KeithsDAteg

Alright guys...

Just bought this car recently, and honestly, Its had a starting issue ever since I got it. It would usually start up after a few tries, then for a few weeks started hitting everytime. (Made me suspect, old gas)

Well the other day I drove home, came back out about an hour later to go back out... Crank, crank, crank, crank. I though, no big deal, it does this all the time. I'll try a few more times. Never could get it to hit. So, I hopped in my beater work truck and took off.

Its been about a week of testing this, checking that.

Here the point i'm at now.

-Pulled a plug, No spark.
-Coil has already been replaced a few weeks ago, thinking this was the hard start issue.
-Have 12v at Coil + lead with ignition in ON position.
-Ran a test i found else where. With the coil leads disconnected, using a test light, clip the - wire, probe the +, No flash.
- Main injector clip probed, Cranked, light flashes. (Doesn't this mean the dizzy isn't dead?)
-On to the ignitor, I tested the leads as described in the Haynes Manual.
blu/wht wire & Body ground -yeilds 12v
blk/ylw wire & Body ground -yeilds 12v
Blu wire and body ground -no shorts
Manual says White wire, My Dizzy has Yellow wire as the last lead. Anyone aware of this?
At any rate Yellow wire & Body ground -no shorts

Im not really sure how to check for Continuity at the ECU all the way from the engine bay. ANY TIPS?

Does this lead to my ignitor? I replaced the one that was in it with a spare distributor I had. Maybe this ignitor is bad too. The one that is currently in it is a NEC.


I really need my 38mpg back soon. Where do I go from here? Have I over looked something?

Thanks in Advance Honda-Tech!!

KeithsDAteg

bump

1990edsedan

Ignitor.

KeithsDAteg

Have you had any luck with Autozone testing them?

You think its a good chance I have 2 bad ignitors?

KeithsDAteg

Here are the 2 Ignitors I had tested @ Autozone today.

They used this tester, In the link below. (GennIII)
http://econtent.autozone.com:24999/z...29/testers.pdf

According to the tester both Ignitors passed all test, except for the Threshold test. I guess I'm probably being to skeptical, but both units fail the exact same way.

Ok, I get that, but what is caused these to fail. According to Wells manufacturing, the manufacturer of the ICM tester, low secondary resistance can cause ignitor failure. ie. Bad plug wires, cap, button, etc.. Or too much AC voltage coming from the charging system.

I guess I'll replace the Ignitor, and report back.

I feel like I'm talking to myself here, but I just hate leaving dead threads. Maybe someone will find this helpful one day.

KeithsDAteg

http://www.youtube.com/wellstech#p/u/12/kxogo2iXxeE

Thought i'd post this too, for troubleshooting purposes.

KeithsDAteg

Replaced the igniter, Still no start.

-12v to Coil +
-12v to Coil -
-No switched ground signal to Coil (-) Negative terminal while cranking..

Explain that please

turbohatchBnuts

Im not really sure how to check for Continuity at the ECU all the way from the engine bay. ANY TIPS?

use a multimeter, check the pins on the ecu that go to the distributor. google the pin out for your ecu. then check the distributor wiring with multimeter should have same readings as the ecu did. If you dont you know which wire is bad. Also check and see if your ecu is giving you any cel codes when you turn the car to the on position. it will give you a cel code if it doesnt have continuity.

1990edsedan

There is a crank sensor that is built into the dizzy behind the coil. I am wondering if that is the issue, It senses crank movement and tells the ignitor to fire. This would cause a no start issue. If you can grab another dizzy from a wrecker or borrow one off a bud and swap it in and see if it starts. If so, then the dizzy is bad.

KeithsDAteg

I actually have a spare in UNKNOWN condition, going to swap all my new parts over and give it a whirl. I read some where that if the injectors pulse then the dizzy is talking to the ecu..

I'm about over it though, I can tell you that. Got freshly polished meshies and GC Coilovers waiting on this thing to run. FML.

KeithsDAteg

Ok, just swapped dizzys with my spare except I threw the brand new coil and ignitor on too. Got the same results. No switched negative at the coil. With my test light hooked to the - side of my battery and probing the - side of my coil. When I crank the light only goes of, it doesn't flash.

I'm I doing this completely wrong? Seems pretty simple to me.

-Keith

KeithsDAteg

BUMP

dephtone

This is a shot in the dark but have you check #14 fuse under the dash (Alternator Solenoid Valve) to make sure it wasn't blown?

Sweetfish89

Check the ignition switch by the steering wheel. That was the cause of my no start earlier this year.

JDpower

Usually if your ignition switch goes bad when you turn the key to the on position you may not have your dash lights and sometimes it will start then when you release the key it will die (or may not start at all)

KeithsDAteg

Check the ignition switch, by the book, or...?

I do know this car already has had the ignition switch replaced once. It has 2 different keys, 1 for entry, 1 for the ignition.

#14 Fuse, Will do.

At this point I don't care if somebody says, Dude, You're out of gas. Whatever it takes you know..

Thanks everybody.

1990edsedan

At this point I would look at the ecu or the wiring to the dizzy as being the issue. If the dizzy itself has been ruled out, then the only two things left are ecu and wiring between the the dizzy and the ecu itself. This is a pita,but you should check for continuity between the two..

KeithsDAteg

Well guys, I have some good news... (For me) Bad new (For you all)...

The car runs.

Here's what I did today.

-Checked #14 Fuse Like -Dephtone- said, It was good
-Tested the ignition switch according to my Haynes Manual - Tested fine.
-Tried starting with Blue (Tach Signal) Wire disconnected. - No start
-Got PISSED again..
-Decided I needed to find a way to test the Blue wire and White wire for continuity.
-Found 2 Test Leads, Clamped them together, then to the Blue wire at distributor and other end to my DMM. Removed the cluster and and probed the Blue tach wire. We have continuity there.
-Clamped my 2 test leads to the white wire at distributor then to my DMM, Probed A15 & A17 at the ECU. (Both were White) and according to this Link -> http://psytronix.org/engine/pinout.html both come from the dizzy. We had continuity.

-Thought, What the hell.. Only thing left is the ECU.
-Performed the Honda "K" Test, described here -> -There is absoutly nothing else to test here.
-Just for ***** and giggles, I checked for spark 1 more time at the plug. I pulled the #1 plug and wire, grounded, ENGINE STARTED!!

Are you kidding me? So basically I "fixed it", but don't have any clue how or where.

On one had i'm glad its running, on the other had, I'm upset because I know it will happen again.

Just wanted to follow up with everybody.

1990edsedan

It could be ground related, so check your grounds and make sure they are good. Especially the one running from the thermostat housing. Heck, at least it runs...