Ok, so I’ve chased the starting demons around a time or two, but typically on older vehicles that don’t have quite as much fluff.

2010 Honda Fit.

my wife and kid were listening to a BB king cd and dancing around in the driveway so the key was in, position 2. They moved on to do other things and a couple hours later I walked by and noticed the key was still in. I popped it out and didn’t think much of it.

the next morning she is about to take the boy to day care and nothing, no start. But she says a normal cranking noise. So I think, ok let’s jump the battery. Nothing. Just a cranking noise. I let it sit on the battery with my truck running for a bit but still nothing. So I put the battery on a charger (it showed 60-something percent and left it. The battery is new-ish; less than a year.

so when I had time I pulled the starter because ** there had been a slight grinding noise during start ups for a while, almost like the starter gear wasn’t popping back in fast enough and I figured, what the hell, that is probably it. New starter, nothing.

After I’ve tried cranking, which hasn’t been a lot because this car typically fires right up, the battery, when I put it back on the charger is reading low to mid 80’s (first Q : is that normal) it typically doesn’t take long on the charger to put it back up to 100.

I started to check fuses thinking it had to be air, spark or fuel now. I pulled a few obvious relays and tested them with the key in position 2, jumped the coil and made sure I heard the click, checked resistance across the two fat copper terminals for system continuity.

I thought about the immobilizer but I talked with a tech and he said the green light should flash, and this flash is nearly instantaneous when I put the key in, and then I shouldn’t see it again, which is what is happening so I suppose I can rule this out.

I was going to pull the center console and inspect fuel pump and associated contacts. I was also going to check grounds, but with how nice the cranking sounds I can’t imagine it’s that, when I’ve had grounding issues typically there is nothing, or sometimes just a click from the solenoid.

Anyway, that was long winded, sorry! Any advice on troubleshooting this thing?

 

Before you yank anything for fuel, just turn the key to ON II. You'll hear the fuel pump audibly pressurize for 1-2 seconds. If you don't hear that, you've got a diagnosis already. Besides that, I think the fuel system should have a schrader valve somewhere around the rail.

It sounds like you've done your due diligence and then some. I'm surprised you didn't catch a solution. Can't remark on battery health ratings vs. just plain voltage, but when you jump it you bypass all that with your truck's battery and should get power.

Man, it sounds like you've had a long day. My sincere condolences.

 

Update: removed the center console and can hear it priming (the fuel pump).

 

P2647
A rocker arm actuator control system stuck on (bank 1)

looks like that is a reasonable lead. I think the whole left key in ignition/dead battery thing was somewhat of a “red herring”

 

Here's a for your fault code
I havent heard of this being an issue for the fit. I'm with you on the ignition key being a red herring.. It shouldn't cause a no-start condition though from my very basic googling. The oil pressure switch on it, however, could cause a no-start from what I've gathered thus far.. I can look up the code in the service manual

 

that’s interesting. When I swapped the starter I lost a little oil at the filter, and the car is raised only in the front, although nothing more than a hill. Anyway this whole thing is worth learning more about. I’d think it would have to be really starved to cause a no-start and I’m surprised it’d even crank, but I’ll look into it.

I did pull the VVT to look at it and it seemed
to check out (jumped the solenoid, the little plunger can move, 5ish V at solenoid, 12 V at oil pressure switch)

I cleared the code, the pending one, and there was an EVAP code too, and it started up. There was a little starter fluid in the intake so it was rocky at first but it seemed to run OK. It did crank longer than I can ever remember before finally turning over. Anyway kids finally in bed, about to drive this thing around and see what’s what.

 

Well done!
I really struggle to imagine the cause of your fault, particularly now that you've managed to start the engine up. If the fault wasn't an electrical failure of the pressure sensor, I wonder if it got obstructed from preforming its operation by some means. The switch is normally closed, and as oil pressure builds it opens the circuit. Makes me think it was just stuck and you managed to work it loose.

Was the vtec contraption notably sludgey?
Whatever the case, I'm thrilled it's up and running. Now you can get some performance feedback!

Once again, awesome job!

 

Solved! — I think

thanks pyts, I started it up again and drove it around and here’s what im thinking.

way back at the beginning when the car wouldn’t start when my wife was about to take the kid to school, even tho it was jumped it wouldn’t start because the primary issue was the starter. AND even though 3 different stores tested the starter as OK i dont think it was. No more grinding on start ups.

so I replace the starter plug everything back in, and no start. But it’s cranking. I finally get a code reader and there is a pending VVT code, and the two permanent P2647 and P2649 codes. So the oil pressure Switch harness, the one going
to the bottom portion of the VVT was loose and I plugged it back up, but I guess I needed the code reader to clear pending. I will drive it for 30 or 50 miles and see if the other codes go away.

anyway my thoughts are that a no oil pressure signal will somehow disable fuel or spark.

car sounds fine. Seems like I need to remember to plug everything back in really well after working on my vehicles. Hope this can help someone in the future.

 

Also, when I pulled the VVT it looked surprisingly great. She runs full synthetic and has changed her oil religiously. It was the cleanest looking oil filtering screen I’ve ever seen.

 

That's outstanding, man!
You know, I've been getting the start up noise myself. It's specific to cold weather in my case.

I have an itching suspicion that it's fuel based and so I'm planning to attempt addressing it by replacing the fuel pump with a Delphi brand. My suspicion is more about the fuel regulator keeping pressure in the lines, but the regulator is on the pump, a tiny thing selling for a whopping $60. I can't bring myself to pay that much for a little valve, but I can begrudgingly fork over $220 for a new complete fuel pump assembly. I'm also unwilling to check pressure first thing in the morning on a cold day!

The reasoning behind my suspicion is that I just think the sound is more fluttering than grinding. Which could still be a starter I suppose, if the issue is spin speed of its pinion. I know fresh starters sound like they spin faster.
A significant number of people have experienced the fault. Some resolved it to be the starter, assuming poor contact between the pinion, or binding to the flexplate/flywheel. I don't recall a solid consensus.

I appreciate your follow-up, and I'm sure others will. If my pump idea fails I'll know what to do.

 

Just know that you might do more than that. It might take some driving cycles, and that you restart the car at least 3 times (with driving cycles between each restart). After a while, if pending codes are no more present, they will go away.