My Q cranks but doesn't start. Any thoughts???

21477 Views 50 Replies 17 Participants Last post by jzchen, 4 mo ago

corE

Discussion Starter · Dec 17, 2012

My girlfriend and I have just purchased another vehicle and left the Q sitting for a week and a half to 2 weeks, and when we decided to drive the Q again, it just cranks and cranks, but won't start.

I am in NO WAY a mechanic, so I have no clue what to do. I did try to jump it, but it wouldn't jump, and I left the cables on the battery while the truck was running for a little while, and still nothing.

The battery seems to be fine, from what I can tell, and doesn't seem to be dragging.

Am I missing something? Is there a fuel shut-off, of some sort, or does anyone have any ideas?

Thanks, in advance.

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corE

Discussion Starter · #21 · Aug 5, 2013

Good luck. I have a feeling the dealer won't find anything.

This hasn't happened to me, since that one time, so I'm hoping it was just because I started the car up, just to move it up a few feet, in the driveway, and then shut it off.

It makes sense that it could flood, because of that, but it doesn't make much sense to me that a brand new car would have something this simple, keep it from starting altogether.

Please post here, if they have anything to tell you.

mistergib

· #22 · Nov 23, 2013 (Edited)

corE said:
Good luck. I have a feeling the dealer won't find anything.

This hasn't happened to me, since that one time, so I'm hoping it was just because I started the car up, just to move it up a few feet, in the driveway, and then shut it off.

It makes sense that it could flood, because of that, but it doesn't make much sense to me that a brand new car would have something this simple, keep it from starting altogether.
Please post here, if they have anything to tell you.

Well, I've had my Q for a little over a year and a half and 6,000 miles. What happened to you just happened to me for the first time with the same scenario as yours. I had got in my car yesterday one time only just to back it up about 3 feet in my garage for a total started time of about 5 seconds, then shut it off until today. When I went to start it today, it sounded as if it was flooded....just kept turning over and over, and firing every so often like it wanted to start but wouldn't.....finally, after about 30 seconds of turning over, it started and sputtered until the motor was able to rid itself of the excess fuel......then it ran just fine. I recommend in the future that anytime when you start it up for the first time of that day, that you let it run for a minute or two before you shut it back off to prevent this flooding from happening. Now this fix is an educated guess, but I've been involved with cars and motors since the muscle car days of the 60's and 70's.....so I think its an semi-intelligent guess. And, from reading the different threads and postings, several people have experienced this same issue.

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surfcitylocal

· #23 · Nov 24, 2013

It does sound like the fuel from the start up is not being burned Gib. I've not experienced this issue.

mistergib

· #24 · Nov 24, 2013

As stated above, this was my first time in 18 months of ownership......it definitely was flooded. Something was stuck open dumping too much fuel in to the cylinders. I'll see what happens in the morning, but I don't think it will happen again for awhile, it's really kind of a fluke. Had I let the car run for a more than 5 seconds yesterday, I don't think it would've happened this morning?

Seamoose

· #25 · Nov 24, 2013

Hey so I didn't read all the post just kind of glazed over it all. I actually had this problem as well I was actually stuck at the grocery store and had to get some one to give me a jump and it fired up right away. After this I left my iQ sitting in the garage for a few months and sure enough I went to start it and nothing. so I tried charging it with a trickle charger for a few days but still nothing. after checking everything(or so I thought) I went to remove the battery to get it checked and sure enough my negative terminal was not tighter down and had slowly come loose. so just make sure you check every thing even something small like all connections are tight. I haven't had a problem since.

mistergib

· #26 · Nov 24, 2013

What I described as happening to me, and many others, had nothing to do with the battery or battery posts/cables. My motor turned over just fine but just with occasional firing, but not starting. After turning over several times, it started and sputtered until the excess fuel was eliminated at which point it ran just fine. It was just plain flooded.

iQ514

· #27 · Nov 24, 2013

Yep - that's what it was: plain flooded.
Shutting off the engine within seconds after it got started on a cold-start rich mixture cycle (choke in the olden days) will simply flood it, wash the bores and zero it's compression.

One has to floor the pedal (to shut off the fuel pump) & crank the engine (to "air" it and re-seal the bores with oil from the oil pump). Let go all once it re-starts...

Reactions: 1

mistergib

· #28 · Nov 24, 2013 (Edited)

iQ514 is absolutely correct..... In the earlier years with carbs, the way to get it un-flooded and get it started, you held the accelerator pedal to the floor until it started...and, that's exactly what I did when this happened to me, even though our Q's are injected......after about 10-15 seconds holding the pedal to the floor and cranking it, it started, though sputtering, then cleared the excess fuel and ran fine. This is caused, (I and iO514 believe), when the weather and the motor is COMPLETELY cold, and you then start the motor but only MOMENTARILY. The computer automatically throws more fuel at the injectors immediately as it should, but then before the motor has warmed up at all to handle the added fuel, it is immediately shut off after only having it started for less than 10 seconds. The next time you go to start it, which was the next morning for me, the cylinders are full of fuel----thus, the motor is flooded. Just maybe, to keep this from happening to you.....when you need to cold start you car for a few seconds just to move it a few feet (or for whatever reason) then shut it back off, at the least let it run for a couple minutes before you shut it down...

