Jeremy Harris

Hey all,

I have a 98 EX.
No codes.


It died while driving one day and hasn't started since, I've never had any problems up to this point.

It will crank all day long. When I crank, all the belts turn as does the cam shaft. Timing belt has been visually inspected also.

I get a very faint light when I use a plug wire checker.

I have checked fuel.

I have diagnosed spark and replaced the plugs, wires, and distributor, I installed it correctly, not 180 out.

Triple checked spark plug firing order.

Checked the ground at the thermostat.

Checked the main relay and fuses 44, 13, 13.

Checked for injector pulse.

I noticed that the crank position sensor wires had been severed, so I replaced the crank positioning sensor, I was SURE that that was the problem.

It still will not start.

What else could it be?
What am I missing?

Thank you IN ADVANCE!

joey1320

Any obd faults?

B20VtecVillain

I would check all grounds and connections going to the distributor, also do you have a spare ecu that is known to work? Might want to give that a try as well. I've had a fried P28 cause that problem in the past.

Jeremy Harris

Checked the ground on Thermo housing, to the battery directly, and the one at the valve cover. What other grounds can I/should I check? No codes at all from a cheap scanner.

I wish I had a spare ECU, that would be my next guess too. Any way of testing this one?

Thank you

Seanm36

Should be a ground from body to trans.

Also check to make sure it didn't jump teeth on the belt, run compression test, post results.

Jeremy Harris

I will double check the transmission ground.

Compression test -
#1 @ 120
#2 @ 90
#3 @ 120
#4 @ 120

Thank you

B20VtecVillain

Those numbers seem awfully low. What engine is this again?

Seanm36

its probably low due to engine temp, assuming it's a Y8 unless otherwise noted.

still should run @ that compression.

Did you check the timing to see if eveything lines up @ tdc? and how strong is the spark?

may be weak coil or igniter

Jeremy Harris

Did this test and it failed the primary windings portion. Thought I was doing it wrong, so I tested the coil from the old distributor also. Same results.

Can someone duplicate the test to double check me, or could it be that my new distributor is just as bad as the old one?

Thank you

W95civicEXcoupe

What method did you use to do that compression test?

Seanm36

After many years as a technician i've come to learn that "new" means "new" not good. and "remanufactured" just means different.

I've seen many bad "new" parts and even more bad "reman" parts. Try swapping it.

Jeremy Harris

The only method I know is to take each spark plug out and screw in a compression gauge. Unplugging the distributor of course.

Is there another? Are the readings out of range?
Thank you

Jeremy Harris

I appreciate that. I did buy new, but online at a 'deep discount'. So I am not really trusting the reliability at this point.

Unfortunately, in order to swap it, i would need to buy another 'new' one to swap it with. I do understand that's the nature of the beast, but I would like to at least narrow my spread of shotgunned parts.

Nevertheless, it looks like that's what needs to happen.

Thank you

Seanm36

when running a compression test the engine must: be @ operating temperature, all plugs removed, WOT. and battery fully charged.

assuming it was cold the readings seem o.k.

if the coil was out of spec try replacing just that and go from there.

Inform me of the results.

W95civicEXcoupe

AFAIK:

- All spark plugs are out at once
- Spark disabled (distributor unplugged is fine)
- FUEL disabled (perhaps disabling fuel pump so no fuel gets in there, perhaps a fuse.. don't quote me on that).. or simply "WOT" or "Wide-Open Throttle" being foot all the way down on the gas, enables "clear flood" mode, and that also disabled fuel injecting into engine
- Assuming the above three.. cold engine.. screw gauge into cylinder to test, as you said.. Crank "5" times (You'll have to listen to it, as it sounds very different without the other things)
- That would be perhaps proper way.
Others WILL chime in if I'm wrong here.
This would be for a "dry" compression test. "Wet" simply means to put in a very small amount of motor oil, like a few drips from an oil squirter can, and re-do. That would be "wet."

Your numbers sound a touch low, but they sound like they are within 25% of each other and it was enough to make me ask how you did the test.
*edit: Posters have chimed in and said they sound good. I know mine were higher, but my engine did have some kind of a problem (cracked head it turned out.) Keeping this OT to your car here, OP.

fragmare

Regarding the Main Relay, you can't always just visually inspect it and be assured it's okay. Sometimes those "ring cracks" in the solder points are literally microscopic, but enough to cause intermittent no starts.

Pursue the ignition coil first, since it's testing bad. If that still doesn't work, re-solder all the main relay solder points and see if that gets you anywhere. Just touch a hot solder gun to the solder points until they melt, then let off it.

cafrog

My car needed a main relay and it did not have these symptoms. It wouldn't even turn over and fuel pump didn't prime (or turn on at all).

My bet is something inside the dizzy or something with the ECU. But I feel its not very probable that the dizzy is the issue....but I don't buy any dizzy/starter/most parts unless it is OEM.

cafrog

Do plugs smell like gas after you've turned it over a bunch? They shouldn't because you have spark. If that's the case....fuel seems the next focus.

Edit: did you use a diode (or some version of a tester) to check the pulse sent from ECU to injectors? The other injector wire is a constant.

Jeremy Harris

For the sanity of the next person that has this problem and scours the web like I did, successfully finds the last guy with the same problem as I have, but never sees the solution to said problem, here goes...

After confirming once again that the 2nd distributor didn't have any power coming from it, and suspecting that the problem may have been the ECU, based on trying two distributors as well as a coil pack individually, all with the same 'No Start' result...

I purchased an ECU and a higher quality distributor, installed both and it started right up.

Problem solved. Runs great. Thanks all.

Former User

Details? Do you mean no spark? Or a wire lacked voltage?

Glad to hear you're car is running again.

nopain20

Have u try using your old ecu
on the new distributor and pulse what brand of higher quality distributor did you get?

Just saying cause my car is doing the same ****.

Sadman shabab

I have the exact same problem....I have my works done in a workshop... recently got swapped into b16a pr3 mt....distributor is working...but no pulse on injectors...the mechanics suggesting me to repair the ecu....it would be better if I could know which chip/ ic is responsible for injector pulse....

they checked every ground, wires...found nothing. except main relay (from ecu) prb....bt sorted it out
I need a huge help to get this done