alright ive been [freak]ing with this car for to long now. i bought it all to hell, and its still all to hell after ive done replaced everything but the [freak]ing engine itself.

i replaced the spark plugs yesterday and today i tryed cranking it again, i pulled the new plugs back out, and there drenched in oil all around the threads and on the tip itself. im assuming this would be 1 of the problems why it wont crank, it does crank if i push down on the gas and try to start it, but without pressing the gas it just trys to turn over but doesnt.


Is this the valve cover spark plug gaskets i need to replace? if so im just gonna replace the whole valve cover gasket set and get that over with and atleast eliminate one more problem that could be it....


thanks for help. im on my last nerve with this car

 

are your spark plug wires covered in oil,if so replace the gasket set
are you getting spark

 

getting spark from the plug wires? or from thje spark plug itself?

i have no idea honestly, i havent even messed around to check to see if im getting spark, i assume i am. The dizzy is brand new OEM GSR dizzy (TD-44U) and brand new plugs and the wires kinda suck i need to replace them, im gonna do that while im replacing the valve cover gaskets so ill have fresh seal and a full tuneup at that point

heres the deal.

I try to crank the car, it starts for maybe 2 seconds and dies. if i hold my foot on the gas while im trying to start it, it starts up until i let off the gas...


THE OIL is on the bottom part of the spark plug threads and on the spark plug sealant ring(the metal ring above the threads)


But does the car not wanting to start without giving it gas and then running like **** when i hold down the gas sound like the oil on the spark plugs is the culprit?

 

how are the wires are they cover in oil?

 

they barely have oil on them, but you can notice it. it does have a little

 

if you have oil on your plug wires, they won't work very well. a friend of mine had bad valve cover spark plug gaskets, and oil on his plugs and wires, and his car ran for ****. changed the gaskets, plugs and wires, and it ran perfect. give that a try, it's cheap and easy.

 

Thats what im doing at the moment. took my VC off yesterday, painted it while it was off to get rid of the default red wrinkle everyone does, and im getting a full new gasket set today


thanks for the suggestions though, im gonna replace all the vc gaskets and get new plug wires while im at it

 

Are you sure the timing is set correctly on this motor of yours? If your spark plugs are not all drenched, there should be enough spark to keep an engine going.

I think your problem is timing related or air/idle related...

 

well im throwing no codes for IACV or nothing like that, the FITV controls the idle while its cold right? If my memory serves me correctly, the car didnt run for **** on idle when it was cold before i changed the distributor (The timing cant be right, gotta rent a timing light soon, but it should atleast run)


Could the FITV be the culprit of it not wanting to stay running? Cause i do remember having to hold my foot on the gas to keep it running before i changed the dizzy, but the timing was atleas tset right before this and didnt run like **** when i held my foot on it...

 

Heres the main question I have.

im throwing code 10, IAT, i know why, theres not one installed, im going to dealership to order one on monday after easter, but..


Could no IAT make the car not want to run without having your foot on the gas to crank it? I doubt it, but thats the only code im throwing, ive fixed all my other codes.

 

What ecu are you running?

Engine timing is crucial in having an engine run continuously. If the timing is off, which is more than likely in your case since you changed out the dizzy, your motor will not hold a steady idle.

An IAT sensor wont prevent an engine from turning over or staying at idle, but it will cause the idle to fluctuate and/or possibly die out.

 

running a P72 ECU (obd1 btw)

yeah i figured timing would be a problem, but before i put the new dizzy on, you had to hold your foot on the gas to keep it running then to... so i know it wasnt the timing before, because once it was warmed up, it idled steady on 800rpm no fluctuations or nothing


im sure the timing isnt right, but i doubt once i get that fixed its gonna idle steady either, since it did it before the new dizzy and its doing it with the new to, even though the timing is deffinetly off im sure.

 

oil on plugs are either
1) plug o ring gasket
or
2) piston rings shot

 

Ok, your engine and ecu combo isn't matched up right. You should be running a P28 ecu if you're running an OBD 1 B16a2. Even though the car will somewhat operate on a p72, its not the appropriate ecu to run your engine on.

If before the new dizzy you had a problem maintaining a steady idle while warming up the car, then the IACV could possibly be the problem.

On your IAT problem - GSR/P72 utilize an IAT sensor at the top of the intake manifold. CIvic SI/B16a2 utilize an IAT sensor at a section of the intake piping just before the opening of the throttle body. Intake air temp readings will determine how the ECU will adjust air/fuel flow characteristics at that given moment.

Have you replaced your timing belt, removed/replaced the head on your engine, or removed/replaced your cams in this engine?

My opinion - Get yourself the appropriate ECU for your engine, get rid of the CEL codes you have, readjust your idle, and set your timing.

