O25i

Hi everyone, i have a small problem in my 99 Civic Hatch, so i was hoping someone here could give me an idea what could cause that. For some reason the car is cranking for at least 5-7 sec before starting up but only when engine is cold and when the fuel is less then half or close to quarter of the tank. When the fuel tank is full or when the engine is warm the start up is normal, cranks for 1-2 sec. I changed the injectors and all of the seals, thinking that there was a loose connection somewhere but it is still the same. Is it the fuel pump that is not pumping properly and will have to be replaced soon or there is nothing to worry about.
Thanks guys, any help is appreciated.

MPR

Your car is fine. I believe this is normal and a common issue among civics from what I've heard.

I have an 00 SiR and it does the exact same thing when the fuel starts to get low and the engine is cold.

What I do to ensure the car starts right away is this:

Turn the key all the way on (but don't start it) you'll here the fuel pump relay click on (and in my car I can actually hear the pump running) and then after 3-5 seconds it will shut off. Then turn the key off, then on again and start the car and it usually starts instantly. When I'm really low on fuel (below 1/4 tank), I do this 2 or 3 times, especially if the car is sitting on a hill or slope.

What's happening is the fuel system needs to re-prime itself and because your low on gas some times it take a second or 2 for the pump to suck up the fuel. When my car is very low on gas, by the second prime I can actually hear the pump bog down and build pressure.

Try that and see what happens.

kane2k

Definitely a common issue. My 00 Si does the exact same thing, although it usually has to be pretty close to empty before it gets noticeable.

I haven't tried priming it multiple times, I usually just turn the key to on and wait for a while. I didn't realize that the fuel pump shut itself off after a few seconds. Next time I'm on empty I'll try cycling it a bit to see if it helps.

civicEJ1

iTrader: (2)

yea u can hear the pump turon on, iot pumps fuel through the lines to the engine than shuts off until u start the car.

F8i

iTrader: (10)

Never really had this problem. How I start my car:
Key in ignition
Turn to Run
Put seat belt on while waiting for engine light to turn off
Once engine light is gone, Start Car.

I thought it would allow the car to prepair to start, taught the wife that too... Seems to work for me, and her. Never had a problem starting the car.
-B

seanv98

^^ I start mine the exact same way.

O25i

Thanks for clearing that up for me, so i guess there is nothing seriously wrong there. By the way, i tried turning the key to on and off 3-4 times today and then she started right a way. Would any body know why it is happening anyways, is there like a loose clump somewhere on the fuel pump or something allowing the fuel go back after a while. Also, will it affect the winter staring at all, i'll probably be parking outside in the winter so i'd better make sure she stars without any issues. Thanks everyone.

O25i

Thanks for clearing that up for me, so i guess there is nothing seriously wrong there. By the way, i tried turning the key to on and off 3-4 times today and then she started right away. Would any body know why it is happening anyways, is there like a loose clump somewhere on the fuel pump or something allowing the fuel go back after a while. Also, will it affect the winter staring at all, i'll probably be parking outside in the winter so i'd better make sure she starts without any issues. Thanks everyone.

F8i

iTrader: (10)

Just an educated guess:
When you don't start the car for sometime, you'll loose compression in the fuel line (Possibly). Like when you open your gas cap and it hisses at you. That's also why it starts faster when it's warm. I also believe when your turn the key to run, it charges the distributer... I might be wrong about that, or the whole thing, but makes sense to me.
-B

chris_v2

You're partially right.

Fuel pressure does lower after the vehicle sits for awhile. When you turn the key to RUNII it primes the pump and shoots the pressure right back up so it's ready to start. Now, If you are low on gas sometimes it just takes a bit longer to 'suck' up the fuel since the pump is not submerged in fuel. Either way, no damage is really done to anything.

MPR

The only time I do that is if I'm so low on fuel that the light is on and I'm parked on a slop (where I park my car at home it faces down hill at roughly a 10-15 degree angle). I can actually hear the pump and I listen for when it finally bogs down and starts sucking fuel. Sometimes it takes 2 or 3 primes to do that when it's below 1/8th tank. Otherwise, one prime is usually enough.

Like the other guys posted, I've gotten in the routine of turning the key on and waiting for the pump to prime once (usually the same time the engine light goes out) and then starting the car.