Hey everyone. I have a 1990 Cr-x Si with a B18B1 in it,
The mods are 4/1 headers full 2.5 exhuast out the back no cat/ and a muffler.
Short ram intake..
NGK plugs
Bosch Wires

stock ecu
Stock fuel system etc.

[1]Okay so my problem used to be that when i shut the car off after being warm and try to restart it...it would miss fire and detonate/pre-ignition the whole sha-bang of bad timing???

[2]Since then i have located two sensors unplugged from the block..At first i beleived they were Knock sensor and later found out they were oil pressure or temp sensors.
With these hooked up the car has shown a BIG improvement in re-learning the timing and hot starts.

[3] The Radiator fan is hooked up to a direct switch inside the crx..When the temp gauge reaches operating temp or a little above i switch the fan on...

[4]Im sitting in wendy's drive threw today and i switched it on...WHILE SO>>THE CAR DEVELOPS LITTLE POPS IN THE EXHUAST AND LITTLE PINGS FROM WHAT SOUNDS LIKE THE DIZZY ADJUSTING THE TIMMING???

[5]It does this off and on...Sometime i have no low end power at all...Then the ecu hits a better mapping?? at higher rpms and the car runs execelant.

[6]The battery is at a great voltage the coolant is full. The water pump is strong the head seems fine..Over heated once but no longer than couple of seconds..

[7]-Other possibilities-Short ram intake is recieving hot air being disapaited from rad fan? The cams/belt are healthy no missing teeth...I haven't checked the timming...But the way its runs right when it feels okay, the timming has to be correct. my Fast idle sensor is disconected due to a throttle body coolant bypass...I just feather the gas on cold starts!
This being uplugged hasn't changed the problem since it has exsisted before and after the mod. also when car reaches operating temp the exhaust gets a little misty but its cold outside i believe this is normal..and wouldn't affect the igniton timing...

[8]- i have been info-ed that theres a coolant sensor in the head..i believe mine isn't hooked up[looking into it]
how does this effect ignition timing?


[9]--My Action...I want to try to return the coolant fan circuitry stock...I located a sensor on the coolant nipple??[main output to radiator from motor]
My guess is its a temp for coolant..Possibly for the fan..not sure.

Sorryfor so muchhhh info..
Thanks for the help

 

Maybe this is a bit too obvious, but is your timing dead on?

 

i think what you're referring to is the thermostat. the 2 prong sensor on it is your coolant fan switch.



there is another 2 pin sensor on the side of the cylinder head that tells the ecu engine coolant temperature. this can definitely affect how the engine runs. the fan and the switch itself on the other hand are completely independant of the ecu and would not affect how the engine is running.

the wires for your stock fan switch would be located in the harness on the back of the block. they look like this.



if they are still there you should be able to run them to the switch on your thermostat and your fan will now work the way it's supposed to again. once you return the rest of the fan wiring back to the way it was of course.


the fan issue would very likely seperate from any issue you're having with how the car is running. are you sure your timing is correct?

 

It appears to be! The cams are lined up the belt is healthy, i just think the ecu is recieving bad inputs form sensors etc which is playing around with the dizz too much?? Advaning and retarding.

 

Thanks so much for the pictures and info its greatly appericiated!!!!...The Timing Seems Okay..The cams/belt are healthy no missing teeth...I haven't checked the timming...But the way its runs right when it feels okay, the timming has to be correct. i think the ecu is playing around with the dizzy too much from recieving bad inputs????
also i dont know if the coolant sensor on the head is even hooked up or there? i have refered to it before...I put my hand under there to feel for it and felt nothing???and plus my harness either dosent have this or its missing=[...I have had to use butt conectors the strech wires due to the harness not being able to reach the sensors.

And my Fast idle sensor is disconected due to a throttle body coolant bypass...I just feather the gas on cold starts!
I should have said this in the main statement.Sorry. This being uplugged hasn't changed the problem since it has exsisted before and after the mod

[1]For me to check it i would have to make sure the cam pulleys are still in sync with the crank gear?...The alignment dots?? TDC??

[2] yeah,The thermastat!!! If i run the 12v fan power circuit through the two conectors it will work right?? or does it need a relay due to no being able to handle the current??

im sorry man im a noob to a lot of this but i get the idea...I just rather here it how it should be done than using trial and erro.haha

 

Turn the crank so your cam/cams are facing up and line up the crank pulley with the marking. Hopefully it lines up. If it does, good. If it doesn't. Then that's no good.

Also throw on a timing light to check your ignition timing is in spec.

EDIT: I just read that it does it only sometimes? Runs fine sometimes?

