I have a 1996 Accord that has the same problem every year at this time.
When the weather gets cold and damp the car will not start. The
battery and starter appear to be strong. It acts as if no gas is
getting through, or if moisture is in the fuel. After several minutes
and many attemps the car will finally start. This has been going on
for the past 3 years. No one seems to have any ideas. Any help hear
would be greatly appreciated. Again, this only occurs at this time of
year.

 

Cracked distributor cap or old wires would be my first
suspicion.

When was the last time this car had a tuneup (new plugs,
wires, distributor cap and rotor, timing check, air filter,
fuel filter, maybe a bottle of Chevron Techron dumped in the
fuel tank, all ignition parts OEM)?

See http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/faq.html#startrun for
more discussion.

"tvandy" <tvandy@swbell.net> wrote
>I have a 1996 Accord that has the same problem every year
>at this time.
> When the weather gets cold and damp the car will not
> start. The
> battery and starter appear to be strong. It acts as if no
> gas is
> getting through, or if moisture is in the fuel. After
> several minutes
> and many attemps the car will finally start. This has
> been going on
> for the past 3 years. No one seems to have any ideas.
> Any help hear
> would be greatly appreciated. Again, this only occurs at
> this time of
> year.
>

 

Cracked distributor cap or old wires would be my first
suspicion.

When was the last time this car had a tuneup (new plugs,
wires, distributor cap and rotor, timing check, air filter,
fuel filter, maybe a bottle of Chevron Techron dumped in the
fuel tank, all ignition parts OEM)?

See http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/faq.html#startrun for
more discussion.

"tvandy" <tvandy@swbell.net> wrote
>I have a 1996 Accord that has the same problem every year
>at this time.
> When the weather gets cold and damp the car will not
> start. The
> battery and starter appear to be strong. It acts as if no
> gas is
> getting through, or if moisture is in the fuel. After
> several minutes
> and many attemps the car will finally start. This has
> been going on
> for the past 3 years. No one seems to have any ideas.
> Any help hear
> would be greatly appreciated. Again, this only occurs at
> this time of
> year.
>

 

Cracked distributor cap or old wires would be my first
suspicion.

When was the last time this car had a tuneup (new plugs,
wires, distributor cap and rotor, timing check, air filter,
fuel filter, maybe a bottle of Chevron Techron dumped in the
fuel tank, all ignition parts OEM)?

See http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/faq.html#startrun for
more discussion.

"tvandy" <tvandy@swbell.net> wrote
>I have a 1996 Accord that has the same problem every year
>at this time.
> When the weather gets cold and damp the car will not
> start. The
> battery and starter appear to be strong. It acts as if no
> gas is
> getting through, or if moisture is in the fuel. After
> several minutes
> and many attemps the car will finally start. This has
> been going on
> for the past 3 years. No one seems to have any ideas.
> Any help hear
> would be greatly appreciated. Again, this only occurs at
> this time of
> year.
>

 

tvandy wrote:
> I have a 1996 Accord that has the same problem every year at this time.
> When the weather gets cold and damp the car will not start. The
> battery and starter appear to be strong. It acts as if no gas is
> getting through, or if moisture is in the fuel. After several minutes
> and many attemps the car will finally start. This has been going on
> for the past 3 years. No one seems to have any ideas. Any help hear
> would be greatly appreciated. Again, this only occurs at this time of
> year.
>
====================================

WHEN does it always happen? Only after sitting overnight, or in the
middle of the day / evening after it's been driven recently ? ?

'Curly'

 

tvandy wrote:
> I have a 1996 Accord that has the same problem every year at this time.
> When the weather gets cold and damp the car will not start. The
> battery and starter appear to be strong. It acts as if no gas is
> getting through, or if moisture is in the fuel. After several minutes
> and many attemps the car will finally start. This has been going on
> for the past 3 years. No one seems to have any ideas. Any help hear
> would be greatly appreciated. Again, this only occurs at this time of
> year.
>
====================================

WHEN does it always happen? Only after sitting overnight, or in the
middle of the day / evening after it's been driven recently ? ?

