89 Honda Accord fuel starved! Help!
65 Comet
08-18-2011, 05:41 PM
Hi,
I am new to this board and hope someone can advise on this little car. We got this Honda for my son to commute to high school with a daily 60 miles to drive. We knew it would need some TLC and some long green but school has started and the car isn't. Being a 4 cyl. 5 spd. we thought it should be easy on gas but maybe it is on too strict a diet.
Here are the specs on the car: 1989 Honda Accord LX, 4 cylinder, CARB, 5 spd.
Here are the parts recently replaced: Fuel filters, fuel pump, air filter, spark plugs.
The problem is fuel related. In the morning, after it has set all night, I can pump the pedal like crazy and it will not fire up, because it is not getting gas. We have disconnected the line from the carb and there is no gas in the line. However, the fuel pump is buzzing and seems to be working. The pump is new but could be defective I guess. By afternoon it is quite hot here and for the last 2 days I have went out and pumped the pedal like I do in the morning and after several attempts it has fired up. Once started, I rev it up and it seems to drive fine. After it has once gotten fired up you can turn it off and it will fire back up the rest of the day. But after it sits all night and the gas drains out of the lines it will not start the next morning and is not getting gas.
We cannot understand why it will not fire up and has no gas in the morning but for some mysterious reason after pumping the pedal in the afternoon (same as in the morning) it will eventually start. Since it is carb not fuel injector, it has no main relay so that cannot be it. We have not replaced the fuel sock and that is our next move, although we have no faith that will solve the problem.
We really need to get this Honda going for our son to drive to school. I like the little car, so does my son and when it starts up it is fun to drive.
Does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions?
Thanks in advance to anyone who takes the time to reply.
65 Comet
I am new to this board and hope someone can advise on this little car. We got this Honda for my son to commute to high school with a daily 60 miles to drive. We knew it would need some TLC and some long green but school has started and the car isn't. Being a 4 cyl. 5 spd. we thought it should be easy on gas but maybe it is on too strict a diet.
Here are the specs on the car: 1989 Honda Accord LX, 4 cylinder, CARB, 5 spd.
Here are the parts recently replaced: Fuel filters, fuel pump, air filter, spark plugs.
The problem is fuel related. In the morning, after it has set all night, I can pump the pedal like crazy and it will not fire up, because it is not getting gas. We have disconnected the line from the carb and there is no gas in the line. However, the fuel pump is buzzing and seems to be working. The pump is new but could be defective I guess. By afternoon it is quite hot here and for the last 2 days I have went out and pumped the pedal like I do in the morning and after several attempts it has fired up. Once started, I rev it up and it seems to drive fine. After it has once gotten fired up you can turn it off and it will fire back up the rest of the day. But after it sits all night and the gas drains out of the lines it will not start the next morning and is not getting gas.
We cannot understand why it will not fire up and has no gas in the morning but for some mysterious reason after pumping the pedal in the afternoon (same as in the morning) it will eventually start. Since it is carb not fuel injector, it has no main relay so that cannot be it. We have not replaced the fuel sock and that is our next move, although we have no faith that will solve the problem.
We really need to get this Honda going for our son to drive to school. I like the little car, so does my son and when it starts up it is fun to drive.
Does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions?
Thanks in advance to anyone who takes the time to reply.
65 Comet
jeffcoslacker
08-18-2011, 08:32 PM
Electric pumps have a check valve that should leave the line full when the pump's power is cut off....otherwise they siphon back to the tank like you seem to see.
Still, it should re-pressurize the line within 15 seconds or so of just having the key on, so that's not all that's happening. Was the pump replaced to correct this problem, or for another reason?
There is a ballpark figure for how much fuel a carb motor's electric pump should move in a set period of time, but I haven't needed that figure in so long, I don't remember what that amount is...but anyway if you disconnect the line from the carb, put a length of hose on and direct it to a large container, you should see fuel coming out strong within 10-15 seconds, maybe less. If not, you've got a bad pump or poor ground to it or something...
Two things the heat of the day can change, and that's the integrity of rubber seals, or the resistance in a bad electrical contact...both of which could apply here...
I just went through a similar issue on a 1996 Buick LeSabre, and the new pump acted exactly like the old one, same symptoms, which threw me off...but finally applying the KISS strategy, we replaced the Airtex pump with a GM original part, and it started and ran fine....so the aftermarket pump WAS the problem...
Still, it should re-pressurize the line within 15 seconds or so of just having the key on, so that's not all that's happening. Was the pump replaced to correct this problem, or for another reason?
There is a ballpark figure for how much fuel a carb motor's electric pump should move in a set period of time, but I haven't needed that figure in so long, I don't remember what that amount is...but anyway if you disconnect the line from the carb, put a length of hose on and direct it to a large container, you should see fuel coming out strong within 10-15 seconds, maybe less. If not, you've got a bad pump or poor ground to it or something...
Two things the heat of the day can change, and that's the integrity of rubber seals, or the resistance in a bad electrical contact...both of which could apply here...
I just went through a similar issue on a 1996 Buick LeSabre, and the new pump acted exactly like the old one, same symptoms, which threw me off...but finally applying the KISS strategy, we replaced the Airtex pump with a GM original part, and it started and ran fine....so the aftermarket pump WAS the problem...
65 Comet
08-18-2011, 09:26 PM
Yes, we did replace the fuel pump because the car would not start, pretty much same scenario, fuel starved. At first the fuel pump seemed to be the cure. Then it began to act up again, as previously described. The part I don't get is that it seems to run fine once you get it to start.
There is something called a fuel cut-off relay (not main relay like on fuel injected), I have no idea if that could be the culprit or not.
The new fuel pump is an el cheapo so could be the problem, would like to check out any other small possibilities first, just in case- can't imagine a Honda fuel pump is cheap.
We will try to check any electrical contacts as you have suggested also.
The investigation continues................
Thanks again for taking time to reply.
There is something called a fuel cut-off relay (not main relay like on fuel injected), I have no idea if that could be the culprit or not.
The new fuel pump is an el cheapo so could be the problem, would like to check out any other small possibilities first, just in case- can't imagine a Honda fuel pump is cheap.
We will try to check any electrical contacts as you have suggested also.
The investigation continues................
Thanks again for taking time to reply.
wiseguy01
08-24-2011, 01:31 PM
u dont need to buy a honda fuel pump u can get one from autozone it comes with a lifetime warranty but it sounds like the fuel pump cause when u take the fuel hose off and there is no fuel when u turn the key then u have a problem and the in tank filter should be changed the same time the pump is
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