Alright so I left for a TDY to alaska for 6 months and I come back to start my car, Which was already known for a starting issue, anyways when I tried to start the car it cranks but wont fully start up. I swapped my spark plugs and I have no spark on the old plugs or the new ones I check all the leads from the distributor from the battery side they all tested good I tested the leads on the ignition coil and the igniter and those both shot good. Also I checked to make sure my plugs are getting fuel when I cranks and they were wet with fuel.

 

Did you try starter fluid. Same thing happened to my buddies car when it was sitting on base for a month. Wouldn't crank, sprayed starter fluid and cranked right up.

 

Tried starter fluid too got nothing

 

just gotta start trouble shooting the ignition system start with fuses and relays and go from there.

 

main relay and distributor are the two most common places this would happen. do you have backups you can try swapping to see if it cures the problem?

 

I dont I have a distributor on its way but who knows how long thatll take to get here in japan the ignition coil shows power but wont sparks so i'm thinking that may be the problem

 

Take the cap off the dist check out insides

 

Check for power to the distributor assemble, [black/yellow] with ign. switch in both the run and start positions, if good, check for power at IGP1 and IGP2 at ECU/ECM, again with ign. switch in the run and start positions. 94

 

also the most common thing to go in a distributor. i killed multiple coils. one died from a lose plug wire. one from the rotor coming off while driving and one just randomly died. coils are no where near as reliable as the old school oil filled canister coils when it comes to being able to take damage.

you can ohm test the coils but it's not always accurate. i found it's a better test to just try a known good one. one of the coils i fried tested right on the edge of spec but would not start the car

some cars just have extremely common failure items. the jeep XJ cherokee is another. if you have one that won't start, 90% chance it's the crank sensor. a honda with no spark, probably the distributor / coil and if it isn't that look to the main relay

 

so I found a new distributor and took out the ignition coil and replaced the one i had in my car. still no spark from the coil itself. I'm starting to wonder if the distributor ground is bad to do all my test I just grounded to the car but thinking about it now if i connected to the ground of the distributor body and i do have a bad ground my test should be bad. Correct?

 

so today i shot some wires again and the yellow and green wire thats on the igniter that goes to the PGM-FI ECU main relay did not have power but I hear my fuel pump and theres fuel on the spark plugs

 

There is no connection between the PGM-FI Main Relay and the distributor or anything in it.

Yellow/green is ign. input signal to the ICM from the ECU/ECM.

Have you confirmed power to the distributor assembly, [black/yellow] with ign. switch in both the run and start positions, yet?

Have you confirmed power on IGP1 and IGP2 at the ECU/ECM with ign. in run and start, yet? 94

 

yes i do have power to the distributor assembly itself in both positions. and have yet to test power on the IGP1 or IGP2 which i will do in the morning its midnight here

 

Ah, the Honda ignition gremlins....

 

OK.

Also, when you try and start the engine does the tach "jump/bounce" a little?

If not, and you have power at IGP1&2, replace the ICM it is defective, 94

 

so i double checked everything on the distributor today tried to fire up the car and it started. dont know what fixed it i'm guessing the ignition coil

 

GSR swap in a Civic? Yeah...wrong forum I'm thinking.