HondaMizzan

Ok, so I was getting CEL code 9 every so often from time to time.

Over the last 6-8 weeks, I was getting a misfire at startup for a little bit, maybe first 20-30 seconds on a single cylinder, it seemed. Well, about 2-3 weeks ago, the miss was getting worse, maybe missing on 2 cylinders.

So, on Tuesday morning, car would not start on my way into work. No big deal, jumped in our backup car and went.

Came back in the afternoon, still would not catch on. Checked my codes, the 9 popped back up, and also 71-74 (Cylinder misfires).

So, I went through my diagnostic book (I have the factory book on my laptop) and it says this...

I get to step #7, and I try to check the resistance across pin 3+4 and I get like 100 ohms. So, I figure that the CYP sensor is shot. I went down to the parts store to get a new distributor today, and I brought my multi-meter on a hunch, and checked the resistance on 3+4 on the new one before I bought it, and I was getting .903 consistently.

So, my question is, how can I tell what's going on?

I'm almost positive I need a distributor, but I don't want to shell out $250 for a part I may not need.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

HondaMizzan

Ok,

So, I grabbed my neighbor, and I did a spark check. Unplugged #1 cylinder, placed end of wire near the exhaust manifold, and I'm getting spark.

Would I still get spark if the CYP sensor were bad, indicating a need for a new Distributor?

On my multi-meter I'm getting a reading of 96.7kΩ on pins 3+4 of the distributor. In my understanding, that means 96700Ω... Sounds a bit high. When I was checking the one at the parts store it was .903kΩ which would be 903Ω, correct?

So, would the CYP sensor being bad cause my car not to start at all?

Further... I cleared the codes on the ECM, and I'm not getting the 9 after cranking the motor for a while, and I'm not getting the misfires either. After cranking the motor for a while I am smelling gasoline, so I know it's getting gas, and after some diagnostics yesterday I pulled the plugs to make sure they weren't fouled (even though I just changed them 2-3 weeks ago) and they were wet with gasoline.

I'm so lost, and would really appreciate some help. Thanks.

HondaMizzan

Sorry, one more quick thing.

I have the exact same issue that this guy was having...

Intermittent Rough Idle on Initial (Cold) Start/CEL P1381 - Honda Civic Forum

Unfortunately there seems to be no resolution to his issue.

tim73

Did you install the new dizzy? If it doesnt help, just return it. Thats the easiest way, I would say. Also, how old are you plugs and plug wires?

HondaMizzan

I didn't purchase the new dizzy. The multi-meter that I have isn't like the ones I've previously had, and so the .903kΩ reading threw me off, and I thought perhaps it wasn't correct.

I replaced my plugs, wires, distributor cap and rotor button about 3 weeks ago, I thought a tune-up was in order to solve the rough initial idle. It did actually make it better for a couple of days, but then it started doing the same thing again.

I am thinking about buying the distributor and changing it out, but I'm worried that if I install it and then try to return it, they won't accept it. It would be hard to hide that I put it on, and sometimes Advance Auto is sketchy about whether they'll take things like that back.

HondaMizzan

Ok,

I bought a new dizzy, put it in, and......... NOTHING.

So, obviously not distributor. I put old one back on, checked spark on #1 cyl and I'm getting spark there. I checked voltage to fuel pump, and was only getting slightly more than 9v with car cranking. I'm not sure if that's from my battery running a little low though. I can kinda, sorta hear the pump click on when I turn the key on, it's almost like a very soft sound for the first couple of seconds after key going on. So, I'm assuming that it's initializing. I can smell gas under the hood after it's been cranking for a while. So, what am I missing?

I pulled open the Main Relay to check for broken/fried solder joints, but everything looked copacetic.

Anyone have anything?

HondaMizzan

I just grabbed some starter fluid, yes I know, it's bad. However, I needed to eliminate something here. I sprayed it in, not getting anything.

The only thing I can come up with is this aftermarket alarm that the previous owner put in is somehow interfering?

Does that make sense? I don't have the key fob for it, and I have the main box unplugged. Should I start by trying to tear that out? I didn't want to initially because the guy didn't do a great job putting it in, and I didn't want to risk damaging something in tearing it out since the car was running fine even with it in.

