Help: Car Hard to Start in Cold (<34F)

It is 1996 Honda accord. It works excellent except that it is hard to start when the car is cold and the temperature is below 34F. I had got a new battery, new spark plugs, and a new air filter and the car passed engine check device (no code) when I drove it to AutoZone.

As you may know, the check-engine-light is on when the key is in position II and the car wasn't started (that is normal). However, it should go off after a few seconds. If so, my car would normally start. If the light keeps on, then my car could not start normally. This only happens when the car is cold and the temperature is below 34F.

When it happened (the check-engine-light kept on), I used two methods to start the car.
(1) Ignore the check-engine light and keep on turning the key to try to start the car as usual. I would hear the ‘ke ke ke’ sound, and sometimes it might start but would die as soon as I released the key. After several trials, I pushed down the gas pedal to start the car. Typically, I could start the car, but the check-engine-light kept on even the engine is on and I could not use D4 (if I put shift there, the car would not run as if the shift were in N), sometimes I could not even use D3 and had to use D2 or D1. The performance of the car definitely was not normal in such situation. After let the car idle or drive for some time (5min or so), if I stop the car and re-start it again as usual, it typically would start easily and the check-engine-light is off. After that, sometimes, the preset car radio was gone and clock was in new start. I don’t think this is a good way to starting the car, I prefer the following second method.
(2) I don’t start the car until the check-engine-light off when the key in position II. As I said, I could start the car normally when check-engine-light off (need 3-5 seconds, worse than my another car, but it is okay, I think). The question is how to let the check-engine-light off. I turn the key to position II and wait. If still on, turn back the key to position 0 then turn to I (wait seconds), then II (wait again). Repeat the above process again if the check-engine-light keeps on. If I just simply repeat, I may never success (I guess). When the shift in position II, I sometimes push down gas pedal and release (I am not sure if it helps or not). Turn the key back to position 0, take out the key, insert the key again and turn to position II again. Sometimes, the check-engine-light goes off (I succeed). If not, I move shift from P to R to N to D4, D3, D2, D1. Please note that (important I think), the indicator lights of those shifts are respectively on, except for D4. Only after the check-engine-light is off, the D4 indicator will be on when the shift is on D4 (I think it is strange). I have to repeat several (3 – 15) times to get rid of the check-engine-light. Since it is not too cold here so far (NJ), I am afraid that the second method doesn’t work when it is really cold (20sF).

I left my car for Honda dealer overnight and hoped they could check the car next morning when it is cold. But they didn’t do that until afternoon when it was warm and the car is normal. I may go to the dealer again. Anyway, the car really puzzled me. Thanks for your patience for reading my long description. Thank you very much in advance for your advices and suggestions.

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• so whats your exact age? -thannku- ♂ (0 bytes) () 11/23/2008 postreply 14:06:27