’89 CRX SI won’t start once in a while

For the past couple of years, once in a while, say once very couple of
months my Honda CRX won’t start.
-It does not seem to matter whether engine is hot or cold. It has done it
in the morning as well as after lunch at work.
-Starter is OK engine is turning normally but seems to me that none of the
cylinders are firing at all.
-After several failed attempts to start I do not necessarily get any codes
on PCM.
-Sometimes after repeated tries it may start but usually it won’t start no
matter how much I try. Then I’ll try again the next day or a few hours
later and it will start normally.
-I’ve had an occasional code 06 indicating faulty water temperature
sensor. I’ve measured resistance of sensor and seems to be within spec.
When I clear the code many days can go by without the light coming back
on. There seems to be no correlation between the light coming on and the
car not starting. Besides I would think that even a bad temperature sensor
would make the car run poorly but I would not think it would make it not
start at all. Am I wrong?
-Otherwise, on any other day or once the car starts then the engine runs
fine, MPG is up at the usual 40 or so.
-I have had an occasionally unstable idling where sometimes the idle speed
is somewhat higher, say around 1000-1100rpm. Now that I can see how it may
be related to the water temperature sensor.

Any ideas? I’ve even took car to the auto mechanic but he told me that he
could not do anything unless I briught him the car when it was not
starting. I once finally towed it when it was not starting and once we got
there it started normally?!

Thanks

I've seen this on a different car (Subaru Impreza). It would take a
long time to get it started, especially when it was cold but also under
different circumstances.
After I replaced the thermo sensor, the car was fine again.

What seems to happen is that if this sensor is bad, the gas/air mixture
is totally wrong. The resistance on the sensor was within
specificatation but am not sure what the temp/resistance curve looks
like on those things. Maybe the resistance you are reading is within
spec for a hot car.

I wonder if the same sensor on your Honda could be bad, especially
since you get a thermo sensor code.

Remco

Try leaving the drivers side door open for a while, and perhaps the windows
down, ( I know I'm nuts) If it starts, it's prob the relay for the fuel
injection, interior of the car cools, the poor solder connection re
connect, and boom, it starts.
For years, when this happened to me , I got out of the car with m,y 4 cell
mag lite, open the hood, and tapped around the engine. It ALWAY started
after my gentile percussive maintenance, people thought I had the magic
touch. The truth, I realised later, was that I always left my door open and
allowed the interior of the car ( where the relay is mounted) to cool.


Cheers
Dan

"ThomasE" > wrote in message
lkaboutautos.com...
> For the past couple of years, once in a while, say once very couple of
> months my Honda CRX won't start.
> -It does not seem to matter whether engine is hot or cold. It has done it
> in the morning as well as after lunch at work.
> -Starter is OK engine is turning normally but seems to me that none of the
> cylinders are firing at all.
> -After several failed attempts to start I do not necessarily get any codes
> on PCM.
> -Sometimes after repeated tries it may start but usually it won't start no
> matter how much I try. Then I'll try again the next day or a few hours
> later and it will start normally.
> -I've had an occasional code 06 indicating faulty water temperature
> sensor. I've measured resistance of sensor and seems to be within spec.
> When I clear the code many days can go by without the light coming back
> on. There seems to be no correlation between the light coming on and the
> car not starting. Besides I would think that even a bad temperature sensor
> would make the car run poorly but I would not think it would make it not
> start at all. Am I wrong?
> -Otherwise, on any other day or once the car starts then the engine runs
> fine, MPG is up at the usual 40 or so.
> -I have had an occasionally unstable idling where sometimes the idle speed
> is somewhat higher, say around 1000-1100rpm. Now that I can see how it may
> be related to the water temperature sensor.
>
> Any ideas? I've even took car to the auto mechanic but he told me that he
> could not do anything unless I briught him the car when it was not
> starting. I once finally towed it when it was not starting and once we got
> there it started normally?!
>
> Thanks
>
>