So i was getting on the freeway and my car started sputtering when i shifted into 4th so i downshifted to 3rd and it still sputtered and would not allow me to accelerate, i pulled into the shoulder and it died. It turns over just fine but doesnt start.. Got it towed to my buddies house a few miles away.

First thought was fuel, because i put a fuel cut off switch in a few months ago. But you can hear the pump prime, and when i took the fuel line off it was getting fuel. So that means it cant be the main relay either..

Next thought was spark, Using a timing light i figured out it wasnt getting spark. I needed new wires anyway so i went and bought cap, rotor, plugs and wires, no luck. Then i decided to try a new ignition control module and when that didnt work i figured maybe it was the distributor. It was still under warranty so i just went and got another one (used, but tested). STILL NOTHING!

The only other thing i could think of is maybe the chrome chipped ecu i got off ebay crapped out. tried hooking up my stock D series ecu.. still just turns over but doesnt start.

Other things ive checked are the ecu fuse and the ignition fues, both still good.

If anyone has any comments or ideas, id love to hear them! ..because i am COMPLETELY STUMPED!!!

Thanks,
Mike.

 

editing cause i didnt read your whole post first time
have u checked the black/yellow wire to see if your getting 12v into the dizzy?

 

hmmmmm, check your Main/Fuel relay but I doubt it would be doing that. I had the same scenario not to long ago but my rotor blew to pieces. it decided it didnt feel like dealing with 24psi any more lol.

have checked your fluids, and done a compression test. how are your spark plugs

check your fuel filter, what kind of modifications do you have to fuel or spark?

 

no because i dont have a multimeter anymore.. it was in my car when it got stolen, so of course they took it.


well i know its not the main relay because i know its getting fuel. compression is perfect, plugs are brand new..

as of right now i dont have any modifications to the ignition system. just brand new parts.

 

Your timing belt

 

Did you check all fuses? When My B18B pulled a similar issue, it was a bad fuse.

 

Ive checked all the fuses in the engine bay fuse box, havent really looked under the dash.


And i guess ill double check the timing belt, but im pretty sure its perfect. I rebuilt the engine 7 months and 6500 miles ago and has ran flawlessly since..

 

http://techauto.awardspace.com/ignition.html

 

you know the main relay doesn't just provide power to the fuel right? its for the ecu as well, you should hear four click when you turn your key on all the way, take the main relay out to where you can hear it when you turn the key, if you don't hear 3 click check the solder joints for cracks,

 

Thats what I was thinking, it also provides power to the injectors if not mistaken. Are your injectors spraying fuel or did you just check fuel at filter and or rail?

 

yep, the Main relay is a big possibility plus they go bad after 10-20 years generally. they control the fuel pump and the ECU. but you said its good so it must be good. it has something to do with your timing then if you are getting fuel and spark. you have looked to see if your injectors are shooting fuel I assume. and have pulled the spark plugs to actually see if they are sparking?

 

Ground wire to the distributor maybe overlooked during parts replacement?

 

im getting fuel..

just no spark. ive pulled the sparkplugs.. no spark.

I went to the honda dealer and he said it cant be the main relay because it doesnt have anything to spark. He also told me to check the coil inside the distributor..

 

this may sound dumb, but did you check the ground plug that bolts to the thermostat housing, its a group of wires from the harness and bolts down, if thats not tight, youll lose spark. give that a look over and make sure its snug

 

ya this happened to me a couple months back,,, i replaces the coil, cap, rotor, wires... still didnt spark... i was told some switch in the actual dizzy must have went bad... so went to napa picked up a dizzy and it ran fine... idk for me it was somthing in the dizzy itself...

 

ok. well if you have a friend with the same dizzy, ask him if you can try it out, if that still don't fix your problem, and you have checked your grounds, i was thinking next check your knock sensor, if that's good, im aiming towards your ecu

 

Check your coil... also try remove the dizzy cap then crank, check to see if it is spinning,
some case the cam shaft could of broke off, and causing your dizzy not to turn which causing no spark.
Ground #1 spark plug wire and crank to see if it's spark. last time my car die, i change the ICM, didn't work, tow it home, and then i ground/test for spark, and it start right up.
I wasted $ on the tow..

 

Like another person said, check your fuses. Your ignition coil fuse is located under the dash in that fuse panel. I had the same issue, replaced all of my ignition system and it was a damn fuse....always always always check fuses before buying parts!!! Let us know about this fuse.

 

Check your t-stat ground make sure its tight . Just try replacing the dizzy. Barrow one from a friend or something

 

I hate it when they never post the fix.....

 

the reason i havent posted a fix is because its not fixed yet.. :/

i just got back in town so im going to check that ground connection on the t stat housing.

its the obd1 b18b so there is no knock sensor, ive already tried plugging in my stock d series ecu to see if it would start.. still no spark. I checked the rotor already to see if it rotates, and it does.

:/