spoonjdmeg6

Hay everyone, (please read all before responding)

Well last wednesday my car died driving home from work, well to catch you up to speed i have a 1992 Eg6 jdm b16a with a ton of engine mods, type r trany's brand new, head is fully built. etc...

i have a yellow top optima battery that one day drained cause i left my lights on, well i charged it up and sence then it wont hold a charge, i can drive for 2 hours then let the car sit over night and the battery is almost dead. I took it to discount auto and they charged it on there "special charger". It held a charge alot better, i drove the car all around and was fine, the next day when i got up to go to work the batter volt was back at like 5-6.

When i was leaving work car started slow like it always does cause of the battery.i sat there warming it up for about 3-5 minutes, cause it was like 30 out and my car hates the cold. I drove for about 1/8 mile and the car just died, i tried to start but no avail, the hid's were flashing, and seems like i didn't have enoph power to try and start, i tried poping the clutch but it's hard to with the racing clutch, i pulled over and tried to start the car,and nothing

trouble shooting:
when i turn the key you hear the click, lights on the cluster light up and go out, you hear the fuel pump werl. turn the key and car starts turning over.the car turns over, the fuel pump is working and injectors are working fine you can clearly smell the gas in the engine bay, i hooked my battery up to a car charger and someone elses running car and car still just rotates but doesn't start (volt when trying to start is at about 12.-13 but drops hard when i try to start). Checked the plugs and no spark with a tester and the actual spark plug. took the distributor off and checked the coil, with the ohms, we kinda got a reading but not sure what it should have been set at with the volt meter. What my main deal is, is that i don't know if it's the altenator or the distributor. or someone even said maybee the main relay. Honestly I don't know if the altenator is bad would i not be able to produce enoph spark to start the car, or if the power from someone elses car is enoph to get spark. altenators and distributors aren't cheap i don't want to have to buy one and then the other, any other trouble shooting or things i can check would be great, thanks for the help...

the radio has been hooked up the same way for over 3 years and hasn't had an issue with it same with the alarm system. before i used to leave the alarm on, radio on and a scanner on for an hour with the car off come back and car would turn on like nothing.The full ingintion switch system was changed about 2 years ogo. can't push start the car cause of the excedy clutch. and the starter is fine, if it was the starter or silinoid it wouldn't turn over, besides i tested it not to long ago.The battery seems to be one of the main issues, and i just tested the distributor ignition coil

primary resistance-
it should be around 0.6-0.9Ohms and its at 0.6Ohms

secoundary resistance-
it should be around 12.8-19.2K-Ohms and it's at 10.1K-Ohms

i also was told by two mechanics:
Contrary to the common belief, alternator does not produce spark and it has nothing to do with starting a vehicle. Your battery is the only thing that provides the electricity to the ignition system to fire. Alternator comes into play when the engine is already running to maintain the current for the electrical system and to replenish the charge that the battery uses to start the vehicle.

If you had jumped the car from another running car, and it still failed to start, then the problem is not within the battery, but somewhere else.

You did say that you performed a spark test and it failed (no spark). You also tested the resistance. While the coil did pass the primary resistance, it FAILED the secondary resistance. That is why you did not get any spark. Your coil is bad.

Retest the coil just to make sure that you still get the same figure. Also while you are at the diagnostic, make sure that the timing belt has not jumped a tooth, your timing is correct, and that your CKP and CMP sensors are both working perfectly.

what does everyone think?...
altenator/distributor/main relay/battery?....thanks...

KillBot

Well, you can take the alternator to a parts store and they will test it for you.

That will knock out one for you.

b16_sol_707

I would definately have the alternator checked out. if the battery isn't staying charged it may be because it's not getting charged.

The problem you are describing does not sound like a main relay, since you are getting fuel.

My car had starting issues, and it was the timing belt jumped a tooth. Remove the valve cover and check the alignment marks on the cam gears to make sure they are both straight up when the crank mark is at TDC.

another thing you can try is borrow a distributor from a friend and try to start your car with it installed, if it starts then yours is bad.