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View Full Version : My car has trouble starting/rough idle


Quageschi
2008-10-24, 01:42
So today when I was already late for my court appearance, I get in my 1990 Accord and it wont start. I give it a few go's and get it going but it dies almost instantly. I try again, get it going and give it some gas and again it quickly dies. During this whole ordeal there is lots of car shaking going on.
So I hop on my bike and freeze my ass off riding to court.

When I got home tonight I put some more gas in the car from my bike(4-stroke bike), thinking that might be the problem, since the car was below empty. No help, the car still had a really rough/shakey idle, and took 5 seconds or so of the starter turning it before it got running. This time around though I noticed that it ran very smoothly when I gave it gas/kept the revs above 2k rpm.

As a side note, my car idles high when the engine is cold (~<50F/10C), usually around 1750-2000rpm for the first few minutes that its running. Lately though I would start it up (cold) and it will idle at 2000, quickly drop to 1500, quickly rise to 2000, drop 1500 again and again for a few minutes.
Any ideas of what this could be?

G_P
2008-10-24, 04:05
IT could be the idle air control valve, mass airflow sensor, throttle position sensor, or it could be as simple as a vacuum leak.

Does the check engine light come on? Check all your vacuum hoses for cracks and look for any hose fittings with no hose on them. some were extras and had little rubber caps sealing them that could have fallen off.