ok, i have a b18a1 in a '90 hatch...getting no spark. I just bought a new dizzy, cap and rotor and plugs and still getting no spark. I was told it might be the main relay or something...has anyone run into this problem before? it's my daily driver and it's been down for over a month (blew a head gasket, fried ecu, and now this...it never ends) and i'm nearing insanity. any help greatly appreciated
thanks
-dustin

 

So is this a swap that never worked or you have driven it with the B18a1 installed?

 

i drove it for about a month before the head gasket went...and my friend who sold it to me drove it a lot too after fixing various crap that retards messed up (the mpfi wiring, cam caps & bolts, etc). it has run for many people before me too (kind of a ***** car) on different ls motors.

 

try replacing the main relay, even if its clicks it can still be bad. i picked one up at o'rileys and it was like 30 bucks

 

you said it had a bad head gasket? did you replaced that gasket? and when you did was the timing set properly also check for any loose grounds this might cause your problem

 

yes i replaced the head gasket (that was the original problem), had the head planed (.010"), and put a manual intake mani. on (it had an auto mani.) w/ a new gasket. got the cams timed perfectly and it cranked up and ran beautifully for about 10 min., but when i went to put my intake on for a test drive, it just died...no sputtering...just like i turned the key off. also i just remembered that my CEL was clicking really fast and dim, like a lightbulb that's turned halfway on, and (don't flame me too badly...this is why i'm asking in the first place - i'm lacking knowledge) i think it's the main relay (down near the hood release) that was making the AK-47-style clicking noise. the reason i didnt think about the main relay right away from reading all the posts here is b/c they guy i bought the car from wired the fuel pump straight to the fuse box (comes on w/key in ON position)...presumably from a faulty main relay!
ALSO, the #3 cyl. is flooding w/ fuel, and thinking it was a bad injector i swapped 2 and 3, and 3 (the old #2) still flooded. someone told me it could be my ecu (constantly sending signal to the injector)...just wondering if the main relay could screw w/my ecu and make it do that, or if it might be my resistor box...or my ecu? i have a new manual ecu coming (yes the one i have is auto too...sucks) anyway, j/w if i'm going to have to wait for it. i'm going to buy/order a main relay tomorrow (10/12), so i guess we'll see. just wanted you guys' opinions on it.
thanks
-dustin

 

plug wires?

check the thermostat ground.

 

Have you checked ALL of the fuses in your panel? There is one, can't remember which one, that will cause these symptoms.


D Jaws II

 

If he wired the fuel pump directly to avoid the main relay, then you definately have a bad main relay...but your pump should still be priming with the key turn because its rigged. I would wire the pump back correctly, or at least recheck his wiring, and replace the main relay. If you can't get it to prime with the key turn then you need to stop there until you fix that problem. The car will never start with out that.
I had my main relay go out a few months back when I was prepping the car for paint. I would crank it everyday when I went to the painters house. One day I crunk it up to let it idle, I was sitting in the car, I heard the pump stop whining (Walboro) about 10 seconds later the car shut off, and wouldn't restart. Luckily I have a DA parked at my house and I just went and jacked that relay, voila problem solved. I guess its easy to tell when your pump is working when its the loudest running thing on the car.
Note to self-go buy a new relay and put the DA one back in the DA

 

LISTEN TO ME!

I had this problem two days ago. Relay wouldn't click, no spark, fuel, checked all fuses, had gas
and the car just shut off at after idling for 20 minutes in neutral. Do 3 things:

1. Check your thermostat ground- it grounds the main relay

2. Check ALL your fuses - particulary the starter fuse!

3. Swap main relays - Last and only possibly costly option

 

yes i checked every single fuse, engine bay and interior (and i have brand new battery and ignition fuses...the 60A and 50A). my fuel pump IS priming...that's why it didnt occur to me right away that my main relay is bad. i will check the ground at the thermostat...anyone make anything of the #3 cyl. flooding? if i take the plug out and have the key ON (fuel pump on), i can watch the cylinder fill up and overflow with gas lol. i'm guessing ecu...but j/w.
thanks a lot for you help, i'm going to see about a main relay today...we'll see what happens.

