I recently put an AEM intake on my stock 1990 si, soon after it began sputtering in the low rpm range. Above 2,5k it ran fine. I cleaned the throttle body and replaced the PCV. But this did not do the trick. I drove it like this for a week and the problem went from bad to worse. Finally the car quit on me. I was on the freeway and came to traffic, as the rpms dropped the car died and would not restart. I installed a new distributor, changed the spark plugs, gapped them and still no start. I am getting spark and gas. I also pulled the Main Relay, which seems to be clicking appropriately.

On a side note: When I had the distributor off I discovered a rats nest of shoddy wiring below. One to the O2 sensor, one to the oil temp sensor, two to the water temp sensor and two to another sensor on the tranny. There were exposed wires and many splices so I cut all the crap out and respliced and extended each wire with fresh wire. I was very careful to reconnect each one to its proper place. Maybe I screwed one up, I don't know… Does anyone have knowledge of this harness?

Please help, I'm stuck in the garage.

 

Still no start. I'm beginning to wonder that maybe I put the distributor on out of phase. Let's say I did, and let's say the timing is as far off as possible, could this be responsible for a no start? I'm out of town right now so i cant check for tdc and rotor position but would really appreciate input on this.

Again, the starter cranks and the engine turns over but will not catch. I am getting spark and fuel, and each cylinder delivered 175 psi. The main relay clicks once and then again when cel goes off. No error codes.

Confession: I got the car about a month ago and am green as hell, in spite of my no start condition, I'm having fun and learning a lot, thanks to this forum. Man, what did people do before the Internet?

 

Make sure you got all the plug wires matched up to the Distributor and cylinders properly. Next idea might be to loosen up the distributor, and move it back all the way, try to start it, and move it forward all the way, try to start it.

 

Hey Alex14, thanks. Cables are definitely correct. And I already tried that retard/advance trick by shifting the dizzy in turn from back to front. Could the timing be so off that this trick alone would not correct it enough to start?

To be honest I had a 4 year old pulling me out of the garage while I tried putting the new dizzy on, distraction always make for a bad job.

 

could be the dizzy is 180 out of timing

 

Dumb question, cuz me thinks me knows da answer -- if the dizzy be flopped or flipped could that be the reason why it won't start?

And thanks 661....

 

Check your map sensor..just a thought..are you throwing any cel code?

 

Hey turbo, throwing no codes. Poked around the map, all vac lines are good, reseated plug etc.

Let's assume i put the dizzy on "backward" -- would that prevent the engine from starting? (I'd turn it around if i was home and give a go but I'm away.)

 

Yeah, if it was on backward it would stop it from starting, but I want to say that you cant put them on backwards. One of the tabs is thicker than the other I think.

 

hey im having the same problem you are and have replaced many of the same things, does your car start when its push started? when my car first started giving me problems it was the icm so did your new distributor come with a new ignition control module? ive also read that a bad engine temp sensor can cause a no start but apparently only when its cold and ive replaced that and am still having the same problem. does your car throw any codes after you try to crank it for a while with the service connected jumped?

ive replaced distributor with autozone brand and a msd one and now i put the internals from one from a junk yard into the msd to see if that fixed it, msd plug wires, msd blaster coil, ngk plugs, fuel filter, fuel pressure regulator(had a humming noise so i just bought a new one), and the ets. still same no start problem and its getting worse, let me know what you figure out. ill keep you posted on my problems progress as well

 

No error codes whatsoever. I even disconnected my therm sensor to see if the ecu was dead, it instantly through the approriate code. The ground of the therm sensor, i believe is also the ground for the main relay.

I'm holding onto the idea that it's a timing issue for now. I can't work on the car till Sunday so I wont have any progress until then, but here is my plan of attack: make sure timing belt is not off, if its not i will then remove distributor, and triple check that piston #1 is at TDC and that the rotor is indeed aimed at plug #1 before I bolt the dizzy back on.

Hope this helps you. I will be sure to elaborate on my findings. But I'm really hoping I win the idiot award on this one for putting my new dizzy on out of phase. Good luck. And thanks to all for sharing.

 

I didnt think it was possible to put the dizzy on backwards. Doesnt the offset key in the end of the cam force you to put in on correctly?

 

How do you aim the rotor at piston 1?

 

Raffaelli, not sure about the offset key... I'm hoping I did something stupid and that my problem is simple. And I can't check right now, out of town. Trying to figure out what to do next.

B16a, aim the rotor at the point/plug on the dizzy that goes to #1 piston.

 

B16a, u put a socket on the crank pully and turn it till its at tdc, and if your timing is good the rotor will point at the #1 cylinder under your dizzy cap.

what color is your spark video? iv learned the hard way that a white spark is weak, it should be a bluish purple. im new at this also so if i figure anything out ill let you know, i got alot if honda friends. are you gettin fuel to the fuel rail? check the fuel pump

 

Did you buy a new complete new dizzy or just the dizzy itself and change the internals. Sound like a bad coil.

 

An easy way to test the distributor is to pull out one spark plug wire where it attaches to the spark plug while leaving it attached to the distributor and putting a long screwdriver or something metal in so it contacts the metal clip on the inside of the plug wire . *You need two people to do this* Now hold the plug wire with the screwdriver in it very close (1/4") BUT NOT TOUCHING and an engine ground...an easy one is a valve cover nut......and crank the engine over at the same time DONT TOUCH ANY PART OF THE METAL SCREWDRIVER WHILE CRANKIKNG (just hold the plug wire and you will be fine) getting shocked hurts. If your distributor is ok whoever is holding the plug wire will see and hear a spark go between the screwdriver and valve cover nut every time the engine turns over. If not, do more diagnosis on the dizzy.

 

Careful with the test above^^^ hahaha learned that hard way about the shock... to me it sounds like timing. You cant put the dizzy on backwards, the tabs are different sizes. My guess is dizzy outta aline. Cuz your gettin spark and fuel yeah. But double check TDC to be safe tho! Good luck mang!