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westgl

· #29 · Dec 1, 2013 (Edited)

Same thing happened to me,

First time it happened, last year, it went to the dealer, they could not start it right away, they let it sit over night, then it started.

I moved the car 15 feet and turned engine off later that day tried to move car no start.

No reason from the dealer, they found nothing.

I was very disapointed that now i have a very UN-reliable New!! fricken car.

I almost dump it at that point.

2nd time it happened yesterday,

I went to start the car, it sounded like it started so I let the key go back from start to run mode.

Nope engine stopped, and It could not be restarted.

It sounded like starter turns but engine does Not turn over.

Yesterday i was at the mall they had new Civic's there. I was looking at them for a long time.

I will try the foot to the floor, while starting to see if it starts.

I love the car but I will not live with a problem.

I want to test this.

I may try to purposely, flood the engine, then try to foot to the floor start, to make sure i have a plan/method fro restart, in case it happens while I am away from home.

So far i have been home both times.

I just home it does not get worse.

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JWR

· #30 · Dec 1, 2013

westgl said:
Yesterday i was at the mall they had new Civic's there. I was looking at them for a long time.

_________How To Start A Fuel Injection Vehicle _________

1. Do not ever depress the gas pedal. Keep your foot away from the gas pedal entirely.

2. Turn the key to the on position until your hear the chime, when the chime stops start the vehicle.

This has been a public service announcement.

Enjoy your new Honda Civic.
(and don't forget to make it sound like a squirrel on steroids)

mistergib

· #31 · Dec 1, 2013 (Edited)

Blogging it in red is really not needed......I agree that FI motors should not have any gas pedal given to it during the starting process, I'm just telling you, that's what had to be done to mine to get it started once it got flooded, unless you wanted to give up and let it sit until much later that day or wait until the next day. Read my scenario of what happened to me again, too much fuel got to the injectors, flooding the motor the previous COLD morning during a momentary starting of about 5 seconds and then being shut off.....it was still flooded the following morning. What I did got it started. If and when it ever happens to you, you'll have to do what I did to get it started, or you can let it sit for however long it takes to clear the excess fuel. Right or wrong, that's what I did and it worked...your call. A POSSIBLE BETTER PREVENTATIVE TO KEEP THIS FROM HAPPENING WOULD BE: EACH AND EVERY TIME YOU GO TO START YOUR CAR, DO NOT RELAEASE THE IGNITION KEY UNTIL YOU KNOW FOR SURE THAT THE CAR ACTUALLY HAS STARTED??? I really don't think it would have happened to me or westgl had we done that? We both had released the key on the initial cold start-up prematurely before it was actually started? Try it and see if this eliminates the problem.

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JWR

· #32 · Dec 1, 2013

mistergib said:
We both had released the key on the initial cold start-up prematurely before it was actually started?

Well now, that's a real good possibility and once again points to human error which is no doubt the scenario in either remedy.

3. Do not release the ignition key prematurely until you have heard the engine start.

(hope you like the blue highlight)

westgl

· #33 · Dec 2, 2013 (Edited)

JWR said:
Well now, that's a real good possibility and once again points to human error which is no doubt the scenario in either remedy.

3. Do not release the ignition key prematurely until you have heard the engine start.

(hope you like the blue highlight)

JWR!

I have had plenty of fuel injected cars it is all I have owned in the last 15 years or more,

Or That and i was a tech for toyota for more than 10 years.

I do not touch the gas pedal when starting.

That said!

I went out today, still would not start then while cranking engine i held the pedal to the floor.

It started after about 15 seconds, a strong rich gas smell, after it started.

This is a problem that I have never had with a FI Toyota before.

Never has happened to my wifes 10' Rav4 v6 or daughters 10' 4cyl Rav4, or my Venza, or my Tundra

This is a new problem that I hope does not get worse with time and wear

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westgl

· #34 · Dec 2, 2013

mistergib said:
Blogging it in red is really not needed......I agree that FI motors should not have any gas pedal given to it during the starting process, I'm just telling you, that's what had to be done to mine to get it started once it got flooded, unless you wanted to give up and let it sit until much later that day or wait until the next day. Read my scenario of what happened to me again, too much fuel got to the injectors, flooding the motor the previous COLD morning during a momentary starting of about 5 seconds and then being shut off.....it was still flooded the following morning. What I did got it started. If and when it ever happens to you, you'll have to do what I did to get it started, or you can let it sit for however long it takes to clear the excess fuel. Right or wrong, that's what I did and it worked...your call. A POSSIBLE BETTER PREVENTATIVE TO KEEP THIS FROM HAPPENING WOULD BE: EACH AND EVERY TIME YOU GO TO START YOUR CAR, DO NOT RELAEASE THE IGNITION KEY UNTIL YOU KNOW FOR SURE THAT THE CAR ACTUALLY HAS STARTED??? I really don't think it would have happened to me or westgl had we done that? We both had released the key on the initial cold start-up prematurely before it was actually started? Try it and see if this eliminates the problem.

