YACT: trouble starting 99 civic

[Oscar1613]

i got a 99 Civic LX in early december. i've noticed the fuel gauge is a little erratic... i can go ~100 miles from full to 3/4 tank, but then it drops to 1/2 tank after about 60 miles, then to 1/4 tank after another 80-90 miles. once it gets to the 1/4th mark, i've noticed that it takes a little more to start... on full to half, it starts right away, but on <1/4 i have to hold it for at least 3-5 seconds for it to turn over. any way to fix this?

 

[Nocturnal]

Have you had the regular tune-ups performed on the car? Oil change, spark plugs change, etc etc?

If not this could be a factor.

 

[Anubis]

have the float checked out. thats why you ge odd readings

 

[jsbush]

Same thing happens with my 96 civic, except no problem starting it. I have yet to see an accurate gas gage from fule to empty on any car.

 

[DrumminBoy]

My '92 does this too. I can start it right up on a full tank of gas, but when im low it takes a few seconds of cranking for it to get started.

 

[Imported]

The same thing happens to my 1998 Civic. When there's a 1/4 tank of fuel, it takes a little longer to start. I also sometimes just turn the key for a second, then try again right after and it works. I had the ignition changed out (there was a recall on it) but it does the same thing. Also have done the usual maintenence, but it stays.

 

[olds]

The fact that the problem manifests itself depending on the amount of fuel in the tank is interesting. I don't know the answer and I bet a google search will supply it as so many people are experiencing the same thing. My Honda is a 2003 so I am not worried yet.
If I were to guess I would assume it has something to do with the fuel pump.

 

[Eli]

Gas gauges aren't usually linear, so your erratic fuel gauge is just normalcy.

 

[Cyberian]

Originally posted by: Nocturnal
Have you had the regular tune-ups performed on the car? Oil change, spark plugs change, etc etc?

If not this could be a factor.

Would a tune up really help any if the problem only occurs when the fuel tank is 1/4 full?

 

[Vortex22]

Originally posted by: Imported
The same thing happens to my 1998 Civic. When there's a 1/4 tank of fuel, it takes a little longer to start. I also sometimes just turn the key for a second, then try again right after and it works. I had the ignition changed out (there was a recall on it) but it does the same thing. Also have done the usual maintenence, but it stays.

Same car, 98 LX, and same thing here.

Mine doesn't take 3-5 seconds though, usually closer to 2-3. When the tank is full it starts on the 1st crank.

 

[Oscar1613]

Originally posted by: Nocturnal
Have you had the regular tune-ups performed on the car? Oil change, spark plugs change, etc etc?

If not this could be a factor.

i've gotten oil changed, but no regular tune up yet... like the others said, since it only happens with low fuel, i'm thinking something else would be the problem...

 

[weezergirl]

I have a 2002 Civic and I've had had this happen a few times already!

 

[d33pt]

maybe fuel filter?

 

[BCYL]

That's actually normal... happens to most of the civics I have seen/driven... Happens to my car as well (2000 civic HB)...

When you are low on fuel the car is harder to start... usually it just takes a little longer, but it always starts fine... My guess is when you are low on fuel there's not enough fuel pressure... It happens more if you park on an incline (with your car facing uphill), since that way all the fuel in your gas tank flows away from the fuel pump...

If you want it to start better, try pressing on the gas pedal before you turn the key... Give it a little gas while the car is trying to start helps too, but make sure you release the pedal as soon as the car starts successfully...

 

[TheChort]

I used to have a 2000 civic EX (i gave it to my sister)
But it did the same thing when its low on gas. But for me that happened much after the gas light turned on. I usually got 280+ per tank without trying to conserve gas.
According to your numbers 100+85+60 = 245

Do you usually fill up at 1/4 mark or does it take a little more for the light to turn on?
If you end at 245 miles, then it seems a little low, and one of two things, either you waste alot of gas or yuo are in need of a tune up.
But if you drive until the light turns on, and the only problem u have is the ignition, then i think it is worth getting looked at.

Like a lot of ppl said before, the gauge is not super-accurate, so dont worry about that too much.

 

[BCYL]

Your fuel gauge is normal as well... all fuel gauges are inaccurate...

You can actually see the gas gauge drops when you drive uphill, and the gauge rises when you go downhill... So dont put too much confidence on the gauge...

 

[Oscar1613]

Originally posted by: TheChort
I used to have a 2000 civic EX (i gave it to my sister)
But it did the same thing when its low on gas. But for me that happened much after the gas light turned on. I usually got 280+ per tank without trying to conserve gas.
According to your numbers 100+85+60 = 245

Do you usually fill up at 1/4 mark or does it take a little more for the light to turn on?
If you end at 245 miles, then it seems a little low, and one of two things, either you waste alot of gas or yuo are in need of a tune up.
But if you drive until the light turns on, and the only problem u have is the ignition, then i think it is worth getting looked at.

Like a lot of ppl said before, the gauge is not super-accurate, so dont worry about that too much.

i wasnt really worrying about the gauge... just thought it might be semi-related...

the 245 is at 1/4 tank. i usually try to fill up around there so i dont have to deal with the starting trouble too much... not sure exactly how much milage i get total on a tank, but i think its around or over 300

 

[KokomoGST]

Originally posted by: d33pt
maybe fuel filter?

Or fuel pump... but then fuel pumps usually just die completely.

 

[FrustratedUser]

Originally posted by: Oscar1613
i got a 99 Civic LX in early december. i've noticed the fuel gauge is a little erratic... i can go ~100 miles from full to 3/4 tank, but then it drops to 1/2 tank after about 60 miles, then to 1/4 tank after another 80-90 miles. once it gets to the 1/4th mark, i've noticed that it takes a little more to start... on full to half, it starts right away, but on <1/4 i have to hold it for at least 3-5 seconds for it to turn over. any way to fix this?

You might need to change the sparkplugs and timing belt. They tend to get tangled up with the fuel gauge.

 

[shopbruin]

Originally posted by: Imported
The same thing happens to my 1998 Civic. When there's a 1/4 tank of fuel, it takes a little longer to start. I also sometimes just turn the key for a second, then try again right after and it works. I had the ignition changed out (there was a recall on it) but it does the same thing. Also have done the usual maintenence, but it stays.

just ringing in to say the exact same thing. 1998 civic lx.

i would go about 245 miles before filling up, putting in about 8.5 to almost 9 gallons each time.

 

[white]

hmm, i've never made the association of the harder starts with fuel level, but i did notice that i did have a hard time starting tonight, and i'm close to the end of my tank. i'm somewhere close to the empty (gauge fluctuates) with about 250 miles. my car is tuned up and maintained so it's not that.

98 civic ex

 

[Vortex22]

Oh well, I guess we have all determined that this is normal since we are all experience it. So it's probably nothing to worry about.

 

[BCYL]

Originally posted by: Vortex22
Oh well, I guess we have all determined that this is normal since we are all experience it. So it's probably nothing to worry about.

It's nothing to worry about... I have an EL (a Canadian version civic) since 1997 and it does the same thing since the day I got it... absolutely no problem until this day...

 

[NutBucket]

Yep, my 91 Accord does the same thing. Always has.