'Curly'

 

tvandy wrote:
> I have a 1996 Accord that has the same problem every year at this time.
> When the weather gets cold and damp the car will not start. The
> battery and starter appear to be strong. It acts as if no gas is
> getting through, or if moisture is in the fuel. After several minutes
> and many attemps the car will finally start. This has been going on
> for the past 3 years. No one seems to have any ideas. Any help hear
> would be greatly appreciated. Again, this only occurs at this time of
> year.
>
====================================

WHEN does it always happen? Only after sitting overnight, or in the
middle of the day / evening after it's been driven recently ? ?

'Curly'

 

"tvandy" <tvandy@swbell.net> wrote in news:1164916714.279416.208810@
79g2000cws.googlegroups.com:

> I have a 1996 Accord that has the same problem every year at this time.
> When the weather gets cold and damp the car will not start. The
> battery and starter appear to be strong. It acts as if no gas is
> getting through, or if moisture is in the fuel. After several minutes
> and many attemps the car will finally start. This has been going on
> for the past 3 years. No one seems to have any ideas. Any help hear
> would be greatly appreciated. Again, this only occurs at this time of
> year.
>


How old are the plug wires?

--
Tegger

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

 

"tvandy" <tvandy@swbell.net> wrote in news:1164916714.279416.208810@
79g2000cws.googlegroups.com:

> I have a 1996 Accord that has the same problem every year at this time.
> When the weather gets cold and damp the car will not start. The
> battery and starter appear to be strong. It acts as if no gas is
> getting through, or if moisture is in the fuel. After several minutes
> and many attemps the car will finally start. This has been going on
> for the past 3 years. No one seems to have any ideas. Any help hear
> would be greatly appreciated. Again, this only occurs at this time of
> year.
>


How old are the plug wires?

--
Tegger

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

 

"tvandy" <tvandy@swbell.net> wrote in news:1164916714.279416.208810@
79g2000cws.googlegroups.com:

> I have a 1996 Accord that has the same problem every year at this time.
> When the weather gets cold and damp the car will not start. The
> battery and starter appear to be strong. It acts as if no gas is
> getting through, or if moisture is in the fuel. After several minutes
> and many attemps the car will finally start. This has been going on
> for the past 3 years. No one seems to have any ideas. Any help hear
> would be greatly appreciated. Again, this only occurs at this time of
> year.
>


How old are the plug wires?

--
Tegger

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

 

tvandy wrote:
> I have a 1996 Accord that has the same problem every year at this time.
> When the weather gets cold and damp the car will not start. The
> battery and starter appear to be strong. It acts as if no gas is
> getting through, or if moisture is in the fuel. After several minutes
> and many attemps the car will finally start. This has been going on
> for the past 3 years. No one seems to have any ideas. Any help hear
> would be greatly appreciated. Again, this only occurs at this time of
> year.

It's usually an ignition high voltage leak if it always does it when
it's damp. This is real common on toyotas, and hondas may have
the same problem. Lots of times it's the ignition coil "flashing" over
to ground along tiny thin conductive dirt traces that form along the
body
of the coil plastic covering. Normally, the insulation from ground
should
be good with no flashing over. What I would do is remove and clean the
coil housing, etc with alcohol or something like that. Try to get it as
clean
as you can. Check all the wires for flashing. But..it's not very common
for
all the wires to do this at once, so I really don't suspect the wires
in
this case. I suspect the coil, cap, rotor, etc, before it goes to the
wires.
I'd slap a new cap and rotor on it being they are cheap, unless yours
are
already fresh. Sometimes the coils will leak so bad you just have to
replace them. Once they start forming traces, it's often hard to clean
them
away well enough to not have any more problems.
They seem to be quite conductive many times.
Also...It's possible to have carb icing in this weather, but your car
should be
FI, so scratch that...That would only occur after running a while
anyway.
Carb icing does not give starting problems when cold. It hasn't iced up
yet at that point.
At this point, if I had to bet $$$$$, I'd say it's probably your coil.
But don't
take that as gospel without checking it out a bit.
MK

 

tvandy wrote:
> I have a 1996 Accord that has the same problem every year at this time.
> When the weather gets cold and damp the car will not start. The
> battery and starter appear to be strong. It acts as if no gas is
> getting through, or if moisture is in the fuel. After several minutes
> and many attemps the car will finally start. This has been going on
> for the past 3 years. No one seems to have any ideas. Any help hear
> would be greatly appreciated. Again, this only occurs at this time of
> year.

