Car will not start without throttle body cleaner and WOT.

[pattygoesrawr]

Alright guys, i’ve got a mystery here...

My 2001 Accord EX j30a1 coupe with 245,000 miles will not start unless I spray throttle body cleaner into the intake, just before the throttle body, and I start the car with WOT. The rpm will not go anywhere for a second, and then shoot up. I have to hold the rpm at around 3000 for a second and then I can let off the throttle for it to idle normally. If I don’t, the car will stall and I have to repeat the process.

This issue started as what looked like the notorious heat soak problem. The car wouldn’t start when it was really hot outside (90 degrees or more) unless I held WOT. It would start fine in the morning and start fine at night; even after letting it sit for 10 minutes.

Then the problem started getting worse over time. Even when it was just warm outside (75 degrees), the car wouldn’t start without WOT and some throttle body cleaner after driving for a bit and parking.

Now, no matter what, the car refuses to start without the afformentioned process; morning, noon, or night. Even right after I shut off the car, it will not start after about 10 seconds of resting.

I don’t have a lot of money to just throw at this, but I am a flat-rate tech at a shop so I have a lot of recources and tools at my disposal. Where do I start?

 

[Nam1911a1]

I would dump a bottle of gumout in the tank and fill up half way with good gas. You buying the cheapest gas around town?

 

[Eclipse99fwb]

Does it stay running once it starts? If so how does it run? Rough? Hows your mpg been? More than likely its the egr valve is stuck, very common problem. I would pull it and clean it, if its bad pull the intake manifold and clean the egr port.

 

[pattygoesrawr]

I always use 93 octane fuel from shell, never anything else. Only the best for my baby. <3

It’s not the egr valve, i’ve replaced it and cleaned all the ports not too long ago. After the car starts it runs perfectly fine, but it feels like I’ve lost some power over time as opposed to when I first bought the car a few years ago. Mpg seems ok even though I run the AC a lot.

 

[Eclipse99fwb]

Do you have any codes?

 

[pattygoesrawr]

Nope, no codes

 

[Luluman]

When was the last time you adjusted the valves also check if your exsaust clogged if its clogged then it will affect the engine for it has to breath out from the exsaust tri diconnecting the exsaust from the cat back and drive and see if the problem is still there or not

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[Luluman]

Check if your muffler is clogged if it is then disconnect it and drive also how is your alternator try this test at night switch on your car and then turn on the headlights while gear at park try briefly floor the gas paddle then quickly let go does the headlight brightness increase and then degrees if so your alternator is on the way out because the brightness level should remain constant it should not fluctuate how is your fuel pump, how are the spark plugs and ignition coil inside the distributor and the ignition coil cables themselves ?, not to worry you will fix it step by step never giving up cheeers

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[pattygoesrawr]

Update! Got curious today about how my car wouldn’t want to start, but ran completely fine after starting. It was pretty dead towards the end of the day, at the shop, so I finally had some time on my hands. I noticed earlier today that when I went to my car to go take lunch, I couldn’t remember hearing my fuel pump prime the rails when I had the key in the on position. I grabbed our lead tech and he grabbed his scanner. He opened the gas cap while I turned the key to the on position and the fuel pump was silent; no priming whatsoever. Luckily, since the pump is accesible via the trunk, we could easily backprobe the electrical connection to the pump.

So, with the key in the on position, there was no voltage or amperage going to the pump. Weird... I get the car started and, lo and behold, the pump now has power. Why would the pump only work with the engine running?? So our lead tech pulls up the wiring diagrams for my fuel pump.

Fuse 1 and 13 are fine. The PCM seems fine. Which only leaves the PGM-FI relay, which I thought was functioning properly. Turns out, when we looked up the relay in mitchel, the top fix for the accord not starting in hot weather was replacing that relay. A switch inside the relay seems to be malfunctioning!

I feel comfortable dropping fifty bucks on this relay. Not bad for ruling out a popular problem. I just wish it wasn’t behind the glove box... once I replace it, I’ll report back.