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hey Eric,
I drive a 7th gen Accord with the 2.4L 4 cyl. engine. I purchased the car a little over 6 months ago and it has always been slow to start up compared to my previous vehicle (vw jetta w. vr6). it seems to be turning over fine, but seems like it takes awhile to fire up (I’m not sure if that is the right terminology, but basically its the classic “c’mon c’mon… please start…YES!” situation)… I looked over same basic stuff, my battery’s positive cable terminal was loose and corroded so i cleaned and replaced that with a new terminal. its not a huge deal, the car never fails to start, but it just feels like i have to turn the key for an awkward amount of time compared to my VW. This is only the second vehicle i have owned so i cant tell if its just a normal difference between the two vehicles or indicative of some type of issue.Since you have tons of experience with Hondas I figure you would be the perfect person to ask, and if it is not normal, where should I start looking to get it fixed… I was thinking since its taking awhile to fire up, that might be something with the fuel system and not electrical ? anyway, sorry such a long post for a relatively trivial and simple issue! curious to hear your thoughts. If you need any more info from me, let me know. Also, if anyone else wants to jump in, feel free!
ps. I am super happy with my Honda, your videos helped me lean that direction after the non stop horror show that was my VW.
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Hey, how many miles does this thing have on it? If it’s high miles, that could be indicative of it needing a tune up.
If it starts and drives normally every day and cranks nice and quick, then you’re likely in need of a tune up.
Here are some basic things to check:
Check the battery voltage using a multimeter. You can pick up cheap ones at walmart that will do the job nicely. Let the car sit overnight, and before you start it or do anything, open the hood and check the battery’s voltage. If it’s below 12.6, your battery isn’t happy. Above 12.6? Time for a cranking test. Put the meter on the battery, and then put the meter in the window tray of the windshield. When cranking, before it starts, does it go below 10 volts? If so, time for a new battery.Now since you seem mildly technical by what you’ve said about your car. So I’ll assume you know how to change spark plugs. Well, you should probably check those as well. Likely you’ll have some issues there if they’ve got some mileage on them.
Also, check your air filter. This is something I find causes a lot of issues that nobody realizes.
air filter is good, I just recently changed the oil and swapped that out last weekend actually. But.. i have not changed the plugs since owning the car. it had 65k when i bought it and im just over 80k now. Probably should have done that when i got the car honestly. so i’ll do that this weekend and see what happens. I was planning on checking the engine and alternator ground connections as well for the heck of it. would there be any part of the fuel delivery system that might cause this? maybe a fuel filter or something? The car never fails to start, and it seems like its pretty consistent in the length of time that the engine turns over before starting.
Probably seems really petty to be concerned over this, but something satisfying about when you flip the key and the car fires right up effortlessly… granted my VW fired right up when it wasnt chewing through batteries, but was an absolute nightmare in every other respect, and the only real issue ive had with my accord so far is an o2 sensor haha. Thanks for the reply… if you have any other ideas, by all means
Check the fuel pressure. With key off it should hold pressure (or most of it). If it is not holding pressure, you need to check the fuel pressure regulator. Your car may also have a check valve in the fuel pump that can cause a similar issue. You would want to verify if that is true.
jazzie366 summed it up nicely.
Replace the plugs with the Original equipment NGK spark plugs and the long crank time will likely go away.
According to Rockauto, the 2.4 engine came equipped with either
NGK 6994 plugs if it has Federal Emissions (info on emissions is on underhood sticker)
NGK 6774 if it has SULEV California Emissions
You could go cheaper on the plugs but that means more frequent replacement of them.These plugs initially cost more but last much longer than other non-iridium plugs and perform the way Honda intended.
It appears that there is no in-line fuel filter for your car.
You can replace the fuel pump sock but that requires removal of the in-tank fuel pump.You can replace the PCV and the genuine Honda part is recommended.
For some reason, aftermarket PCVs typically don’t work properly in these engines.
One thing to look out for is oil in the spark plug wells.
This will eventually cause the plugs to not fire.
The solution is to replace the valve cover gaskets and spark plug tube seals, of which there are 8.cool thanks for the info on the plugs.
funny you mention the oil in the plug wells, I definitely had a leaky VC gasket in my VW that eventually did cause a misfire exactly as you described. you wouldnt think it would be that difficult to change the VC gasket, but on that particular vehicle it required removing the front bumper and the intake manifold and some other stuff just to get to it. fun times.
luckily no misfires or oil leaks on the honda thus far, but I will make sure to inspect the plugs to be sure. i’ll try and do the PCV too since its prob old as well and relatively inexpensive
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