HondaMizzan

Ok, because I hate when people never give a conclusion to their ordeal, I'm going to post the remedy to the situation I had going on.

So, here's what happened...

I brought my car to a garage, after sitting there nearly all week, I went in this past Thursday and asked what was up. The guy didn't want to touch it because it had some electrical issues.

I convinced him, apart from the way the wiring harness looked, everything was running until it quit.

He hooked it up to the diagnostic computer on Friday, and looked at all the stored codes. He came back with a problem on the Main System Relay (gray box with brown plug on the left side of the steering column.)

So, I went down to Advance Auto and bought one. Their computer said it was an OE replacement part, whether or not, IDK. So, I took it over to the garage this morning and plugged it in. So, I said a short prayer, turned the key... and still no spark.

Well, I had been feeling all morning like I should go to the junkyard and grab some parts. I had been praying last night, and just felt like that might be where God was leading me to go. I got there, found a new plug for the temp sensor (previous one was all goobered up by previous owner) on one car, but no distributor or vtec.

I kept walking around, found a vtec solenoid on the next one. Previous owner must have changed out the vtec solenoid on the motor for one that didn't have the oil pressure sensor built in, so, since I was getting that CEL 22 for the vtec, I unbolted it. Please note, for removal/installation of vtec solenoid, it is easiest to remove the distributor and the air intake hose There are 3 - 10mm bolts which hold it on, 2 are visible from the passenger's side, 1 in the top, 1 in the bottom. They take a wrench and a lot of time, there's no way to get a ratcheting wrench on them, and there's very little room to work, so you have to move the wrench about 1/8th of a turn at a time. The 3rd bolt is on the other side of the solenoid, directly under the fuel rail wiring. The easiest way to get at this one is to disconnect the wiring harness from its two mounting posts and move it up and back toward the intake plenum. Stick your wrench down in there and start turning it 1/8th of a turn at a time.

Once you get that off, and before you put the new one on (if it's used) check the little screen in there, make sure it's not full of junk. If it is, use the corner of a rag to clean out the majority, and then blow off the screen with some compressed air. Installation is reverse of removal.

I didn't find a distributor on this vehicle, in fact, I despaired of finding one, as this pull yard is well stocked with parts hawks as I call them. People who just go out and pull hard to find parts to sell on e-bay, making the parts even harder to find for weekend warriors like myself.

I guess the Lord was really looking out for me today, because after a bit more walking, I ran across another Accord, and lo and behold, there was the treasure of all treasures for Honda motors! A DISTRIBUTOR!

I quickly yanked it off... 2 - 12mm bolts on the bottom left and right corners of the distributor. Please Note: Oil will come out of the cam shaft orifice where the distributor bolts up, have a towel ready, or your motor is gonna get oily. I took it and bolted it up to my Honda after putting the vtec and temp sensor wiring harness in.

I got in, started kicking it over, it started sounding like it wanted to come to life for the first time in weeks. I kept cranking... and cranking... and cranking... and IT'S ALIVE!

I started panicking in a couple minutes as white smoke started pouring out, but then I realized that I had taken the IAC sensor/solenoid off earlier in a diagnostic procedure to make sure it wasn't sticking. Well, apparently, having never done it before, I was not aware that you're supposed to take the coolant lines off PRIOR to unbolting the IAC from the back of the plenum. So my intake had some coolant laying in it, after a few minutes of white smoke, it cleared up, and car is running like a champ.

If anyone has any other questions regarding this, please feel free to contact me through the board with a PM, and I'll do my best to walk you through EVERYTHING that I did to diagnose the problem.

There's a lot that I didn't cover that I did to diagnose the issue. It is my belief that the actual problem was the distributor all along, and that the one that I bought from Advance Auto was an aftermarket and not OE, and would not work with my car, because non-Honda ignition parts are junk. DO NOT BUY THEM IF YOU CAN AVOID IT, and just because you put on a non-Honda replacement ignition part and your Honda does not start, does not mean the part you put on is good.

I am fully convinced that the aftermarket distributor was faulty.