It's usually an ignition high voltage leak if it always does it when
it's damp. This is real common on toyotas, and hondas may have
the same problem. Lots of times it's the ignition coil "flashing" over
to ground along tiny thin conductive dirt traces that form along the
body
of the coil plastic covering. Normally, the insulation from ground
should
be good with no flashing over. What I would do is remove and clean the
coil housing, etc with alcohol or something like that. Try to get it as
clean
as you can. Check all the wires for flashing. But..it's not very common
for
all the wires to do this at once, so I really don't suspect the wires
in
this case. I suspect the coil, cap, rotor, etc, before it goes to the
wires.
I'd slap a new cap and rotor on it being they are cheap, unless yours
are
already fresh. Sometimes the coils will leak so bad you just have to
replace them. Once they start forming traces, it's often hard to clean
them
away well enough to not have any more problems.
They seem to be quite conductive many times.
Also...It's possible to have carb icing in this weather, but your car
should be
FI, so scratch that...That would only occur after running a while
anyway.
Carb icing does not give starting problems when cold. It hasn't iced up
yet at that point.
At this point, if I had to bet $$$$$, I'd say it's probably your coil.
But don't
take that as gospel without checking it out a bit.
MK

 

tvandy wrote:
> I have a 1996 Accord that has the same problem every year at this time.
> When the weather gets cold and damp the car will not start. The
> battery and starter appear to be strong. It acts as if no gas is
> getting through, or if moisture is in the fuel. After several minutes
> and many attemps the car will finally start. This has been going on
> for the past 3 years. No one seems to have any ideas. Any help hear
> would be greatly appreciated. Again, this only occurs at this time of
> year.

It's usually an ignition high voltage leak if it always does it when
it's damp. This is real common on toyotas, and hondas may have
the same problem. Lots of times it's the ignition coil "flashing" over
to ground along tiny thin conductive dirt traces that form along the
body
of the coil plastic covering. Normally, the insulation from ground
should
be good with no flashing over. What I would do is remove and clean the
coil housing, etc with alcohol or something like that. Try to get it as
clean
as you can. Check all the wires for flashing. But..it's not very common
for
all the wires to do this at once, so I really don't suspect the wires
in
this case. I suspect the coil, cap, rotor, etc, before it goes to the
wires.
I'd slap a new cap and rotor on it being they are cheap, unless yours
are
already fresh. Sometimes the coils will leak so bad you just have to
replace them. Once they start forming traces, it's often hard to clean
them
away well enough to not have any more problems.
They seem to be quite conductive many times.
Also...It's possible to have carb icing in this weather, but your car
should be
FI, so scratch that...That would only occur after running a while
anyway.
Carb icing does not give starting problems when cold. It hasn't iced up
yet at that point.
At this point, if I had to bet $$$$$, I'd say it's probably your coil.
But don't
take that as gospel without checking it out a bit.
MK

 

This almost always happens after sitting overnight.
motsco_ wrote:
> tvandy wrote:
> > I have a 1996 Accord that has the same problem every year at this time.
> > When the weather gets cold and damp the car will not start. The
> > battery and starter appear to be strong. It acts as if no gas is
> > getting through, or if moisture is in the fuel. After several minutes
> > and many attemps the car will finally start. This has been going on
> > for the past 3 years. No one seems to have any ideas. Any help hear
> > would be greatly appreciated. Again, this only occurs at this time of
> > year.
> >
> ====================================
>
> WHEN does it always happen? Only after sitting overnight, or in the
> middle of the day / evening after it's been driven recently ? ?
>
> 'Curly'

 

This almost always happens after sitting overnight.
motsco_ wrote:
> tvandy wrote:
> > I have a 1996 Accord that has the same problem every year at this time.
> > When the weather gets cold and damp the car will not start. The
> > battery and starter appear to be strong. It acts as if no gas is
> > getting through, or if moisture is in the fuel. After several minutes
> > and many attemps the car will finally start. This has been going on
> > for the past 3 years. No one seems to have any ideas. Any help hear
> > would be greatly appreciated. Again, this only occurs at this time of
> > year.
> >
> ====================================
>
> WHEN does it always happen? Only after sitting overnight, or in the
> middle of the day / evening after it's been driven recently ? ?
>
> 'Curly'