Yesterday i was backing out of my driveway and I started my car up and started backing up, and it just died. I replaced the dist. cap, and the rotor. But however it still turns over like it wants to start but won't. I took a plug out and had my bro try to start it and I still get no spark to the plugs. Also I have noticed that there is a quiet but noticeable hum comming from my IM area but I can't pimpoint it at all. Any ideas? I kind of need my car up and running before wed because I am supposed to replace my head gasket...

 

humming coming from the IM area? Have you tried to see if there were any codes from the ECU? I just troubleshot my friend's uncles accord the other day ( the ghetto way coz I didn't have the proper tools or equipment with me at the time) and found out it was his distributor. Replaced it and it starts...no problems since Not to assume that's the same thing with your car though ( it might be ), but how I found out was....I had someone try to start the car while I used a wrench and tapped at the distributor. The car acted like it wanted to start....fired up for like..2 seconds and then died Everything else was in working order.

But try troubleshooting the more simpler things first. Like making sure the plug wires are connected all the way and not "loose" You've already tried to see if there was spark.....but I would also think about when the last time you replaced those plug wires...and plugs. Since the cap n rotor was already replaced....no need to really worry about those. I'm sure you've tried to see if you're getting fuel pressure...so....the next thing I would try doing is making sure the problem is not with the main relay or the ECU simply by swapping it out with another unit that is known to be good. The hard part is....finding someone with the same car that will be willing to let you do that

 

The plugs and wires were replaced about 5k miles ago. But if the main relay was out I would get no power for anything right?

 

No, just to the ecu and fuel pump. Possibly the distributor. There's a test for the main relay if you can get your hands on a manual. It's possible that your ignitor or coil went out too. There are tests for that as well, but they're less reliable. The easy thing to do is to find a buddy with a car like your that won't mind you swapping parts until yours fires up.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by lillthingz &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">The plugs and wires were replaced about 5k miles ago. But if the main relay was out I would get no power for anything right?</TD></TR></TABLE>

not necessarily. On another accord that wouldn't start....I had no problems getting the headlights, accessories, and everything else to work except for the damned motor to start. I thought something was wrong with the ignition or something until someone told me to try swapping out the main relay. Lo and behold...it worked

BTW...what year is your car?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by kchungb17a &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> It's possible that your ignitor or coil went out too. </TD></TR></TABLE>

That could be a possibility as it has happened to me before But if I'm not mistaken, the cam angle sensor is also inside the distributor along with something else.....

If either of those are going out or if the cam angle sensor is not "right", then it will not trigger the firing....thus your car will crank all day long and not start

 

It's a 92 civic ex 4dr, but it has a 94 b18b LS-Turbo

 

check your ignitor and coil inside the dizzy, i had a similiar problem and it turned out to be the coil
the car would crank and crank like it wanted to start but it just wouldnt....

also i could actually get it to start if i took all of the bolts out of the distributor, the ones holding it onto the head, and advanced or retarded the ignition timing extremely far (farther then it could ever be with the bolts in) it would run for about 20 seconds this way while i held the dizzy in place and then shut off.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by white_98_gsr &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">check your ignitor and coil inside the dizzy, i had a similiar problem and it turned out to be the coil
the car would crank and crank like it wanted to start but it just wouldnt....
</TD></TR></TABLE>

well I'd hope it would just be the coil. That's a cheap part. If the cam angle sensor goes out or is going out.....that could be costly.

 

Yay It was the coil, a east $65 fix at autozone. THe modulator was going to be $166 for the cheap one, and that was the last part that it could have been. Wooh I got off easy.