grndslm

Here are the facts of my mom's car, which has just under 70k miles....

(1) I switched my mom's car to Shell Rotella 15w-40 oil a couple, few months back because she's leaking some kinda bad.
(2) A couple weeks ago, I changed the spark plugs to some Bosch Platinum+4's
(3) Shortly after that, I put half a can of Seafoam in the vacuum line (brake booster) to the intake. Cut it off. Turned it on 10 minutes later and let it smoke, like usual.
(4) Car ran fine for a few days afterward. I drove the car at some point, and the car cut off. It appears to be an ignition problem, as wiggling the keys will usually allow me to crank the car back up.
(5) I thought the water pump was squealing, so I told my mom to stop driving it for a few days. It was actually just the power steering, so I decided to try cranking it back up. It rolls over, but it doesn't start!!!
(6) The plugs look to be getting wet to me. After shining a light in the cylinders with plugs out... it looked like the 2nd cylinder was a little dry, so I poured a bit of gas down it. The other 3 looked to be wet.
(7) I replaced the fuel filter, pump, & strainer, of course. Fuel is clearly getting to the rail, and with slightly more pressure than before swapping it out.
(8) I have checked the plug wires, and they seem to be getting spark just fine.
(9) I have checked the rotor and it is spinning just fine.
(10) I have rented a compression gauge, and I was getting 153 psi or so in each piston, when the battery is being jumped off.
(11) I have unplugged the first O2 sensor, just in case it was black with carbon, and signaling that it is too rich.
(12) I have tried starting the car with and without the airbox on, in case the engine is flooded from trying to crank it so many times. I even took the spark plugs out for a couple hours to dry the cylinders out. This is when I added the extra bit of gas to the 2nd cylinder.


The only things left are....

(1) ECU? Diagnostic test?
(2) Fuse? Relay?
(3) Fuel injectors?
(4) Ignition?
(5) Timing?

PLEASE HELP ME. I DON'T WANT TO TAKE THIS CAR TO FIRESTONE!!!

I hope this is a common problem.

HondaPartsHero

First off get rid of those bosche plugs and put the regular NGKs in. You need to check your ignition system out.
http://www.team-integra.net/forum/bl...eshooting.html

Also is the check engine light staying on?

grndslm

Thank you.

I'm going to go fully charge the battery and see if I can still exchange the plugs. Then I'll check the fuses.

I guess the ignition switch could be the problem, but it's getting enough juice to roll over.... so I'd figure that really couldn't be the problem. I guess that should be replaced anyway, shouldn't it???

Thank you for all the very sound advice. I feel like tearing this car apart now.

And FYI, the check engine light is not staying on. Will most scanners even help me out if a car is on but not starting... and with no check engine light on??

Question: Are the Bosch plugs really that bad???

HondaPartsHero

It may show pending codes or stored codes that aren't active

beecee18

I cant understand this seafoam fad?

grndslm

Seafoam seems to have worked on a dozen cars before mine, curing ticks and hiccups like no other. You get lots of smoke the first time you use it, and less smoke after that.... so.... it must be working, I would reason.

(1) I charged the battery, and it is definitely still good.
(2) I checked any relavent fuses I could find, and they all looked solid.
(3) I changed the Bosch spark plugs for the regular NGK Platinums.

There is STILL no fire.

I do not believe the ignition switch could cause the car not to FIRE if it's definitely rolling over just fine, so I think I'll take that off the list.

That means I am down to:

(1) ECU? Diagnostic test?
(2) Relay?
(3) Fuel injectors?
(4) Timing?

I guess when I get home, I'll tow it up to Oreillys and let them scan it.

This is ridiculous.

redm3turbo

what was the point of changing the fuel pump? did you do it on a whim or is there more to this story?

basically what your saying is...you seafoamed the motor, then it cut out and wouldn't start unless you jiggle the keys?

Id start looking into ignition system things, and stop changing random parts.
first things first get rid of those plugs, honda engineers designed the motor to run on ngk regular plugs...stick with those. try that first, then go from there.

grndslm

I'm wondering if the 15w-40 oil has caused an increase in oil pressure, and the oil pressure switch to fault somehow.

Still seems to be rolling over plenty fast enough to get fire, but no fire.

This is ridiculous.

redm3turbo

is it a 5spd? will it pop start?

beecee18

The ignition switch normally still lets the engine turn over fine, It simply doesnt apply the ground back to the fuel pump when returning back to position II

grndslm

The plug wires seem to be getting plenty of spark, so what else would it have been??

I got all the fuel stuff for $115 shipped, so it was no big deal. This car has never had a tune up other than oil changes and new spark plugs every 3 years or so.

I am not linking anything to have been a cause for any effect.

I am merely stating facts.

The car cut out on 2 or 3 occasions, and I am thinking it is the ingition starter switch, but that still doesn't explain why the car doesn't start when the starter *is* rolling over 99.9% of the time.

Already switched the plugs.

grndslm

Nope. I wish it were a 5 spd.

grndslm

Are you referring to the electrical or mechanical part of the switch??

And are you suggesting I change it?

beecee18

I suggest you change nothing, most of us here DO NOT condone throwing parts at the car. It would throw them back at you if it could trust me.

instead eliminate/diagnose/possibly repair using this guide
just scroll toward the ignition switch section on how to test, temporarly jump ect.
Hell if your car is not starting, alot of it is covered here in this writeup.

http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/startproblems.html

redm3turbo

you ever change the t belt in it? sure it didnt snap?

or take a look at the ignitor in the dizzy...is it white/cracked looking?

beecee18

OP's stating that jiggling the key would cause changes in startup characteristics. Yes it is the electrical portion that goes out, and yes the engine will still turn over just fine with the bad switch.....

This is IG switch food!
Jump it following the supplied writeup and get back at us.

HondaPartsHero

If his rotor spins it isn't the timing belt. Test the ignition parts in the link I listed above.

redm3turbo

crap, your right. good call.

civicexkid1

iTrader: (1)

For a car tht only has 70k miles 153psi comp is really bad as said above change ghe spark plugs and is there oil in the spark plug holes where the wires go if so its your valve cover gasket and where are you leaking oil from i thnk 15w40 is messing up engine during start up and thats y your getting low comp readings because its scoring the walls possibly

94EG8

Yes, they are, seriously.

Also, don't run 15W40 Diesel oil unless you like spun bearings and stuck oil rings. It wont lubricate properly. If it's leaking oil, fix the oil leak.

As for why it wont start, if it's not firing find out why. Is there power to the coil? If so test the coil, if not find out why where's no power to the coil.

fleabag

main relay is bad perhaps?

94EG8

The electrical part of the ignition switch may be bad, it's not that uncommon for them to go bad that way.

beecee18

lol,

scroll up as this has already been brought up to OP's attention, Im sure hes busy ruling that out at the moment

redm3turbo

OP said it cut out on him, so that wouldn't be the main relay. A non start perhaps, however main relays don't make the car stop running when driving usually.

Former User

Please answer these two questions:

1) When the key is turned from off to ON(II), does the CEL turn on and then off after 2 seconds? Do you also hear the fuel pump prime for 2 seconds?

2) Is spark bright white at all 4 spark plugs?