09 Civic EX starting problem

"PE" wrote in news:zb-dnU4ZyL2V39LQnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@earthlink.com:

could be the "main relay",the one that energizes the fuel pump. It's been a common Honda/Acura problem for many years. but unusual for such a new vehicle,though. your engine starts,then runs out of fuel. the relay is usually located under the dash on the driver's side;if you give it a kick,it often gets your car going again.

It could also be a bad ignition switch. do you have a lot of junk on your key ring? that can ruin a ignition switch.

try jiggling the key in the switch.

In which case, you don't pass Go, you don't collect $200, you go

It doesn't matter right now. What matters is that if you can't duplicate the problem, you still have the dealer look at the car for this--pull codes, etc.

This may be a known problem. Make sure he checks for any TSBs. If you want to go forearmed, Honda offers their online service system for you to use; ten bucks for three days, and you can download any recalls and bulletins and see whatever other service information you like for your car.

Number one is to register your concern with the dealer, right now. Your car is under warranty. Make him fix it.

"PE" wrote in news:zb-dnU4ZyL2V39LQnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@earthlink.com:

This is not a known problem.

Is the Check Engine light on? Are there any stored codes?

If the car was purchased NEW 18 months ago, then you have a valid warranty in effect; let the dealer sort this one out. Posting an update would be nice, and that way you'd be educating me and others.

If there are no codes stored, this may be a tough one for the dealer to solve. Intermittents that leave no traces are the kinds of problems that keep techs awake at night.

The dealer should check for codes and note the OBD-II parameters. If all appears normal, you should let the problem happen again in the hopes that more evidence may help the dealer solve this.

And if it ends up being a one-time thing -- not uncommon with today's complex engine-controls -- then forget about it.

Jim Yanik wrote in news:Xns9E84DAE1BFE65jyaniklocalnetcom@216.168.3.44:

As of about 2001, Honda broke the old Main Relay into 2 separate relays. The new design is very reliable.

"Not a known problem"??????????????? Are you sure about that? Try doing a Google search using the search string "2009 Honda Civic Starting Problem" and see what you get.

"PE" wrote in news:xYednboayfiRMM3QnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@earthlink.com:

Yep.

I tried the search using other model-years, and I get similar results. These reports are basically meaningless.

Honda has no TSBs or other documentation, and they're not at all shy about admitting problems. Maybe this is a new issue, and they haven't put out a TSB on it yet, I don't know.

Answer these questions, please: Is the Check Engine light on? Are there any stored codes?

The check engine light is not on, and I don't have the diagnostic equipment needed to query the computer for stored trouble codes. Note that most of the many who posted about a similar problem in the Honda on-line discussion forums also reported that the dealers couldn't find any stored trouble codes.

And why do you conclude that all those reports in the Honda forums are "basically meaningless"? Do you believe that absence of stored trouble codes guarantys that there's no problem?

"PE" wrote in news:37idnUY5KPUZYc3QnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@earthlink.com:

And as I said, occasional no-starts are present across all model years. From what I see, these days it appears to be the computer refusing to fire the injectors, for whatever logical reason it had.

See above. Anybody can complain on the Internet, and anybody does. It does not follow that there are any actual, findable problems behind those complaints.

That's why the NHSTA, for one, does not normally act until it receives at least a thousand complaints on a specific issue with a specific model. Numbers below that fall into the "white noise" category.

Not "guarantee", no, but there's a very good chance that there's nothing wrong with the car.

Engine controls are extremly complex these days. It does occasionally happen that the computer gets randomly confused and shuts off the injectors, preventing a start.

If this issue happens only the once, then it's a random shutdown. If it happens more times after this, then you may have an actual issue. For now, forget about it. It will probably never happen again.

Jim Yanik wrote in news:Xns9E84DAE1BFE65jyaniklocalnetcom@216.168.3.44:

After Googling "2009 Honda civic starting problem",I saw a post on the 2nd page where a guy had a "Mitsuba" fuel relay problem causing his 2009 Civic SI to not start. replacing the relay solved it.