integra wont start

[possumscratcher]

My son has an '89 integra 1.6 ($500 worth...) runs well, starts instantly - until now. After standing for 3/4 days, it turns over on the key but wont fire. I tried Aerostart (aerosol ether) up the intake, and it started straight away. There seems to be petrol in the tank, but no sound of relay/pump when I turn on ignition. (My falcon goes click/whirr....) . I looked underneath but all the pump wiring looks pretty hard to get to. I tried cracking the inlet union on the injector rail and turning the motor over but no spray.
Any ideas? Is there something that just sticks? We've got most of a spare car for parts but I've no idea how to get to anything.....

[blk_shadow]

sounds like your fuel pump or your fuel sender unit is not working. therefore, no fuel to start the engine up.

[HondaTechy]

main fuel pump relay.

[possumscratcher]

thanks folks - as I browsed other threads this relay issue comes up a bit. Do they just cease to function with no provocation? If I can find where it lives is it just a matter of unplugging it and swapping for another one? Sounds a lot easier than taking the tank out etc! I've had a look under the drivers side dash but only thing I can see is a fuse box. Where else might it live?

[bennjamin]

does the car turn over as "rapidly" as before ? Since this issue happened after sitting for a few days you might need a new battery. OR pehaps oil has leaked from the head into the combustion chambers from the spark o rings ~
Try a new battery and new spark plugs and give it a good start with WOT (wide open throttle) and see if that gets her going

[possumscratcher]

thanks Ben - point taken but
1) it has stood for longer than that before with no problems
2) When I used Aerostart it fired up straight away, no smoke or anything like normal. It seems to spin "healthily".
(I just remembered that the previous owner mentioned that when the car had been standing for a while the battery would go flat - "must be some electrical thingy still running or something" - but battery seems good. I didn't go into it at the time.....)

[possumscratcher]

Ha Ha i've noticed in other threads that dads trying to repair their kids old Hondas is a common theme....
my neighbour fancies himself as a mechanic, he runs a ultra-mod v8 commodore, was a confirmed Holden bloke until his wife got an Accord, then he changed his tune - until the auto trans played up, v. expensive. When he saw my sons integra with the bonnet up he said "didn't you learn from me??!!!
I guess they are fairly complex cars, this one is 18 years old.

[possumscratcher]

but wheres this !@# relay live?

[rayb3na_]

underneath your dashboard on the drivers side its this kind of brown and grey chucnk thats connected to all the fuses and stuff =] my car ahd the same problem! got new relay fixed it up!

[possumscratcher]

Ok thanks I'll take a look now.......

[possumscratcher]

It just started up......I poked around under the dash, pulled out what I thought was the relay but it said "wiper relay" so I put it back - could see the main one. The battery was getting low from all that test cranking, so I changed the battery. when I reconnected the terminals I could hear the fuel flow to the injector rail. It started after third try and now its fine..... did i disturb something by poking around? maybe I should change the relay anyway - when I locate it!

[Bludger]

are you handy with a soldering iron?

http://www.ozhonda.com/forum/showthread.php?t=31796&highlight=main+relay

[possumscratcher]

Indeed I am. thats the most specific bit of tech help i've ever seen - thanks. Now i've just got to find it, I'll try LHS ndext