1997 honda civic hardstart

Hi All,

I have been reading similar problems here in this forum but i have not
been able to get a good answer to my civic problem.

The car's hardstart problem have been around for quite sometime now
and local technicians HAVE NOT been able to fix it. Unfortunately, we
do not have a HONDA dealer in our small city here.

Here are the symptoms:
1.0 Easy to start in the morning but it is really difficult to start
when the engine is HOT or after the engine has been turned off after a
30-minute cruise on the highway.
2.0 It often happens when I dropped by a gas station after that long
trip - i switch the engine off and after i had one full tank, it is
difficult to start the engine over. I hear my starter working but
cannot turn the engine over. So i have to press the gas pedal until
the engine rolls after several tries.
3.0 I smell gas everytime i have to press the gas pedal to turn the
engine on.
4.0 I hear the regular 'clicks' when i switch my keys to ON that means
my fuel tank is working right (i think).
5.0 When the engine would not roll-over when starting, i have to wait
for about 30 minutes to cool the engine and after that, it would start
fine already.
6.0 This means that when the engine is really that hot, i could only
hear the miserable starter rolling but not my engine.
7.0 Recently done: Cleaning of the distributor cap, cleaning of spark
plugs, and putting an STP fuel injector into the gas tank to NO AVAIL.

What do you think is the problem?

jaydee
..

To add to my other problem highlighted here, i also noticed that my
radiator loses water at the end of the day. Every morning before
leaving home, i have to add 500ml of coolant into the radiator to make
sure that the engine won't overheat ( drove around about 30kms to my
office everyday and 30kms back home). I have been checking where it
might have leaks but to no avail. I don't see any sign of leak. The
water level in the resorvoir seems unchanged from the morning i left
and after coming back home.

This has been the case for several weeks now. Is this related to the
hardstart i am experiencing with this car?

Please help.

You may have a bad head gasket. Top off your radiator and leave the cap
off. Have a friend crank the engine. If the coolant bubbles out of the
radiator, that would explain all of your problems.


Jeffrey D. wrote:
> To add to my other problem highlighted here, i also noticed that my
> radiator loses water at the end of the day. Every morning before
> leaving home, i have to add 500ml of coolant into the radiator to make
> sure that the engine won't overheat ( drove around about 30kms to my
> office everyday and 30kms back home). I have been checking where it
> might have leaks but to no avail. I don't see any sign of leak. The
> water level in the resorvoir seems unchanged from the morning i left
> and after coming back home.
>
> This has been the case for several weeks now. Is this related to the
> hardstart i am experiencing with this car?
>
> Please help.

Jeffrey D. wrote:
> To add to my other problem highlighted here, i also noticed that my
> radiator loses water at the end of the day. Every morning before
> leaving home, i have to add 500ml of coolant into the radiator to make
> sure that the engine won't overheat ( drove around about 30kms to my
> office everyday and 30kms back home). I have been checking where it
> might have leaks but to no avail. I don't see any sign of leak. The
> water level in the resorvoir seems unchanged from the morning i left
> and after coming back home.
>
> This has been the case for several weeks now. Is this related to the
> hardstart i am experiencing with this car?
>
> Please help.

---------------------------------

If your reservoir doesn't fluctuate, there's a major air leek in the
system, possibly in the cap or a hose. Hopefully not the head gasket.

'Curly'

On Jan 6, 8:57*pm, motsco_ > wrote:
> Jeffrey D. wrote:
> > To add to my other problem highlighted here, i also noticed that my
> > radiator loses water at the end of the day. Every morning before
> > leaving home, i have to add 500ml of coolant into the radiator to make
> > sure that the engine won't overheat ( drove around about 30kms to my
> > office everyday and 30kms back home). I have been checking where it
> > might have leaks but to no avail. I don't see any sign of leak. The
> > water level in the resorvoir seems unchanged from the morning i left
> > and after coming back home.
>
> > This has been the case for several weeks now. Is this related to the
> > hardstart i am experiencing with this car?
>
> > Please help.
>
> ---------------------------------
>
> If your reservoir doesn't fluctuate, there's a major air leek in the
> system, possibly in the cap or a hose. Hopefully not the head gasket.
>
> 'Curly'

Hi Robert, Curly,

Thanks for your answers. If I have a head gasket failure, would this
cause my hardstart problem? I replaced my radiator cap today so I have
to check later tonight if water in the reservoir have been used up
into the radiator.

