Hello all. I left my lights on yesterday and tried to start my car and it wouldn't. I called my brother to come jump me and he came over and
attempted to give me a jump. None of my dash lights came on. No fuel pump turned on nothing. But when I tried to start it it did crank. i
i have tried a new battery. I've checked my grounds (as well as I think I can) and have replaced the terminals as well. All my fuses seem to be good as well. Now here's what was happening before this. When I'm driving my rpms seem to be floating and jumping and moving around a lot. It doesn't actually run like it reads but there's that. Also my ignition has been weird taking my key out. Almost sticky or something and hard to get the key out.


its almost impossible to find parts for this thing and I want to buy the right thing and not spend $1000 on a car with 250k miles.

any help would be appreciated.

 

Those surely seem like symptoms of a bad ignition switch. The ignition switch is easily removed and I think can be taken apart and the contacts inspected and regreased. Don't bash on the actual key part or anything, the switch itself is a separate unit mounted behind the key part, so banging on the key part doesn't really do anything beside damage the key cylinder cover.

The wiring and/or service manual will have a test for the switch so you're not spending money on parts that don't need to be replaced. That test procedure will outline which wires should and should not have continuity with the switch at each stage 0, I, II, and START

You also say all your fuses are good, did you check the big big fuses under the hood as well? Although in theory those should be ok since it sounds like you get the starter run signal to the solenoid OK, but I don't have a service manual for your car on hand to confirm which fuse feeds that circuit vs. the rest of the electronics that you are missing.

 

there are decent vids on youtube how to get at an 88-91 ignition switch, I looked at an 87 CRX once at a junk yard and remember the ignition cyl setup being identical.

 

Youre 100% correct I had my bud take apart the dash and he tested the ignition and that's the problem just ordered a new one from parts geek for $83!im driving it now because it started again. I'm guessing there's a short somewhere on it. I'm replacing the cylinder and switch. Thank you

 

leave the cylinder if there is nothing wrong with it, otherwise you will have two keys (door and ignition) or will have to spend more money to have someone re-key the cylinder to match your original key. just a thought.

 

I would bet thee ignitor has taken a **** in the distributor...Red Pepper Racing - lot's of good 1st gen folks at RPR...