are you sure your shop checked the simple things like ignition and starter?

 

i just noticed the end of your post. yes that is bad unless its a ground, wrap em up. you could easily screw up your hu amongst other things.

 

that's the thing about the main relay going bad, the problem almost always goes away when you go to have someone look at it.

 

thanks...guess i'll listen for a click when i get back to la after the wkend

 

My old 92 the relay went bad on it, when it was really hot out(95+) after leaving it all day in the sun. First time it would try to start, if you were quick you could give it gas as soon as it sputtered a little, and get it to start. Usually the next time you start it after that it will not turn over at all.

Only happened a few times to me, but I'd just get a ride home from work, come back in like 5 hours in the evening, and it would start right up. Replaced the relay, never a problem again. I would not have ever figured that out if not for forums like this and google, i realized this was a very common problem on 4G Accords.

 

here's another link. it also shows how you can resolder the connections if you feel comfortable trying. it's a pretty straightforward process.

http://techauto.tripod.com/index.htm

 

final note, if you remove the relay, as with any other electrical stuff, disconnect the battery. whether it'll harm anything or not, it's like free insurance.

 

strychnine - did u replace yours? and where'd u pick up the main relay from...and as far as i remember...it cranks but it doesn't turn over (opposite of what you were saying) or if it does turn over (which will happen on the 1st try) it'll die immediately, then it won't turn over for a few times, wait a few min, then it'll turn over fine...well...back to LA today

 

my bad, guess i got a little tongue tied. i got mine from the local junkyard for 5 bucks and touched up all the solder and haven't had a problem yet. you could get one off of ebay or some other places sell refurbished ones. only problem with the junkyard is that you have to have some kinda luck, i looked at like 15 cars before i found one. if you're comfortable soldering or know someone who is maybe you could fix the one you have.

 

Don't mean this to be nit-picky -- it's just very confusing when wrong terminology is used. When an engine is "cranking," it's "turning over." They're the same thing. The battery is giving current to the starter motor and the starter motor "turns over" the engine -- it "cranks" it. The engine may or may not "start" and "run" because that requires spark, fuel, air, and compression. Cranking (or turning over) only requires a good battery, starter, ignition switch, and interlock switches. As I said, I don't mean to sound offensive, but it's difficult to figure out where a problem is if the wrong terminology is used.

Uclaccord -- you said, This sounds like a temp sensor problem. Honda temp sensors frequently "die cold." Here's what I mean: When you start a cold engine, the temp sensor puts out about 1V, to tell the ECU the car's cold. So the ECU dumps a lot of fuel into the engine to help the cold start. As the engine warms up, the temp sensor voltage will rise... up to about 5V for a fully warmed up engine. So the ECU leans out the fuel supply and drops the idle speed.

But then, for some mysterious reason, the faulty sensors will "die cold" -- they'll go back down to 1V even though the engine is warm. You can drive around like this and never notice the difference, cuz PGM-FI is compensating by using input from other sensors. But when you try to RE-start the warm engine, the temp sensor (at 1V) is telling the ECU the engine's cold. So the ECU dumps too much fuel into the engine -- and floods it! As soon as the sensor and the engine cool off a bit, the car will start again.

Hope this helps.