The other day I went into the post office and came back, the car wouldn't start. Recently, I've been having problems during which, the car would suddenly feel like it was running on 3cyl when idling,etc and then become normal again gradually within 5-10 sec when i started moving as rpms increased.

The car cranks over, but won't start. I have spark. All fuses are good. Main relay clicks on and off at ignition-on normally. I can hear the fuel pump prime. Am pretty sure the injectors are clicking normally (screw driver to injector / to ear). Sprayed a bunch of carb cleaner in the t-body and then tried starting (to see whether i am not getting fuel)- didn't start.

What next? Is it possible to have weak spark?

Background, all of these relevant parts are 10k miles old:

fuel filter, plugs, wires, cap, rotor

 

check timing

 

^ what he said above

 

Why would the timming have anything to do with it? If it ran before then it should run again, assuming that the bolts on the distributer are not loose.

I am having a similar problem, right now I have fuel and spark, but it will not start. I would check your ECU, its a quick easy thing to do. Aside from that let me know what happens, cause I might have the same problem, however I think my problem is some where in the electrical system. I think something shorted out/ fried, but I have no idea what it could have been.

BTW, is your spark good and strong? is it a nice blue color?

and how did you know that you had fuel, what did you do to find that out?
Thanks and good luck to us both

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by mattmw88 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Why would the timming have anything to do with it? </TD></TR></TABLE>

The timing belt could have skipped a couple teeth. Timing off= no/bad combustion

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by mattmw88 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

I am having a similar problem, right now I have fuel and spark, but it will not start. I would check your ECU, its a quick easy thing to do. Aside from that let me know what happens, cause I might have the same problem, however I think my problem is some where in the electrical system. I think something shorted out/ fried, but I have no idea what it could have been. </TD></TR></TABLE>

I don't think ECUs just die like that...

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by mattmw88 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">BTW, is your spark good and strong? is it a nice blue color? </TD></TR></TABLE>

I wondered about this too. I have spark, but I don't know how to check how strong it is. How does one go about this?

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by mattmw88 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">and how did you know that you had fuel, what did you do to find that out? Thanks and good luck to us both </TD></TR></TABLE>

I can hear my fuel pump priming, and am pretty sure my injectors are clicking. However, when I had a plug removed and cranked it over, I couldn't smell fuel. I wasn't sure whether I had fuel or not, which is why I sprayed a bunch of carb cleaner through the tbody with the butterfly open and then tried starting it. If it had been a fuel issue, the engine should have briefly started with the carb cleaner in the manifold, but it didn't so I'm pretty sure fuel isn't the issue.


My guess is that it's something electrical, possibly ignition related (but I am getting spark ). The car was running fine, and then wouldn't start a few minutes later.

 

After you cranked the motor over and it didn't start, did you pull the plugs to see if they were wet with fuel? I've had the same issue as you with wet plugs. If they're wet, clean them off and dry them real good then try again.

Have you checked your grounds?

Also, just to cross out cam timing as an issue, pull off your valve cover and see if your cams are still sync'd.

Ignition timing would make the car idle crappily, but it wouldn't cause the motor to not start at all.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by bb_one &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">After you cranked the motor over and it didn't start, did you pull the plugs to see if they were wet with fuel? I've had the same issue as you with wet plugs. If they're wet, clean them off and dry them real good then try again.

Have you checked your grounds?

Also, just to cross out cam timing as an issue, pull off your valve cover and see if your cams are still sync'd.

Ignition timing would make the car idle crappily, but it wouldn't cause the motor to not start at all.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Plugs were not wet...does this mean a lack of fuel? Where are the grounds I should check? Prior to this, recently, sometimes the car would feel like it was running on 3cyl like I mentioned earlier. Also the mid-range was weak (3-4.5K), but vtec was strong.

 

If your plugs aren't wet, chances are you may not be getting fuel. It's not a precise test, but everytime I crank the car without the ignition coil plugged in & main replay still plugged in, my plugs are wet with fuel & strong fumes of fuel.

