Archidictus

Yes, I am indeed posing a question to the forum because in the days that this car has rested in my garage for body work, I have been neurotically tinkering with it, trying vainly to get the bitch to turn over.

Here's the rundown:

It's getting spark and the timing of said spark is correct. The mechanical timing is dead-on accurate. Air and fuel are getting into the combustion chambers. The starter is a champion among machines. The main relay is turning on and off as it is supposed to, the fuel pump is running and the gauge cluster shows that all is well. The ECU is fine and all the grounds are intact.

It will crank, it will spark, it will foul the plugs with fuel, but it won't run. WTF is going on? The installation was kind of Mickey Mouse, but I had no part of it so I can't really give you a blow-by-blow of the particulars. Needless to say, the Intake Manifold is from a 1993 GSR, the engine is out of a 2000 Si, the distributor and wiring harness are from an OBD-1 something and - here's the ******* kicker - at one point the engine was running <FONT COLOR="red">FINE</FONT>.

The kid says it just shut off when it was running and it hasn't started since.

Opinions? Options? Ideas? I'm not getting paid to fix this particular issue (I'm doing a lot of bodywork and painting), but it's bothering me so much that I simply must address it.

Thanks in advance, fellas.

Archidictus

Answer or feel my wrath.

sicky

needs a new motor?

just scared of e-thugg wrath.

jadugartir

same ******* swap im doing. Im droppiing a 00 SI motor into my eg, keepig obd1 ecu and soldered together the whole harness by making a hybrid EX/GSR harness and dizzy... wish me luck

but as for your car... If your getting air, spark, and fuel, and not releasing any energy, then you are defying the laws of physics.

Paprika

How did you manage to check the timing on a engine that won't run? I thought it needed to actually be .. spinning to check the timing.

if you are sure you're getting fuel, then you're not getting spark. and if you're sure you're getting spark you're not getting fuel. Or your timing is off.

Just like my other dude said, you're defying physics here.

NJcoupe

What harness was used on the motor? Check your grounds, and your compression.

Archidictus

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Paprika &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">How did you manage to check the timing on a engine that won't run? I thought it needed to actually be .. spinning to check the timing.</TD></TR></TABLE>

The car cranks. You can attach a timing light to the spark plug wire and check the timing while it's cranking the same as you can when it's running - you just get fewer blinks per second.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">if you are sure you're getting fuel, then you're not getting spark. and if you're sure you're getting spark you're not getting fuel. Or your timing is off.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Plugs are saturated with fuel, shooting WD40 into the TB while cranking does nothing, all plugs are firing (I've checked), and the timing is right where it should be. Believe me: I'm as puzzled as anyone.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Just like my other dude said, you're defying physics here.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I know. The kid said he started it every two days and it ran fine, then one day he started it, it ran for a minute, then it stopped. It hasn't started since, so it's not like he changed anything or disconnected a ground wire or got a batch of bad fuel. The timing didn't change - mechanically or electrically - the ECU works in other cars, all relays are go, etc.

This is blowing my mind. I might try switching distributors in the off chance that something thereabouts is causing the malfunction, but the spark is white/blue (healthy) and it's sparking like it should be. Physics says it should start. Why is physics wrong?

Oh, the tach hasn't registered a single blip since I've been cranking it. Like I said, I plan on swapping dizzies today, but I'm not sure if it'll do anything.

Luserkid

Have you checked the compression?

When you try to start the car is there any signs of actually starting then stop or does it just keep cranking with no signs of turning on? Is there a pop of any kind, like a miss fire?

Im thinking it needs a valve adjustment because the compression is messed up. Seeing as the kid had the car just die on him and then gave it to you and hasnt started since i would try that.

Archidictus

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Luserkid &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Have you checked the compression?

When you try to start the car is there any signs of actually starting then stop or does it just keep cranking with no signs of turning on? Is there a pop of any kind, like a miss fire?

Im thinking it needs a valve adjustment because the compression is messed up. Seeing as the kid had the car just die on him and then gave it to you and hasnt started since i would try that. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Just keeps cranking, no attempt to start whatsoever. I don't know how the valves could have come that unadjusted without the timing belt slipping, but I'll check it out. Thanks man .

postman

are you pos. its getting fuel. sometimes loss of oil pressure will not allow a vehicle to start, but that also depend on how the vehicle was wired

NJcoupe

are you shure the ecu isn't fried?

Archidictus

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by postman &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">are you pos. its getting fuel. sometimes loss of oil pressure will not allow a vehicle to start, but that also depend on how the vehicle was wired</TD></TR></TABLE>

Oil pressure is registering on the valve cover after a couple seconds of cranking and the plugs are covered with fresh gasoline when I pull them.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by RHDej2. &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">are you shure the ecu isn't fried?</TD></TR></TABLE>

It starts other cars without a problem, so yes.

Archidictus

Updates:

The distributor isn't the problem as it starts and works fine on other engines (namely a high compression B18C sitting next to the car I'm working on).

The compression is 165-160-125-175 from 1 to 4, so there's a problem there, but not enough of a problem for the car not to start.

I've got ECU, I've got dizzy, I've got (enough) compression, I've got air, I've got fuel, I've got spark.

<u><FONT COLOR="red"><FONT SIZE="24">Why the expletive won't this car start!?</FONT></FONT></u>

2lua

have you try to change new spark plugs.

Archidictus

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 2lua &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">have you try to change new spark plugs.</TD></TR></TABLE>

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Archidictus &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I've got spark.</TD></TR></TABLE>

martinscott

what year is the civic? harness used?
to me it sounds like a bad ecu ground. you said you checked ground, but was that chasis ground or the ecu grounds? also try and check your fuses. good luck

Luserkid

Those compression numbers are pretty bad (well number 3 anyway). But yea not enough to stop it from atleast trying to stay on.

I would just try changing everything one by one, start with the spark plugs. Because dont you say that when you pull the plugs there covered in fuel? Thats not right, that might mean that your not getting enough spark. (i had that problem before).

Thats all i could think of right now, good luck.

ben_eg6

check the BATT it's been sitting for a while .

Archidictus

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Eg6B18C1 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">check the BATT it's been sitting for a while . </TD></TR></TABLE>

Thanks for not reading jack **** of the thread

The battery cranks the starter all day long. It's not the battery

TheThiefTheKnife'NTheGun

Do you have another ECU you can throw in.. I would give that a try. The OBD1 wire harness and 2 arent that different.. Really just Some extra plugs with an obd2 and different alternator and dizzy plus and IAT sensor plug..

Archidictus

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by TheThiefTheKnife’NTheGun &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Do you have another ECU you can throw in.. I would give that a try. The OBD1 wire harness and 2 arent that different.. Really just Some extra plugs with an obd2 and different alternator and dizzy plus and IAT sensor plug.. </TD></TR></TABLE>

I've already tried another functional ECU and it did nothing

I'm becoming seriously annoyed with this motor. Thanks for the help, guys.

litterbox

I bet it's something really gay too. No help so I'll leave.

Archidictus

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by litterbox &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I bet it's something really gay too. No help so I'll leave.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Haha. Probably. Watch: I'll end up pulling the motor completely apart and then find out that there aren't any pistons in it. Some "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" **** made them disappear mid-operation and now it won't work, lol.

litterbox

LOL

B18C5-EH2

DOUBLE CHECK the ground connection at the thermostat housing.

Also I know you're saying you have spark, but it may be weak. You're telling me that an entirely different distributor with a different coil didn't help at all too?

This is weird...