 

Thanks for the thorough advice. I relized i didnt have the right ECU for a b16A2 (The weird part is its a b16A head on a B16A2 head, head is stamped 93 PR3-4, so im guessing its a JDM b16 and not a B17 or something like that.

The IAT, i can see a place on the manifold where it should be, but its just a blank area, would need to be tapped and all that to mount it, so im just going to mount it on the intake...

My spark plugs dont all have oil on them, mainly cyl. 1 (closest to cams) has the most on it, the rest are just slightly. They also smell sort of like gas, im guessing thats from the IAT problem. I was thinking possibly the IAT not being there it was pumping to much gas in and running way to rich to even run, but im probably wrong on that.

I havent done anything with the cams or timing belt, they were replaced before i bought this car. All i've done is fix all the other CEL's i was having, except for the IAT, and replaced the distributor with a brand new OEM TD-44U.

I might try to trade the P72 for a P28 so i atleast know its the right one. I wouldnt have to change any kind of pinouts would i? It would just be plug and play right? Are the pinouts the same for the P28 as the P72?


So basically, get the IAT hooked up, and get a P28, then worry about everything else afterwards right? I really appreciate the help so far though.

 

As far as the IAT, about 6 inches from where the throttle body and intake pipe meet, get a grommet and make a hole for the IAT sensor to snap into. Then accordingly connect it to your ecu. Dont tap the spot at the manifold. Its not recommended, your initial method is best.

Regarding your b16a engine setup, there's no need to worry about what generation block and head combination you have. The head and block assemblies are pretty much the same, just more sensors were added as the generations go up. b16 heads aren't much different except for the lost motion assemblies, I believe.

I kind of figured all your plugs weren't soaked in oil/fuel. Its really unlikely for someone to have all their plugs covered in oil.. But as someone said, the oil is either caused by a leaking spark plug gasket or your piston rings are shot. If you haven't changed your VC gasket and they dont feel soft and rubbery, best bet is to get the gasket kit and hopefully it'll remedy the problem.

I have a chipped p28 if you're interested. LMK on that one. As far as your ECU plugs, you'll be fine. The pinouts are going to be the same.

 

You probably dont live in NC though do you haha. I wanna just trade my OBD1 p72 for a OBD1 P30 or P28 or something like that really, cant spare the cash to just buy one right now. Ima install the IAT, and replace the gaskets, and throw some new plug wires on tehre, reset the ecu and give that a go, then if not, get the right ECU on there, and see about that to..


how can i get my timing in the relative neighborhood of 16 degrees BTDC without the car cranking long anough to use a timing light though? I just want it in the general area of correctness so it would atleast run and the timing not be a isssue on why it wouldnt stay running.

 

Alright heres a suggestion i was givin by my girlfriends dad


Rotate the engine to TDC, take the dizzy cap off, and check if the rotor button is aimed to cylinder 1....


Could this truely just be my problem? Im willing to bet it isnt gonna aim to cyl 1 at all, its the best suggestion ive had so far..

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by itslogz &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Alright heres a suggestion i was givin by my girlfriends dad


Rotate the engine to TDC, take the dizzy cap off, and check if the rotor button is aimed to cylinder 1....


Could this truely just be my problem? Im willing to bet it isnt gonna aim to cyl 1 at all, its the best suggestion ive had so far..</TD></TR></TABLE>

I think its worth a shot checking. All along, i've thought your car problem to be either timing or air/fuel related. Timing of an engine is crucial for an engine to continue running. When you replace a dizzy, timing is set after its installed. there's no real way to determine if the timing is right without turning the engine over and using a timing light.

I'm not in your neck of the woods, but i'd consider doing a straight trade of ecu's to help you out in this situation.

 

Pming you man, it'll probably be easier anyway haha

 

Well i turned the crank to TDC and checked the rotor in the dizzy to see if it was pointing to cyl. 1 on the cap and it was, so thats not a problem, gonna see whatsup here in the next few days, waiting on ngk wires & vc gasket set from advanced and IAT sensor from honda dealership

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by itslogz &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Well i turned the crank to TDC and checked the rotor in the dizzy to see if it was pointing to cyl. 1 on the cap and it was, so thats not a problem, gonna see whatsup here in the next few days, waiting on ngk wires & vc gasket set from advanced and IAT sensor from honda dealership</TD></TR></TABLE>

thats NOT the proper way to look for cam timing
do it right

 

How is that looking for cam timing? I was just checking to make sure the dizzy wasnt in 180* out or even firing close to right. theres no reason my cam timing would be off, it was timed when the cam gears were put in along with a new timing belt, it ran fine before the dizzy got messed with, keep in mind.