Well I went out and replaced the fuel filter and ****... and it ran nicely for a few minutes and while I was backing it down the driveway, the engine just shut off like it doesn't have timing.

I've checked everything. Distributor is fine. Rotor is good and is on the correct timing. I even bought a new coil and wires. Put those one before I started it the first time when it ran for two minutes and died while backing it out of the driveway.


Now the dumb thing just cranks and cranks. Doesn't even make an effort to start, and I'm pretty sure its spark now. I pulled the wire off the coil and tried to get it to ark, but it doesn't at all. What the hell could possibly be the problem? Out of all the times this thing decides to be a bitch, it would be when I'm trying to sell it and have a buyer trying to look at it this week.

Please fill me in on some pointers!

Thanks,
Bryan

 

Probably the ignitor or main relay...

 

What is the ignitor?? And main relay.... I bet that **** is expensive.

 

The ignitor is a little electronic thing in the distributor, and the main relay is under the dash...like literally straight back and left from the steering wheel.

Neither are very expensive, check ebay and http://hondaautomotiveparts.com

 

thermostat ground... where the hell is it? I just see the harness connectors that obviously go to the harness.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Roca fella Bryan &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">thermostat ground... where the hell is it? I just see the harness connectors that obviously go to the harness.</TD></TR></TABLE>

It's a single ring connector coming from the harness with a black wire...

 

Welp, found that and it seems to be just fine.... Its connected straight to where it was supposed to be.


I did note one thing. When we started the motor back up after replacing the coil, I touched the hood prop to let the hood down. I got a little shock, like static electricity, and THAT is when the motor shut off.

Could I have pooched the ECU? When I turn the key to the "ON" position, the CEL does come on and cycle like normal.

 

That was probably just static, but if it did do anything it would only blow a fuse. Have you checked the fuse box?

The thermostat ground is bolted on good? How about your battery grounds?

 

Haven't checked it yet.... The car is grounded as far as I can tell so it shouldn't do that. But I'll give it a look.


And yes, the thermostat ground is bolted on real snug. The battery ground however, hmmmm.... I'll check it. But would this keep it from getting spark?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Roca fella Bryan &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">. The battery ground however, hmmmm.... I'll check it. But would this keep it from getting spark?</TD></TR></TABLE>

It could. Check the engine and tranny grounds also. The energy from the spark plug wires goes through the plugs, into the head/block and into the frame though the ground wires....no ground no energy flow.

Gotta have grounds

 

so you replaced your fuel filter, coil and wires. Is that it ?

 

The engine ground was the first one I checked... Its bolted down and okay. I'll check the other two tomorrow in the daylight.


And to lude98SH, yes that's it. Before, the car was having problems with shutting down in VTEC. As soon as it engaged around 4,700rpm the car would lean out (my A/F gauge went straight to lean) and die...... Thought it was a fuel problem like the pump. But the pump sounds fine. So I went ahead and replaced the fuel filter just to see. Did that, it ran fine after i started it then died again at the end of the driveway when I was getting ready to take it onto the road.

So I drove to autozone in my dad's car, picked up a coil (didn't think there was spark) and some plug wires in case. Put them all on. It started right up and ran at idle for about two minutes. Satisfied with myself, I go to let the hood down and right when I touch the prop stick, I feel a static shock and BAM, engine dies...... Doesn't start now. At all.

 

So how are your fuses? Check both fuse boxes for blown ones.

 

Do you have fuel at all ? That could def help in diagnosis.

When it was running was it running correctly ?

 

I don't have the instrument necessary to test the line pressure, but I can surely hear the fuel pump churning at key "ON". Those lines are under 35psi of pressure, so I know I can't just pop one off and turn the key on lol.....

And you said before the fuel filter?? Yeah it ran good and strong when I drove around town bored with my friend all damn night. Right at the end of the night (this past Friday), I got on the highway and started to wind out second when I noticed my A/F gauge nuts so I backed off and just chilled. It ran fine at part throttle. Then I turned around to go get my girlfriend and getting back on the highway, I gave it throttle again and right at the VTEC engagement, the **** went straight to lean...... Fuel starved so it shut down.

Got in it two mornings later (today) and it fired straight up!! Warmed up, drove good under VTEC and was fine. So thinking that maybe it was ok, I turned down the road and gradually got into again. Right at VTEC engagement again, it leaned out, so I immediately backed off the gas and it shut down. The car started right up again, and drove just fine. No knocking just smooth driving.

Then I replaced the fuel filter, then backed down the driveway, got near the street and it shut off.... Never to start again.

That's the whole story lol

Air, Fuel, Spark. Dammit.


I got air for sure, got fuel..... I think... But ain't got no spark!


Modified by Roca fella Bryan at 7:43 PM 3/23/2008


Modified by Roca fella Bryan at 7:48 PM 3/23/2008

 

well see if you have injector pulse when cranking.

 

You say you have a "tuned" p28.

Tuned with what?

do you have another ecu you can use?

FWIW, when you replace either an ignition coil or an ICM (igniter), you should replace both.

 

My P28 was duned by a guy named Dave Blundel. He's well known around here and I believe he burns chips because my ECU doesn't have Hondata.

The only other ECU I have is the P14 that came with the car's original H23. I can try that out today after work.


I also have a JDM distributor. Would the ICM from that distributor work with the H23 dizzy??

 

Dave is definitely a good guy, I wouldn't worry about that then.

Pull a plug and ground it, then see if it gets spark, I don't like using the coil wire to check spark.

 

Alright guys! Got the problem solved..... It turned out that it wasn't the ignitor, grounds or fuses, but there's a sensor kinda shaped like a black box on the opposite side of the ignitor that has two wires running to it. An orange and a white one. Both of them seemed to have badly frayed connections. So I fixed them up and made sure everything worked and all and WHAM! Fired up...


The fuel filter was also the second problem. VTEC engages now, strongly as before and without any type of sputtering or anything.

Thanks for the help guys!!