Went to start my 2012 Accord 2.4 with 43K miles and it spun over fine then stumbled and died, it never really completely fired up though on the first try. Second try it spun over then stumbled for a second or two before firing up. This happened after sitting for 3.5 hours after the last drive. It has done the stumble before starting thing before, but its never taken two tries to start. I started it back up 1 hour after this episode and it fired up fine. What would cause this stumble / hard start? I only use Shell (top tier), and the car is maintained to the n'th degree. The battery is less than 1 year old by the way.
2012 Accord hard start...
- Thread starter gregk24
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My (also drive-by-wire) Buick did this when the throttle body was dirty. I cleaned it (not hard, and it was pretty dirty) and never a problem since. It's worth a try, and I'd also clean the MAF sensor while you're in there. Have you scanned it for codes??
Originally Posted By: TmanP
My (also drive-by-wire) Buick did this when the throttle body was dirty. I cleaned it (not hard, and it was pretty dirty) and never a problem since. It's worth a try, and I'd also clean the MAF sensor while you're in there. Have you scanned it for codes??
I did clean the MAF about a year ago when I replaced the engine air filter. No, I haven't scanned for codes.
My (also drive-by-wire) Buick did this when the throttle body was dirty. I cleaned it (not hard, and it was pretty dirty) and never a problem since. It's worth a try, and I'd also clean the MAF sensor while you're in there. Have you scanned it for codes??
I did clean the MAF about a year ago when I replaced the engine air filter. No, I haven't scanned for codes.
That's the first place I'd start. If you don't have an OBD2 scanner, most chain auto parts stores will let you borrow theirs. I would be surprised if the throttle body was dirty (given your use of Top Tier gas, the fact that you take care of it and its age). But it sure could be. I'd scan the car and go from there.
Nick1994
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It might have just been a fluke.
Although my Camry was doing that earlier this year, took a little extra long to crank. Turned out the top of the fuel pump housing (plastic) cracked and was leaking fuel.
Although my Camry was doing that earlier this year, took a little extra long to crank. Turned out the top of the fuel pump housing (plastic) cracked and was leaking fuel.
My 2010 Accord did that every once in a great while. I wouldn't go pulling your hair out about it.
Admittedly a longshot but, I had this problem with a Mopar product and it turned out to be cam and crank sensors. Reading any engine codes will give this fault so I'd start there before shotgunning solutions.
Engines with a flooded cylinder(s) behave similarly. Could be a leaky injector.
My Accord does this same thing about once each year. I'd not worry about it unless it becomes a regular thing...my thought was a little bad gas or something like that (a fluke). Good luck!
I know the 4cyl Accords of that generation come with a small lawn tractor size battery. Many on the Accord forum upgrade to the V6 Accord size battery. Maybe that had something to do with it. So might be a battery issue.
Has the TB been cleaned? I know you mentioned the MAF was done. Maybe the switch over to winter blend gas was a contributor. Even if the gas was toptier it could be a low volume station with old tanks and stale gas. Also it may have had some water/condensation in the gas. All sorts of possibilities.
Has the TB been cleaned? I know you mentioned the MAF was done. Maybe the switch over to winter blend gas was a contributor. Even if the gas was toptier it could be a low volume station with old tanks and stale gas. Also it may have had some water/condensation in the gas. All sorts of possibilities.
Originally Posted By: SatinSilver
I know the 4cyl Accords of that generation come with a small lawn tractor size battery. Many on the Accord forum upgrade to the V6 Accord size battery.
+1 This has become an almost required upgrade on those cars.
I know the 4cyl Accords of that generation come with a small lawn tractor size battery. Many on the Accord forum upgrade to the V6 Accord size battery.
+1 This has become an almost required upgrade on those cars.
Originally Posted By: John_Bravo
My Accord does this same thing about once each year. I'd not worry about it unless it becomes a regular thing...my thought was a little bad gas or something like that (a fluke). Good luck!
Funny how so may 8th gen Accord owners have commented on this thread saying they have had the same thing happen. Wonder what causes it. I don't think its the battery, it spins over quickly, it just stumbled as it fired up.
My Accord does this same thing about once each year. I'd not worry about it unless it becomes a regular thing...my thought was a little bad gas or something like that (a fluke). Good luck!
Funny how so may 8th gen Accord owners have commented on this thread saying they have had the same thing happen. Wonder what causes it. I don't think its the battery, it spins over quickly, it just stumbled as it fired up.
Originally Posted By: mclasser
Originally Posted By: SatinSilver
I know the 4cyl Accords of that generation come with a small lawn tractor size battery. Many on the Accord forum upgrade to the V6 Accord size battery.
+1 This has become an almost required upgrade on those cars.
I thought about doing this upgrade but my battery completely died out of the blue and when I went to get the upgraded battery no one had it in stock. I ended up getting the Ever Start Maxx (Johnson Controls). I know they are good quality.
Originally Posted By: SatinSilver
I know the 4cyl Accords of that generation come with a small lawn tractor size battery. Many on the Accord forum upgrade to the V6 Accord size battery.
+1 This has become an almost required upgrade on those cars.
I thought about doing this upgrade but my battery completely died out of the blue and when I went to get the upgraded battery no one had it in stock. I ended up getting the Ever Start Maxx (Johnson Controls). I know they are good quality.
I do not think it would be the battery. I had the V6 sized battery in my 2010 Accord and I still had the hard start every once in a while. I think it has something to do with that way the car is programmed to run rich at a cold idle. If I would start the car cold and move it and turn it off with in a few seconds and then come back to the car a few hours later it would me more prone to the hard start. During the hard start it would blow smoke that smelled like fuel out the tail pipe.
Originally Posted By: gregk24
Originally Posted By: KrisZ
Engines with a flooded cylinder(s) behave similarly. Could be a leaky injector.
I just had a used oil analysis done and fuel levels looked fine.
What makes you think it would show up in a used oil analysis?
Originally Posted By: KrisZ
Engines with a flooded cylinder(s) behave similarly. Could be a leaky injector.
I just had a used oil analysis done and fuel levels looked fine.
What makes you think it would show up in a used oil analysis?
Originally Posted By: KrisZ
Originally Posted By: gregk24
Originally Posted By: KrisZ
Engines with a flooded cylinder(s) behave similarly. Could be a leaky injector.
I just had a used oil analysis done and fuel levels looked fine.
What makes you think it would show up in a used oil analysis?
If its dumping excess fuel in the cylinders it would leak down and make it into the oil, which would show up in the used oil analysis.
Originally Posted By: gregk24
Originally Posted By: KrisZ
Engines with a flooded cylinder(s) behave similarly. Could be a leaky injector.
I just had a used oil analysis done and fuel levels looked fine.
What makes you think it would show up in a used oil analysis?
If its dumping excess fuel in the cylinders it would leak down and make it into the oil, which would show up in the used oil analysis.
Try cleaning the Idle Air Control Valve.
Sounds like the classic PGM-FI relay (aka Main Relay) problem of having a broken solder joint (but that problem is supposed to have gone away in ~2005).
http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/mainrelay.html
Sounds like the classic PGM-FI relay (aka Main Relay) problem of having a broken solder joint (but that problem is supposed to have gone away in ~2005).
http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/mainrelay.html
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