# Want to guess my car’s problem?

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-guess-my-car-s-problem/842627
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [October 29, 2019, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-guess-my-car-s-problem/842627 "2019-10-29T00:00:52Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2019, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-guess-my-car-s-problem/842627/1 "2019-10-29T00:00:52Z")

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I’m taking it to the mechanic Wednesday. Here’s the deal: I’ve had the car (2000 Honda Accord v6) about 5 years and it runs like a top. But occasionally it dies on me while driving. When I go to try and start it, it starts right up and then dies. I’ll repeat that maybe 15 times, and then it will start and run as though nothing was ever wrong. It used to do it maybe once every 6 months but now it’s done it twice in a week. So to the mechanic it goes. What do you think?

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### Author: ![am77494](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d2c977/32.png) [@am77494](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/am77494)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2019, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-guess-my-car-s-problem/842627/2 "2019-10-29T00:11:55Z")

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I suspect the fuel pump

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### Author: ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2019, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-guess-my-car-s-problem/842627/3 "2019-10-29T00:17:10Z")

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Or plugged fuel filter. After it stops running and sits for a few minutes it gets just enough fuel past the filter to start, and stop, and maybe stay running as if nothing is wrong. Check fuel pressure.

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### Author: ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2019, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-guess-my-car-s-problem/842627/4 "2019-10-29T00:32:08Z")

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I’ll come at it from the other side and suspect alternator. My ‘99 Subaru was doing something similar before it just refused to go no mo’ and that was the culprit. Fuel system is more likely though.

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### Author: ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2019, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-guess-my-car-s-problem/842627/5 "2019-10-29T01:08:13Z")

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Honda? #1 suspect is the igniter (electronic ignition module).

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### Author: ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2019, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-guess-my-car-s-problem/842627/6 "2019-10-29T02:16:12Z")

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> [@Gary\_T](#):
>
> Honda? #1 suspect is the igniter (electronic ignition module).

Well now, that sounds ’spensive. I hope you’re wrong.

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### Author: ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2019, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-guess-my-car-s-problem/842627/7 "2019-10-29T02:36:30Z")

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It should be generating and check engine light. I might suspect a mass air flow sensor fault. If no fault code is present you may just have a loose wire somewhere in the ignition circuit.