Hi all - I'm hoping someone can help me with this one. We have a 2015 Accord EX, and it has been having increasingly frequent starting issues. It has a little over 125,000 miles, and it is driving well otherwise.

Here is what happens:
1. We're in the car with the fob.
2. With the brake depressed and the car in park, we push the start button.
3. Sometimes, it starts immediately. No slow cranking, no hesitation - just immediately starts and is ready to go.
4. Increasingly, though, all that happens is that the lights on the dashboard come on, but it won't crank. I don't hear a clicking noise, and it won't crank at all.
5. In these cases, it is usually enough to turn it back off and try again, but it's now taking 2 extra tries sometimes (and took about 4 recently - that was after a very brief drive and short stop to get gas; don't know if that matters).

We took it to the dealer about 2 months ago, and they couldn't reproduce the symptom. They said they tested the battery (and we replaced it about 9 months ago), starter and alternator and that all were fine. We also had it in a month ago for other maintenance (belts, brake fluid change, etc), and it didn't happen for them. It's really become more frequent since - at this point, it's pleasant if it starts on the first try.

Any ideas? We've also replaced the batteries in the key fobs, just to be sure. It still happened. I'm wondering if it's the neutral safety switch, but has anyone else had this happen - and if so, what caused it?

Thanks!

 

Throw a starter relay in it. Cheap and you you a fair chance it'll fix it.

 

Well, it could be the starter cut relay.
Or it could be the brake pedal switch.
Take a look at the brake pedal. There should be a button there.
If it gets brittle then it will break.
Then the car doesn't think you have depressed the brakes and the car will go into accessory mode.

 

Thanks to both of you for the thoughts. I probably just know enough about cars to get in trouble, but I thought the starter relay clicked when it was failing (or had failed). We've never heard that - not even when it first started. I'll look at the break pedal switch, for sure.

 

Just because a relay clicks does not mean it's making contact.

 

My 2015 EXL V6 coupe refused to start about a month ago. As battery was just past expiration, I replaced it and things were great for a month or so. Yesterday, when start button was pushed, just a single 'click' (as before) and no start although accessories were on. Tried to jump it off but with a new battery I didn't think this was the cause. I tried starting maybe 10 times yesterday with no luck. I set up an appointment yesterday and scheduled a tow to the shop. Today, the car started right up. Called the shop and it was confirmed that of course, they could not troubleshoot if the problem was gone, so cancelled shop and tow. I checked for OBD codes being thrown and there were none. All systems checked good!

One strange thing I did notice was when the car is working properly, when I depress the brake prior to starting, it feels normal and allows maybe an inch of travel, then starts. When this lousy issue is present, the brake feels like it's locked up and has NO travel.

Any thoughts on this? An undependable car is like not having a car, very un-Honda like.

Update: After talking to some smart people (never saw my car), they feel that I may either have a sticky brake booster check valve or the vacuum pressure sensor may be bad.

Any thoughts on this?

 

Hi Folks,
I posted another thread under Intermittent Start but have a different question now. I plan on replacing my brake booster vacuum check valve and also it was suggested that the vacuum sensor could also be a problem and it could be sending sporadic 'no start' codes to my ECM. Trouble is, I cannot find any info on this sensor and in fact do not know if my 2015 Accord V6 even has one. Can find some info on this for previous generation Accords but not 2015.

If you know if my car has one of these sensors, and if it does communicate with the ECM, please advise whether it does or not, and a Honda part number. My local dealer is very uncooperative, but they will agree to look if I bring it in $$$$.

 

Don't believe everything on any forum including this one.

 

This is very true as stated. In fact, I have already arranged for a tow tomorrow as the darn car is still dead (just clicking). I still have the question as to whether a 2015 V6 Accord even has a vacuum sensor or not cause I can't find.

 

The observation of the stiff brakes was a very good clue. The stiff brakes could be preventing you from activating the brake switch. Which then would not let you start the engine.
For me, I would try cleaning the battery posts and cable terminals. Follow negative cable to chassis ground and clean contact points. Just to rule out a bad connection.