If the cap is Ok, what do you think might have caused my problem in
starting up the engine? Can you please elaborate more as I am a novice
to engines.

Thank you.

Thanks guys for your thoughts.

On Jan 8, 12:09 am, "Jeffrey D." > wrote:
> On Jan 6, 8:57 pm, motsco_ > wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > Jeffrey D. wrote:
> > > To add to my other problem highlighted here, i also noticed that my
> > > radiator loses water at the end of the day. Every morning before
> > > leaving home, i have to add 500ml of coolant into the radiator to make
> > > sure that the engine won't overheat ( drove around about 30kms to my
> > > office everyday and 30kms back home). I have been checking where it
> > > might have leaks but to no avail. I don't see any sign of leak. The
> > > water level in the resorvoir seems unchanged from the morning i left
> > > and after coming back home.
>
> > > This has been the case for several weeks now. Is this related to the
> > > hardstart i am experiencing with this car?
>
> > > Please help.
>
> > ---------------------------------
>
> > If your reservoir doesn't fluctuate, there's a major air leek in the
> > system, possibly in the cap or a hose. Hopefully not the head gasket.
>
> > 'Curly'
>
> Hi Robert, Curly,
>
> Thanks for your answers. If I have a head gasket failure, would this
> cause my hardstart problem? I replaced my radiator cap today so I have
> to check later tonight if water in the reservoir have been used up
> into the radiator.
>
> If the cap is Ok, what do you think might have caused my problem in
> starting up the engine? Can you please elaborate more as I am a novice
> to engines.
>
> Thank you.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

yeah, betcha that's it; when the engine is hot, the coolant is
pressurized, leaks into combustion chamber or intake, makes it hard to
start. not so much of a problem once the engine does get running,
however.

overnight, pressure drops, whatever water has already sprayed in
probably drains out into oil. you should take a look at the oil, see
if it looks like it's got water mixed in, sort of like mayonnaise,
(which is basically oil and water mixed).

now, you say "I hear my starter working but cannot turn the engine
over." do you mean it rotates but does not fire, or are you saying it
doesn't even rotate?

has the engine ever overheated? that's a prime risk for blown head
gaskets and suchlike. might take a year or more to appear after the
overheating.

z wrote:
> On Jan 8, 12:09 am, "Jeffrey D." > wrote:
>> On Jan 6, 8:57 pm, motsco_ > wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>> Jeffrey D. wrote:
>>>> To add to my other problem highlighted here, i also noticed that my
>>>> radiator loses water at the end of the day. Every morning before
>>>> leaving home, i have to add 500ml of coolant into the radiator to make
>>>> sure that the engine won't overheat ( drove around about 30kms to my
>>>> office everyday and 30kms back home). I have been checking where it
>>>> might have leaks but to no avail. I don't see any sign of leak. The
>>>> water level in the resorvoir seems unchanged from the morning i left
>>>> and after coming back home.
>>>> This has been the case for several weeks now. Is this related to the
>>>> hardstart i am experiencing with this car?
>>>> Please help.
>>> ---------------------------------
>>> If your reservoir doesn't fluctuate, there's a major air leek in the
>>> system, possibly in the cap or a hose. Hopefully not the head gasket.
>>> 'Curly'
>> Hi Robert, Curly,
>>
>> Thanks for your answers. If I have a head gasket failure, would this
>> cause my hardstart problem? I replaced my radiator cap today so I have
>> to check later tonight if water in the reservoir have been used up
>> into the radiator.
>>
>> If the cap is Ok, what do you think might have caused my problem in
>> starting up the engine? Can you please elaborate more as I am a novice
>> to engines.
>>
>> Thank you.- Hide quoted text -
>>
>> - Show quoted text -
>
> yeah, betcha that's it; when the engine is hot, the coolant is
> pressurized, leaks into combustion chamber or intake, makes it hard to
> start. not so much of a problem once the engine does get running,
> however.
>
> overnight, pressure drops, whatever water has already sprayed in
> probably drains out into oil. you should take a look at the oil, see
> if it looks like it's got water mixed in, sort of like mayonnaise,
> (which is basically oil and water mixed).

hardly ever get that on a honda - pressure leakage from the cylinders is
confined to the water jacket, and the oil passages are well sealed so no
coolant gets into the oil. commonest symptom is excess pressure in the
coolant.


>
> now, you say "I hear my starter working but cannot turn the engine
> over." do you mean it rotates but does not fire, or are you saying it
> doesn't even rotate?
>
> has the engine ever overheated? that's a prime risk for blown head
> gaskets and suchlike. might take a year or more to appear after the
> overheating.

