Q. I am the original owner of a 1987 Acura Integra with approximately 88,000 miles. It is seldom driven anymore, but when we do, we encounter a couple of problems.
One: Every now and then it fails to start. Normally this happens when it has been driven for a few days. Then, when we try it again about 30 minutes later, the car starts. The battery is good.
Two: Every now and then after it has started the radio, heater and air conditioner don’t work. We turn off the ignition off, then start it again and the above items work. All the fuses are fine.
I have taken it to our local auto repair shop, and they stated there was nothing they could do while it was starting normally.
— Roy Tucker, Edmonds, Wash.
A. This is a tough one without seeing the car and running a few tests. May I begin with a question? When the Integra fails to start, does it crank but fail to run (perhaps a fuel or ignition problem), or fail to crank (a starter circuit fault)? Based on the two symptoms you’ve reported I believe the Integra has a faulty ignition switch. Before renewing this part — or any other — a little testing is in order.
Next time the Integra fails to start, try twisting the key a little differently — more or less, or perhaps lifting on it a bit. If the radio/heater/AC systems act up while driving, pull to the side of the road and wiggle the key again (don’t go so far as to accidentally engage the starter).
If the symptoms change, or worsen, you’ve found the fault (the ignition switch). If the symptoms don’t change when manipulating the key, we’ll need to get a little more creative.
Start by purchasing an automotive test light at your local auto parts store (about $10). These resemble an ice pick with a cord exiting the clear-plastic handle. Next time the Integra fails to start or loses the radio/heater/AC, check each fuse in the under-hood and under-dash fuse panels.
This is done by attaching the test light’s alligator clip to a grounded metal object and probing the small slit in each fuse’s colored plastic body with the test light’s needle-like tip.
Using the fuse identification map within the fuse box cover, identify and record any fuses that are not "hot" (illuminating the test light) while the ignition switch is in the run position. Next, list in hand, make an appointment with your repair shop and see if they can make sense of your trove of diagnostic clues. Knowing what does work is often as important as what doesn’t, when diagnosing an electrical fault.
Time for a quiz: The EGR valve is a part of which system?
A. Ignition B. Fuel C. Emissions D. Cooling.
The correct answer is C. The exhaust gas recirculation valve allows a small quantity of exhaust gases to mix with the engine’s incoming air charge. This reduces combustion temperature and the production of NOX, a smog-forming compound. A faulty EGR valve or clogged EGR exhaust passage can result in an emissions test failure and an engine pinging symptom.
Brad Bergholdt teaches automotive technology at Evergreen Valley College in San Jose, Calif. E-mail him at under-the-hood@juno.com or write to him in care of Drive, Mercury News, 750 Ridder Park Drive, San Jose, Calif. 95190. He cannot make personal replies.