 

ok apparently i'm an idiot...
i was under the impression that the main relay is under the dash near the hood release...i just got a new one and the pins DONT MATCH...this is the main relay right? (i don't have a hayes manual or anything) this crap is getting really old...somebody hold a dumbass' hand please

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 88rexA6 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> also i just remembered that my CEL was clicking really fast and dim, like a lightbulb that's turned halfway on and (don't flame me too badly...this is why i'm asking in the first place - i'm lacking knowledge) i think it's the main relay (down near the hood release) that was making the AK-47-style clicking noise. </TD></TR></TABLE>


two words for you, BAD GROUND.

by the thermostat, and make sure the ones under the dash are connected too... like the 10mm bolt near the hood release.

as for the main relay location, its up on the drivers kick, its about the size of two standard bosch relays side by side... if im not mistaken it has an 8 pin harness attached to it.

i really dont think you can get the wrong main relay under there...

 

you got it right, its behind the hood release.

 

yeah i'm the biggest tard on the site lol...i was looking at a dif. relay that was a 4 pin. i found the main relay right after my last post and changed it...it will now crank up sometimes and run fine for a minute, then cut off. i checked continuity between the thermostat ground wire (while it was still bolted on) and a good ground, and it's good...i didnt bolt the relay back up so ill try that right quick lol. thanks for your advice and lack of flaming my ***
-dustin

 

my friends car did that before, would run good for a min then stop. Turned out to be the screw inside his dizzy was loose, the one on the rotor. fixed his problem. hope that helped ya out a little, may not be your problem but you could check and see

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 88rexA6 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">ok apparently i'm an idiot...
i was under the impression that the main relay is under the dash near the hood release...i just got a new one and the pins DONT MATCH...this is the main relay right? (i don't have a hayes manual or anything) this crap is getting really old...somebody hold a dumbass' hand please </TD></TR></TABLE>

I don't have time right now to read all of this but you are correct. The Main relay is under the dash above the hood release.
If it is rapidly clicking IT IS WORKING PERFECTLY. Your main relay is GOOD.
The problem could be that you don't have 12v+ you have 11.8V+ or something LESS than 12v+.
Make sure you have 12 volts. If your battery is dying it will cause your main relay to click on and off rapidly. Otherwise, you have a short circuit in your wiring somewhere.

Replace battery (sorry if you said you have, i didn't read it all)
or find the short circuit. (blown fuse will likely indicate the culprit if the relay did stop clicking)

GL ~ Peter

 

well i just bought a new battery, but it's being abused (all this cranking and no alt. charging it lol).
just bought new dizzy from advance (yes i cringe at the thought but it runs on that dizzy too...for a minute), and had to get new cap and rotor...screw is tight, and the rotor is facing in the correct direction (on this dizzy you can put the rotor on 180 degrees in the wrong direction...compared it to stock honda dizzy and got it right)
new main relay...sounds good
dunno...
is the bracket that comes on the main relay (that bolts up under the dash) bolted to a ground? if so i can try to connect that to a known good ground
starting to sound like a bad ground now (when it runs like crap the tach jumps around too...but when it runs smooth the tach's smooth), but the thermostat ground tested fine...
i'll play with it some more, but i'm about out of ideas here...this is ridiculous lol
thanks for your help
-dustin

 

No the bracket is not grounded (it's removable and held on to the plastic casing only).

 

should i try grounding the thermostat wire to the chassis (a known good ground)?
that ground is good anyway, but...worth a shot i guess?
do you think a bad ground connection between the motor and chassis would do it? or would that blow fuses? all my fuses are good so...
COMPFUSED

 

I had to replace my ignition switch because it was bad on my 90 si hatch. It would start than I would drive or it would just sit and idle and just die. Make sure you don't have heavy keys or a bunch of it hanging off your keys . Anyways back to the point,turn your car on wiggle your keys in the ignition if it dies thats your problem!!! well good luck hope that helps!!!!!!!!1

 

hah, damn. ill try that...
but sometimes itll crank up and run like ***, then cut out...
i havent driven it in like 2 months so the keys havent been jiggled too hard while in the ignition lol
so...still dunno...
but thanks
-dustin

 

ttt any more ideas?
i'm desperate

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 88rexA6 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">ttt any more ideas?
i'm desperate</TD></TR></TABLE>

and i like chicken...

any other oddities that anyone knows of?

 

i would double check the wiring from the dpfi to mpfi conversion for ur fuel injector problem. i know u said u redid/rechecked the wiring but maybe u got something crossed.