi thanks for the answer but you are talking about a civic . My car is a 1992 accord. Is it the same test either for CIVICS or ACCORDS? Yes I had replaced the fuel filter after the car started to act up.And where the MAP SENSOR is located? Thanks , Lerb

Quote:

Originally Posted by lerb

i have a 1992 honda accord . it cranks but won't start , can you please tell me what could be the problem??the gyu that i bought it from used to put premium only but the dash says unleaded fuel only so i put unleaded and after one day it started to slow down when i'm driving like the fuel is not running through the system but after les than a minute it runs fine. it did it more than 3 times. i bought an injections cleaner and ran fine until today. so i though that could be the fuel pump since the car use to run with premium only. that might have messed up the fuel pump. please help me. thank you

Don't always start,wait a little while it will start. Sometimes startingfluid will start

Yes, the tests will also work for Accords. To locate the MAP Sensor, follow the vacuum hose coming off the throttle body. It should go into a small component about 1"x1"x 1.5", with a 3-P connector going into it. It may be located on top of the throttle body or on the firewall, just to the right of the fuel filter.

Hi well after I ran the fuel pump test, got a brand new main really from rockauto.com the car still won't start. I tried it again today right after I put the brand new relay it was going to start but choked while a lot of white smock came out of the air filter housing. I quikly turned it off and tried it again and same thing happened.it looked like it choked like the injections are dirty or not having enough gas but it's got a brand new air filter that I put last month, brand new spark plugs and fuel filter and a bottle of injections cleaner.I don't know why white smock is coming out of the air duct hose housing filter when it finanlly caught up to start but died right after the smock.if you know what could be wrong with it please let me know thanks.

. Test all under-dash and under-hood fuses with a test light or multimeter. Here's how:

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/cars-t...tml#post252145

. If the Check Engine Light comes on for 2 seconds and then goes off, after turning the ignition switch to ON (Pos II), then I would have AutoZone test the igniter and coil for free. It's good that you replaced the main relay.
. Do you hear the fuel pump run for 2 seconds, when the ignition switch is turned to ON?

I don't think the problem is fuel related. Premium fuel is an "unleaded" fuel. Lead based fuels are a thing of the past. In general, the older cars, pre 1970, would have issues burning unleaded gas, and lead additives could be purchased to add to the tank. The premium rating is for octane purposes, but your 1992 should have a compression ratio around 9:1 so it would run fine on regular. Octane ratings just increase the temperature at which the fuel burns. It reduces the pre-detonation in the combustion chamber, it doesn't really add performance at a noticeable level unless you have a serious performance car. I have to ask- you did put regular fuel in it correct? Not Diesel fuel right? Diesel fuel is not designed to burn with a spark plug, it burns from compression. Putting diesel into your car would cause it to be hard to start and to run poorly and smoke excessively. Is this a manual or automatic? Is the timing correct?

What did the old spark plugs look like? Do you have any vacuum leaks? I would do a serious visual inspection of those vacuum lines. If it is blowing smoke, it's a good indication of it running rich or lean. How does it run when it is actually running? Does it smell like an old lawn mower, or blow smoke out the exhaust? A rich condition could be an indication of a bad map sensor. White smoke, is a good indication of a coolant leak. If the temperature is on the hot side, it could be running lean, which would lead back to a potential vacuum leak.

If the car runs like crap, it should have set a trouble code, which autozone should be able to retrieve for you. If no code, you should pull a couple of spark plugs out and see what they look like. Check if you are getting a spark, and how strong of a spark are you getting.

Hi. Thanks for taking the time to help me figure out the problem with my car.
I did not put diesel fuel it I usually put unleaded fuel only like it said on the dash. I do not have any coolant leak, the temperature is normal. The spark plugs look good . The engine light come on and went off for at least 2 seconds and I can hear the fuel pump running when I turned the swhitch to run.when the car is running it does not smoke and does not run high.before it had the starting problem, I had replaced the alternator with a brand new one , cause the old one failed. But after I had put it , I had noticed that the battery light was lit up when I rived it to almost 3000 rpm but quickly turned off when the rpm wnet bback down to a 1000. I had adjusted the alternator belt cause I thought that the belt was too tight. And right after I finished , the car wouldn't start and a bunch of smoke came outthe air filter housingand right after the car choked and you can hear a noise coming from the air filter housing like the it was glugged and the white smoke.all the fuses are good.

Basically you have:
The engine cranks fine- not the battery
Spark plugs look normal- not running lean or rich
Alternator is new- is it an external voltage regulator? Possibly getting some feedback from a bad ground? Double check the wiring on the alternator and make sure it's plugged in tight, and correctly. Look for any wires or hoses that may have inadvertently been pulled off or not hooked back up. It's easy to over look them during reassembly.

The smoke is a tough one without actually seeing and smelling it. It makes me think it has a fuel problem, and is possibly backfiring through the intake, but you said the plugs looked normal. I'm leaning more and more towards a Barometric pressure sensor, or MAP sensor. If you can get it running, check for a vacuum leak. On some of the older cars the fuel pressure is regulated by vacuum.

Check to make sure you have a spark at each plug. Then check to make sure the timing is correct. Sometimes the timing belt can skip a tooth and make the engine fire while a valve is open. This would cause it to blow fuel and smoke through the intake.