A rich mixture aids to a cold start and makes warm starting a
biatch!!

When the engine is hot, You can try pressing the gas pedal all the way
to the floor and HOLDING it there while starting. A wide open throttle
will compomise a rich condition

If that's the case, I suspect a faulty O2 sensor. How's your fuel
economy (mpg)?



On Jan 6, 5:05 am, "Jeffrey D." > wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> I have been reading similar problems here in this forum but i have not
> been able to get a good answer to my civic problem.
>
> The car's hardstart problem have been around for quite sometime now
> and local technicians HAVE NOT been able to fix it. Unfortunately, we
> do not have a HONDA dealer in our small city here.
>
> Here are the symptoms:
> 1.0 Easy to start in the morning but it is really difficult to start
> when the engine is HOT or after the engine has been turned off after a
> 30-minute cruise on the highway.
> 2.0 It often happens when I dropped by a gas station after that long
> trip - i switch the engine off and after i had one full tank, it is
> difficult to start the engine over. I hear my starter working but
> cannot turn the engine over. So i have to press the gas pedal until
> the engine rolls after several tries.
> 3.0 I smell gas everytime i have to press the gas pedal to turn the
> engine on.
> 4.0 I hear the regular 'clicks' when i switch my keys to ON that means
> my fuel tank is working right (i think).
> 5.0 When the engine would not roll-over when starting, i have to wait
> for about 30 minutes to cool the engine and after that, it would start
> fine already.
> 6.0 This means that when the engine is really that hot, i could only
> hear the miserable starter rolling but not my engine.
> 7.0 Recently done: Cleaning of the distributor cap, cleaning of spark
> plugs, and putting an STP fuel injector into the gas tank to NO AVAIL.
>
> What do you think is the problem?
>
> jaydee
> .

On Jan 10, 6:14*am, z > wrote:
> On Jan 8, 12:09 am, "Jeffrey D." > wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Jan 6, 8:57 pm, motsco_ > wrote:
>
> > > Jeffrey D. wrote:
> > > > To add to my other problem highlighted here, i also noticed that my
> > > > radiator loses water at the end of the day. Every morning before
> > > > leaving home, i have to add 500ml of coolant into the radiator to make
> > > > sure that the engine won't overheat ( drove around about 30kms to my
> > > > office everyday and 30kms back home). I have been checking where it
> > > > might have leaks but to no avail. I don't see any sign of leak. The
> > > > water level in the resorvoir seems unchanged from the morning i left
> > > > and after coming back home.
>
> > > > This has been the case for several weeks now. Is this related to the
> > > > hardstart i am experiencing with this car?
>
> > > > Please help.
>
> > > ---------------------------------
>
> > > If your reservoir doesn't fluctuate, there's a major air leek in the
> > > system, possibly in the cap or a hose. Hopefully not the head gasket.
>
> > > 'Curly'
>
> > Hi Robert, Curly,
>
> > Thanks for your answers. If I have a head gasket failure, would this
> > cause my hardstart problem? I replaced my radiator cap today so I have
> > to check later tonight if water in the reservoir have been used up
> > into the radiator.
>
> > If the cap is Ok, what do you think might have caused my problem in
> > starting up the engine? Can you please elaborate more as I am a novice
> > to engines.
>
> > Thank you.- Hide quoted text -
>
> > - Show quoted text -
>
> yeah, betcha that's it; when the engine is hot, the coolant is
> pressurized, leaks into combustion chamber or intake, makes it hard to
> start. not so much of a problem once the engine does get running,
> however.
>
> overnight, pressure drops, whatever water has already sprayed in
> probably drains out into oil. you should take a look at the oil, see
> if it looks like it's got water mixed in, sort of like mayonnaise,
> (which is basically oil and water mixed).

Reply: I have not seen any water mixed in the engine oil.

> now, you say "I hear my starter working but cannot turn the engine
> over." do you mean it rotates but does not fire, or are you saying it
> doesn't even rotate?

Reply: The starter rotates but it doesnt fire the engine.

> has the engine ever overheated? that's a prime risk for blown head
> gaskets and suchlike. might take a year or more to appear after the
> overheating.- Hide quoted text -

Reply: Yes, the engine has overheated a year ago. What the shop did
was to reface the cylinder head.
But then, here comes this problem now. Somehow the radiator is
pressurized. I see bubbles looking at the top of the radiator.

> - Show quoted text -