2004 CL9 Accord Euro - need help tracking down potential causes of hard starts
hey all,
I'm going to prefix this by saying I'm not a mechanic, and I only have a very vague knowledge of technical terms, how cars work, and that I will try and describe the problem to the best of my ability.
I've owned this car for about 1.5 yrs, and I've had to replace the battery, alternator and starter motor so far (each has failed individually). Recently, in the last 2 months, the engine will be hard to turn over after it's been sitting for a period of 24+ hours, sometimes taking 3-4 seconds (approx 7 cranks) when it would usually only take 1-2 seconds (approx 3 cranks) before it starts. It is especially difficult to start if I leave it outdoors overnight rather than put it in my garage. While it's similar to how it was behaving when the battery was failing, I've bought a multimeter, googled to figure out how to use it, and recorded the voltage of the battery to be about 12v with accessories turned on and it still struggles to turn over. This leads me to believe it may be something to do with the fuel injection system, or possibly the EVAP system (the purge solenoid in particular).
This may be related. Very occasionally when I go out for a short drive to the shops or servo, the car will be extremely difficult to start and practically stall if I don't give it a little bit of throttle while starting (seems to happen more often after filling up at the servo). I paid a mechanic look at it but he wasn't able to replicate the problem and couldn't offer any more advice than to wait for something to break and to try dumping fuel injector cleaner into the tank.
I know you guys can't diagnose me over the internet, but if anyone has had a similar issue I'd love to hear if you've resolved it, or if you have any insight into what's going on. Also if anyone knows any reliable mechanics in brissy northside I'd love to hear your recommendations!