Hey Mistergib,

Thanks for the fix.

I have never heard that pedal to the metal after a flooded FI, engine will clear it.

That is some very good information.

But it did clear the problem,

I appreciate people that provide help, Not trolls that are negative and provide nothing.

JWR

· #35 · Dec 2, 2013

westgl said:
I appreciate people that provide help, Not trolls that are negative and provide nothing

I didn't mean to imply you are a young idiot and apologize if you we're offended.
And just remember if all else fails you can always buy that Honda Civic that made your mall shopping experience so special and rewarding.

Happy Motoring..

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mistergib

· #36 · Dec 2, 2013 (Edited)

I, also, would have doubted the pedal to the floor on a FI motor would get it to start, but just cranking it wasn't getting it started, so I stuck the pedal to the metal just out of curiousity, and it started. I grew up in both eras. the era of the carbs in the muscle car days, and up to now in the FI days.....I've floored many carb'd cars to clear the flooding in my many years, but I've never had to floor a fi'd car before, my Q was the first. Again, for the future, I would not release the ignition key until you are sure it's started......there is something unique about our Q's that causes this to happen, whatever it is, when the conditions are right?.....maybe this should eliminate it from happening again? We'll see?? Other than a flooding condition, under normal starting conditions, no accelerator pedal should be used in starting our Q's.

vhol5

· #37 · Feb 1, 2014

I know this is an old post, but it just happened to me last week.
During my lunch hour, I went out and sat in the car for about half an hour, listening to the radio. After work, I get in the car and it starts, but only for a second. Yes it actually started. I crank it some more and I get that "broken" timing belt sound. I wonder WTF???
So I keep cranking, and cranking and cranking...

I pause for a few minutes to make sure I don't overheat the starter and also to call the wife to warn her she may be picking me up. So I try again, this time I depress the accelerator and it starts to fire then starts. Sputters a few seconds, then all is good.

My 25,000 mile service was due anyway, so I drive to the dealer. I tell the adviser what happened, and also mention the cold start rattle that he DID hear on the previous service. He said there were no recalls, hoping that meant no TSB's also.

Next day, he calls telling me the car is ready. Told me there was a code for a dirty MAF sensor, which they cleaned. The technician was UNABLE to duplicate the rattle, so that was a non-issue.

I know that's an issue for another thread, so I'll leave it at that.

Anyway, the car seems fine...

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Joeparaski

· #38 · Feb 2, 2014

The dreaded and mysterious "instant flood" syndrome. It happens to other cars too.

Joe

Engineer_Boo

· #39 · Feb 14, 2014

Well this happened to me, this morning!

I got in my 2013 iQ (13,500 miles on her) and made this strange sound when I tried starting her so I stopped and then tried again. No luck...it just turns and turns. No smell of gas at all. After a few more tries, I pumped the gas peddle while she was turning and nothing.

I didn't have time to fart around so I jumped into my wife's Corolla and drove it into work.

I did wash the car yesterday and after it was finished I started it and drove it into the garage. (That seems to be a common theme, huh?)

I'll try it, again, tonight when I get home. If it doesn't start, I'll squirt some starting fluid into the air filter to give it a jump....I hope this doesn't become a common problem!!

mistergib

· #40 · Feb 14, 2014 (Edited)

Engineer_Boo said:
Well this happened to me, this morning!
I got in my 2013 iQ (13,500 miles on her) and made this strange sound when I tried starting her so I stopped and then tried again. No luck...it just turns and turns. No smell of gas at all. After a few more tries, I pumped the gas peddle while she was turning and nothing.
I didn't have time to fart around so I jumped into my wife's Corolla and drove it into work.
I did wash the car yesterday and after it was finished I started it and drove it into the garage. (That seems to be a common theme, huh?)
I'll try it, again, tonight when I get home. If it doesn't start, I'll squirt some starting fluid into the air filter to give it a jump....I hope this doesn't become a common problem!!

I take it you didn't read all of this thread.... From what you posted, you didn't do what I found to be what worked when this happens. Though this remedy sounds contrary to what you should do on a fuel injected motor, it seems to work. You should just get in and hold the accelerator pedal to the floor, (but no pumping the pedal), and start cranking.... it should then start firing and then finally start up. This has worked for me and several others.....

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