RunninEg6

hi, im new to this forum but ill get straight to the point. i have a 93 eg SOHC non vtec.

about 2 weeks ago i came off the highway and all of a sudden i start to lose power. my engine didnt just shut off like if the fuel cut off because of a bad main relay, no this was different. i actually started to lose power, couldn't accelerate and my motor was revving down, i could actually downshift normal but that was it. and just when i was about to come to a stop, my panel lights come on as car just died. i can turn the key all i want but the starter keeps cranking, motor doesnt turn over.

i checked for simple things like fuel and spark. checked fuses and they're all good. replaced distributor since i had no spark, but now i do. replaced the spark plugs. cracked open a fuel line so i know i was gettin fuel. key in on pos, i hear the pump prime and main relay click and engine check light go out. just like it normally should. that tells me to rule out the main relay, pump, fuses, and ecu. i even double checked w/ a multimeter and got what i was supposed to. i even disconnected the map sensor and tested to get about 5v which tells me its not the ecu. did the ecu 2 jumper pin test w/ no code showing. as far as i can tell, pretty much everything is working as it should. i even took off the valve cover to see if nothing was mashed or broken and checked the cam gear and belt. i am so stumped right now. i do have fuel and spark but just not gettin any compression. i hope this is just one of those pain in the *** honda problems that i missed to check out because if it turns out to be internal or in the block, that would be the worst. if anyone out there has any experience with this kind of problem, or advice, please don't hesitate to respond. i need help!

hmtcrxsir

so you check the compression? what you use to check compression?

RunninEg6

ground is good. checked all wires. nothing has changed since i do mild maintenance periodically

RunninEg6

i didn't check the compression yet. i'll probly need to a compression tester and do it? do you think if the cmp in one of the cylinders is off by just a little that could actually cause my dilemma?

hmtcrxsir

it could be a possibility of things. just do an elimination of each possible cause. check timing as well. I had a problem like that before. I checked for spark, fuel. It was good. Ground was good. Compression was good. Fuse was good. I was literally stuck. I didnt know what else to look for. Then i forgot i didnt check timing and it was off by one teeth and causes the engine to sputter and die and not start.

RunninEg6

well i did alot of thinking about how it died down. i know its not a simple one i can troubleshoot. im gettin spark and fuel. i just all of a sudden lost combustion. i also found metal shavings below the cam gear when i took off the valve cover. i have this gut feeling that this is a nightmare come true. my gut feeling is usually right. could be.......internal..... i'm going to hate looking thru the head and diggin thru the block to find something broken or snapped... man that'll suck. but i still gotta keep it simple. and you're right, i need to check the timing and compression first.

you know i was gonna be a motor swap this summer but hey, looks like i could get it sooner than i thought lol

austinkli

check you cat. see if it's all clogged, that would make you suddenly lose power then die. and you'd still be able to downshift. Happened to me one night, felt like my car just LOST POWER. then shut off. couldn't get it to start again either. took the cat off, blew it out, drove home with no cat, put it back on the next day, ran just fine. couldn't figure out why til i realized that driving home without the cat had cleaned out half the gunk in there.

RunninEg6

don't have a cat. been runnin a straight pipe for 3 years, no probs. i know thats not a prob but thanks for the input

koa

check your dizzy rotor button if there is a lil indention in the top then buy a new button. it spins on a lil pin for god knows why but my friend had the exact same problem. tht fixed it up

RunninEg6

this is my 3rd distributor. rotor is good. the rotor spins against that metal piece to keep contact w/ the cap as the coil sends voltage thru it thus allowing its firing order as it spins around (1-2-4-3). besides i know i get spark to the plugs. thats good. thanks for the input.

austinkli

this is a tough one. Crazy question, is your intake clean? I'm pretty sure it would have to be really really clogged to affect that, but that's like the only other thing i can think of. Seems like you covered all the basics that would cause that. Could it possibly be due to a bad O2 sensor?

Datphan

so you replaced the dizzy? did you make sure that you set it to tdc on the compression stroke of the number 1 cylinder and set the rotor back to number 1?

seems like ur timing is off.. try that first.

RunninEg6

naw it wont be the intake and even if the o2 sensor was shot it would still run, only it'll run crappy. like datphan was saying, he makes a great point. thats probly closer to the solution. i still have yet to check the timing. my car sits 60 miles from where i stay and i work busy everyday. but until i do get to check it out, please keep the advice coming. maybe by then i'll have a few possible angles to look at. i really appreciate everyone's input

Datphan

well you need four things to start any car. air, fuel, compression, timing. looks like you have air/fuel n compression. so if i were you, i'll check timing.

Soul of Osiris

hey don't forget to check the alternator. cause if the alternator goes out then it could run the battery down and the car will lose power and not start, it might turn but might not have enough power left in the alter to crank the motor. it hasn't happened to me in a honda, but i had the same problem with my old truck. i had spark, everything. but the alternator was bad, and the battery only had enough power to turn the motor not crank it. you should try to check that out... but i'm like you, i'm not feeling that shave it looks like it's doing

hmtcrxsir

make sure you still have a timing belt. lol. it miight snap

RunninEg6

i have a volt gauge reading everytime my car's running so i know my alternator's always charging the battery (13.8-14.2v). i also looked at the timing belt. it's on there tight and the teeth havent slipped off. but i'll be checking the timing to see if i am getting compression

RunninEg6

well i figured it out. it was the simplest thing too. i felt really stupid when i noticed it. i remembered the firing order but when i hooked up the plug wires i was looking at the cylinders backwards. yea... there u have it.