Hey everyone, I am new to this forum, and I'm also not here for me. I have a neighbor who has a 1988 Honda CR-X with 58,000 original miles on it and she is the original owner. I met her through the Nextdoor app after she posted she needed help getting her car running because her landlord was evicting her from her garage. Besides hooking her up with the proper channels to fight her eviction, I wanted to get her car running. She said a mechanic said it was a Fuel Relay, which seems to be a common problem. I went and looked at it, hooked it up to jumper cables, and turned the key. The fuel pump primed, the check engine light turned on and off and I'm pretty sure the relay clicked. So then I tried starting it and wouldn't you know it started right up. I immediately noticed a huge exhaust leak in the muffler. Then after maybe a minute the car died. I rented a fuel pressure gauge to check the fuel pump, but wasn't able to get the bolt loose on the fuel filter to tap in. I am returning today with PB blaster and an electric impact drill to get it loose and tap in. I did try and tap into the fuel rail, but the adapter on the kit I rented didn't have the right threading and it didn't screw down all the way, but there was some fuel pressure because it sprayed a bit of gas when she turned the key. My question is, if the fuel pressure is good, what else could it be? My understanding of the relays is that they either work or they don't, the car wouldn't start at all if it was the relay. Could the exhaust leak be so bad that it stalls the car? Also, what is the fuel pressure for PSI for these cars when healthy. Sorry for all the probably novice questions, but I haven't had a Honda since I sold my 93 Accord in 2009 and I just want to be able to help my neighbor out.

 

Fuel pump primed the fuel rail
And the engine started
This would suggest that the fuel pimp relay is good.
Fuel pressure for fuel injectors should be around 50 psi or higher
Old style carburetors only require about 5 to 8 psi.
Don't remember if the engine has a distributor or not.
Would clean the contact points. And probably change the spark plugs
Not sure what is causes the stall afterwards
If exhaust was clogged then it could stall.
A good leak, would not.