Disconnect the fuel line running from the fuel filter to the fuel rail. Stick that line into a bottle and prime the fuel pump to see if you're getting fuel there. If you're getting fuel out that line, then move onwards to check the fuel rail/ injectors for cloggage or failed injector. *Make sure to do this test away from any flammable sources or flames*

As for your car feeling like it's running on 3 cylinders, that could be ignition timing related. Have you checked your ignition timing lately? Even if your ignition timing is off, your car would still fire. It would run pretty crappily or idle funny, but it would run nonetheless.

 

Grounds are:

-Tranny to body ground (shared with the negative battery cable)
-Valve cover to body ground & engine mount

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by vinuneuro &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Also the mid-range was weak (3-4.5K), but vtec was strong. </TD></TR></TABLE>

This DEFFINETLY sounds like your timming is off, I had the same issue, to a point where my **** was so far off that I could backfire with almost every shift...

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by bb_one &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

As for your car feeling like it's running on 3 cylinders, that could be ignition timing related. Have you checked your ignition timing lately? Even if your ignition timing is off, your car would still fire. It would run pretty crappily or idle funny, but it would run nonetheless.</TD></TR></TABLE>
This is what I meant before about timming, not to mention that if you have spark then the timming belt is fine.

The ECU HAS been known to just die randomly, I had a talk w/ my buddy who is a service advisor at honda and in the last month they have had this happen to 2 civcs randomly.

As for the spark, all he said was "a good blue spark".

I think my issue might be the fuel pump, and I am gonna check that as soon as I get a chance...

Then again, when I try to srat my car, or at least the last time the first two "cycles" were pretty weird. Each cycle lasted about 3 seconds, the first 2 secconds sounding normal, and the third seccond the gauges would go dim, and it sounded like the starter was having the toughest time spinning the flywheel... after this happened twice (about 6 secconds total), then after, starting of the car sounded completely normal... this sound familiar to anyone else?

Lets keep this thread a live, we're starting to complie some decent info

BTW what is the best way to check for fuel, there are a couple ideas on here, but no one best way, any suggestions?

Thanks again to all for the input
&lt;--- who is starting to jack this thread for his own good

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by mattmw88 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
BTW what is the best way to check for fuel, there are a couple ideas on here, but no one best way, any suggestions?
</TD></TR></TABLE>

Disconnect the fuel line running from the fuel filter to the fuel rail. Stick that line into a bottle and prime the fuel pump to see if you're getting fuel there. If you're getting fuel out that line, then move onwards to check the fuel rail/ injectors for cloggage or failed injector. *Make sure to do this test away from any flammable sources or flames*

To check the injectors, you can either replace them with known good ones or get them flowed.

 

hmmm, sounds like a timing problem to me also, but doesnt make sence if you were driving it and then shut it off, then wont start. did you try your main relay under the dash for your fuel?

 

I can distinctly hear the main relay clicking on/off under the dash when I turn the ignitio n on and the fuel pump primes.

 

Back to school now. I didn't get around to the compression test or pulling the valve cover. Not sure about the fuel situation...def am getting fuel to rail and voltage at the injectors.

Side note..cyl 1 and 2 plugs look rich, fueled up. 4 looks lean and 3 does to certain extent too.

 

fuel air spark and timing are all you need. is possible you timing belt slipped or your not getting fuel.. get that vavle cover off and check

 

I got 29.5v off the yellow wire for each injector plug..can I rule out that I'm not getting fuel? The car was running fine before not starting now.

 

throw that prelude in the junk yard and buy a new car.

 

Bro i had the same problem. I drove the car to KFC and when i came back it didn't start. I checked everything like u did. I even changed spark plugs, distributor cap and rotor. But later i gave up and took it to a mechanic. And they said my timing belt had skipped couple of teeths. And thank god i had no bent valves.

So the point is its probably ur timing belt.

Good luck.

 

That's what I'm seriously suspecting. F#'n auto tensioners.

 

damn man....well i guess its time to pull the valve cover over thanksgiving break...

let us know how it goes then....