simplistickusto

ok here goes. doing a swap of a b16a2 into a 98 honda civic dx. have extended all wires to connectors, performed iacv 2 wire conversion.used stock dx wiring verified proper voltage sweep across tps. install a obd1 jumper harness and running an obd1 controller. obd1 distributor installed in motor. removed this car from a running 92 hatch and swapped everything into the 98. enigine will crank over, fire a couple times and die. if i hold on key it may fire a couple more times while starter is cranking. only code in system is for vtec cause i havent wired it yet. repalced timing belt before installing engine and tripled checked timing. all good. have good compression in engine. checked injector pulse and getting pulse from pcm on all injectors. double checked everything and can not figure out why i cant get this thing running in this car. engine came out of running hatch using this controller. any ideas would be greatly appreciated

Rok_Stok

So the spark plug wires are all on the right terminal on the distributor?

Former User

Have you checked for spark at all four plugs? If you have spark, what color is it?

Do you hear the fuel pump prime for 2 seconds with the key in ON(II)?

Is fuel getting into the cylinders?

Former User

OP: Here's more info related to this idea. The cylinders are ordered 4-3-2-1 going from the distributor to the timing belt.

simplistickusto

yes plug wires are in the correct location. fuel is getting to the rail and before the engine was fouling out plugs. tps was wired backwards. so voltage was too high at idle. spark on plugs is blue. has strong spark. ignition timing was not changed since i removed the engine from teh other car. my brother did say he could hear a relay clicking under the guage cluster when trying to start. thiks it might be the fuel shutoff. also last night the speedometer was fluctuating when trying to start normal?

simplistickusto

not sure if fuel is making it to cylinders i will have to double check that tonight.

Former User

Spark should be very bright white with only a faint bluish tinge. You might want to replace the coil.

simplistickusto

i have replaced the igniter module on the distributor cause it was setting a code for it.

Former User

The igniter unit and coil are different distributor components.

simplistickusto

ok have a little more information. now will not fire. can hear a relay on passenger side under the dash clicking when trying to start. distributo is cranked all the way to advanced position. could this be right? or could someone have tried to over compensate for bad mechanical timing by advancing all the way? im gonna search for setting the ignition timing and try that tonight. could it be the main relay? now does not seem to be getting fuel to cylinders. not firing and no fuel on plugs?!?

Former User

Are you saying that now there's no spark and the fuel pump does not prime? If so, check the ground wire on the thermostat housing. It may be loose or disconnected.

simplistickusto

im relay information from my brother. he is saying it is getting saprk but he doesnt think it is getting fuel . i will check the graound on the thermostat housing cause the block was painted and may have not gotten ground off for that ground. could that cause the main relay to be clicking on the passenger kick panel?

Former User

If you have spark, then the thermostat ground is fine. Is spark deep blue or bright white in color? Does the fuel pump prime? Is there battery voltage at the fuel injector connectors? Is the CEL on?

98ekgsr617

Pull off the valve cover and the top timing cover to expose the cam gears...
turn the crankshaft over twice by hand (car off) and see if the tdc marks line up together you could be off on your cam timing which will give u spark at the wrong stroke. at the same time look at ur crank pulley the forth line on it should line up with tha timing mark on the timing cover to assure it is in tdc if all looks good proceed to ur fuel/relay problem...

go under dash while someone is trying to start it and physically see what relay is engaging and find out what it is for because there are many under the dash.

simplistickusto

will recheck spark color tonight. belive it is ok. not sure on the fuel pump will check tonight also. gonna hook up fuel pressure guage also. check engine light is on for vtec solenoid. no other codes. what has me concerned is that i was able to hear the main relay click on and off when it would try and fire. now the relay no longer clicks and engine does not fire.

simplistickusto

mechanical timing is all ok. have triple checkd it with 2 different people.

Former User

Turn the key to ON(II) and listen for the low humming noise of the fuel pump priming for 2 seconds in rear (gas tank). If you don't hear it, check whether fuse 44, 31, or 13 is blown. If those fuses are fine, test the main relay.

Jump the service connector to check for CEL codes. A new one may have been thrown since you last checked.

98ekgsr617

then your problem could be coming from the pgm-fi main relay which controls your fuel injection, i have herd many problems similar to yours when the relay clicks and then engine dies check where yours is located and see if this is the one clickin if so get it replaced, new they are usually rather expensive so i would recomend going to a local junkyard and getting one from there it will work just fine if problem still continues then bad grounds are your only hope..... good luck...

Former User

If the main relay turns out to be bad, you can also fix it yourself by resoldering it. Click here.

simplistickusto

ok more information after testing tonight. checkd spark. it has nice white spark. no fouling on plugs. verified timing again. i think belt was loose before. now set correctly. engine will start and die again now. tested fuel pressure at filter inlet adn am getting about 50 psi. seems to start up adn run better if i spay some carb cleaner in throttle body. i am able to get engine to run occasionally at a constant 1200 or so rpm. does not let me change throttle or it will die out. it will run that rpm without opening throttle. no more clicking from under dash from relay. fuel pump is priming. ehnr engine runs if feels like it is misfiring. thanks for the help.

simplistickusto

any more help guys?? this thing is bafflin gme. gonna pull the main relay and test adn inspect tonight. gettign power to injectors and pulse when cranking. so it might not be a problem but im running out of ideas and things to check.

civic_guy82

didnt you say you cut some of the wiring to make them longer maybe u have one that isnt geting a good contection

Former User

Not sure how you measured fuel pressure, but it seems way too high. Was the engine idling and was the FPR vacuum hose connected?

It really sounds to me like your mechanical timing is off. Post pictures of the cam and crank at TDC1.

Apparently, in some cases, aftermarket distributors can be installed 180-degrees out of phase, so you might also look into this possibility.

simplistickusto

that fuel pressure was at the fuel filter inlet. no regulator. could not figure out how to check it any other way. engine ran with distributor installed this way. checked mechanical timing and had mark on timing belt pully lined up with arrow on oil pump. cams lock in with the pins on the covers. no sure how i could get it wrong. double checked timing with crank pulley installed and had the mark on the pulley that is not in the group lined up with the mark on the lower timing cover. engene cranks over good. when i get to the car this evening i will take some pics of timing and post them. does this all sound correct?

simplistickusto

another update. when cranking the motor over and hodling the throttle blade open i can hear the engine rumbling back through the intake. pretty sure it is in the timeing but do not understand why if all the timing marks line up that the timing could be off. any ideas?