If your timings out, it'll be **** all the time. lol

 

Thats what trips me out the most...Only Sometimes. The dizzy has to be Phucked or something like that?? also I think coolant is either getting into the cyclinder from a crack in the head or the gasket from the previous owner???I dont know if its from the 20F weather but when it hits operating temp the exhuast is a little misty? Not too bad tho. The darn thing runs fine untill the igniton wacks out?
Okay Bro, I'll do my best to check it!!! Im pretty sure its fine. But it needs to be checked. Thanks for the how to.
I guess im going to put my car on my drive way[downward hill] and slowly let the the e-brake out while in 5th or 4th gear untill the cams reach up....UP AS IN LITTLE DOT are TOP VERTICAL?

 

what ecu are you using?

heres a picture of what the cams should look like http://crx.hadtstec.com/Timing.GIF

 

Just put it in neutral and turn the motor using the crank pulley bolt. There should be an arrow on the cam to point upwards, there's also a bit on the lower timing belt cover that you look through to see if the crank pulley is lined up correctly and accurately.

 

Okay that sounds safer.
Thanks for the pics...I saved them and will be sure to use them.

i would go out to my car right now but its colds as hell. but i will get you the #'s of my ecu soon...

I know its to big to mount in the 1990 crx si factory ecu mount. four bolts erected from the floor where the passangers feet land. its gold has the red led and window and a V shapped inpression in the face. 3 connectors one big one and two smaller ones? does this help for now...
Speaking of ECU while the engines running the LED gives me Code 24??????....WHat the hell?? there is no cel code 24? but this is while the car is running [idle or driving] without the service pin connect and engine off?
thanks for the help.

 

Could be a code 10 and a code 14.

https://honda-tech.com/forums/honda-crx-ef-civic-1988-1991-3/all-ecu-codes-you-will-ever-need-1710584/

 

do you mean Crank Posistion Sensor?
that could be the cause of my problem

 

I've edited my previous post bud, whoever did the write up i was looking at before must've been wrong.

 

crank position sensor I don't think would be causing it. I just had that issue, and it caused backfire at idle rev, and cut at 3200K.

Maybe you have a voltage regulator going out on the alternator? Or a loose connection? And maybe a long shot, but maybe code 6 for Coolant Temp Switch? (would control pulse to injectors I believe if I read right.)

I hate electrical issues. lol. So many possibilities.

 

bump

 

BUMP

 

timing is FINE....Im Guessing it my dizzy going out becuase i drive the car a good bit and the dizz is starting to make squeak noise. I took the cap off and cleaned all the purple dush? off and sanded the contacts.

and lubed the heck out of the bearings that where dryed up.
I get a new cap and rotor fo show and hopefully a whole new distributor.

I also looked into injects having a BIG role in studdering etc like my case....

Turns out My aftermarket Headers Glow Bright red while at idle in the Dark Dark...This let me notice my #3 cyclinder wasnt heating up the exhuast as bad as the other 3cyclinder...I took out the injectors cleaning the **** off them and clean the screens...This helps a good bit. Now all 4 headers glow evenly.
But now my idle is a little jump or high or low just depends on temp and how long its been running..

 

yeah, your idle should be adjusted by a temp sensitive valve. can't remember what it's called. usually behind/on back of your throttle body.

 

yea, i have a throttle body coolant bypass, so this sensor is hooked to a switch for cold starts .the it gets shut off at operating temp

 

Okay so my Dizzy is most likely the cause. Its now cutting out at 3200k rpms and has no power the ignition is way the **** off

 

from what i gathered if it was only doing this when the fan got turned on then its most likely an electrical issue, voltage drop, short to ground, something like that, shoudn't need a switch cause the whole purpose of the switch on the thermostat housing is when the engine reaches a certain temp. the switch kicks the fan off, n when it cools back down the switch turns back off, acts just like a relay. but being as cold as u say it is the dizzy could be going bad, if it is it will get worse then it will fail completely. check the codes correctly, fast blinks, long blinks, there will be a long pause between multiple blinks as well.

 

If there is red/purple dust inside the distributr then it is failing. When the bearing in the distributor dies it throws dust everywhere inside the distributor, it also gets VERY hot causeing all the senors inside to fail. I had one die on me the same way but it actually locked up and I thought I had sezied the motor lol
Time for a new distributor.

 

Dang man you just nailed it...I looked into it and the cap/rotor was covered in purple Barney dust and burnt out contacts. AND THE BEARINGS ARE SEIZING UP!!

So bad that the sensor that works with the paddle wheel has magnetic shavings on it....Right now the car hits rev limiter really low and the ignition timing is fully retarded. I think it burnt out from heat though, I want to try to get this part working until i can afford a new assembly.

I put a new cap/rotor/wires to narrow down basic maintenance issue this cause the motor to run smoother but i fear the warn bearings will destroy the rotor/cap....Due to the fact that i can hear it squeaking and rubbing beyond normal.

What sensors are in the dizzy?
how much damage will a B18B1 endure from the sensor not working properly.
I Have fully retarded the distributor to help compensate the broken senor[s] and an improvement was shone.

 

Throwing codes 10/14
thats all

 

well neither of those are related to your distributor (which sounds like its messed up as well)

10 is for intake air temp sensor
14 is the idle air control valve

run as search on those.