Can anyone tell me how to replace the igniter on an '89 CRX Si...? I don't even know what it looks like .

 

it's inside the distributor. it has 4 prongs with connectors on them, should say NEC with a part number next to it. It's only held in by two screws but you have to take off the rotor also.

 

Like TurboInteg95 said, It should only take you about 5 minutes to do. Only suggestion is to clean off any corrosion on the wires, recomend using a solution to do it. ex. baking soda water...... I did it without doing that and had some problems with connectivity, I spoke with the local Honda specialist and he said thats what he does ALL the time. Most cars have such bad corrosion on them--especially JDM engines, (you know from coming across the big satly lake)-- Anyways, hope this helps...You probably have it done by now but just thought I would give my 2 cents...

Drive safe.......... Spirited driving rules


[Modified by 91crxer, 5:47 PM 7/16/2001]

 

Haven't done it yet... I wanted to try it before I congratulated the man... heheheh . I was busy installing a new fuel pump, but I'll do it when I get home. Thanks for the advice all!

 

Geez you're careful Teken, I just yanked out my old one and popped the new one in... LOL...

No real problems, though, except the damn engine bay is so cramped. Honda may be great at engine technology but they sure could use lessons on how to leave room in the engine bay .

P.S. This didn't fix my idle problem... I noticed that the hum of the fuel pump was rising and falling with the car's idle wavering, so I think it may be an alternator on the way out...

 

what kind of idle problem are you having? What kind of igniter did you replace the old one with? What was the name on the old igniter?

 

just a note: most civics don't have an egr unles a high fuel economy model such as HF or HX and possibly Cali models. At least 4, 5, and 6th gen.

 

Actually it is not used to reburn unburnt combustion gases- it is used to lower the compressin ration of a cylinder. For example- light throttle +high load= advanced timing and high combustion temps- throw in some inert gas (egr valve) and temps cool and NOx is reduced- this way you can run leaner (hotter) mixtures without detonation or excessive NOx emissions.

 

also- on civics without egr- valve overlap can be used to pull in exhaust gas. Ford does this on some of their motors with a variable cam timing-

 

Holy crap that's a huge-*** post Teken. Your post count would be astronomical if it took into account total post length .

OK, here's what I've tried and gotten as results, numerically ordered... remember I have a JDM B16A powered CRX (manual tranny). Cliff Notes of the problem are at the bottom.

1. Spark plugs were just replaced and regapped to spec day before yesterday. Replaced with NGK coppers (I was previously using NGK laser platinums), part # BKR6E-11. No change whatsoever, but they were cheap .

2. Ignition wires were a primary concern for me so I replaced them with Accel 300+ 8 gauge wires. I'll try the light tube test soon as I get my hands on a fluorescent tube, but I'm doubtful this is the cause (read the Cliff notes on the problem at the bottom to see why).

3. Never checked the coil. I don't have a multimeter at the moment as I fried my last one during a moment of stupidity, but I'm going to pick one up say tomorrow afternoon .

4. Battery is an Interstate model, 500 CCA, 625 CA. The car starts up fine and I often run the stereo just off the battery w/ the car off, so I think that's OK...

5. I had some troubles getting my ground wire hooked up initially, so I guess it would be a good idea to check them all and potentially replace them. Aside from that, the ground from the battery runs to the engine, and the engine is grounded to the chassis at one point on the valvecover.

6. I called a professional today 'bout injector cleaning, and was quoted $129, which is pretty good. That doesn't include balancing the injectors, however, which worries me since he had no clue what 'balancing' the injectors meant .

7. I just unplugged the O2 sensors, both primary and secondary today, and the car STILL idles like a biotch... if anything, the problem might be worse. What's strange is that I DID NOT receive a Check Engine light OR an ECU code by doing this. However, my Autometer A/F gauge still reads full rich (1V)... hmmmm . I don't know how to check the O2 sensors aside from that and using a multimeter... tips?

8. I don't know how to check the idle unloaded vs loaded... tips? I take it the idle screw is concealed underneath a dab of wax on top of the throttlebody?

9. EGR system... to tell you the truth I don't know anything about it . If this involves the IACV/EACV then I tried unplugging that before starting the car. I believe it's supposed to lower the idle, but my car wouldn't idle with it unplugged. I don't really know what that means...

10. PCV was just replaced with an El Cheapo part from Canadian Tire... far as I know it's all good, and the idle problem didn't show up until after it was replaced, though that might be more than coincidence... hmm. I noticed a bit of oily residue on the inside of the old one if that means anything.

11. If anything my throttle cable is too loose (more than a finger's worth of slack)... the car seems to run best when it's hot outside.

12. How do you check these? Here's an interesting note... my CRX has TWO valves on the firewall beside the MAP sensor. I went and pulled a junkyard one off an '89 CRX Si, but haven't tried mounting it yet. All the vacuum lines and hoses seem tight, though they're jerry-rigged with hosing that might not belong in those places and I'm not 100% sure they're hooked up right. I have the Fast Idle Valve hooked up to the Fuel Pressure Regulator outlet, if that makes a difference .

13. My catalytic converter is old as the hills. This might be a good thing to check soon... thanks for the tip . I can also smell some unburnt fuel when I first start the car up.

14. My car takes FOREVER to warm up in the mornings. Obviously, I'm pretty sure the thermostat is stuck open. Think it's worth replacing? I'll pick one up tomorrow... the coolant levels are nominal, though I often drain the radiator and fill it with straight clean water for dragstrip use. I don't use the bleed screw for filling the radiator, either; I use the start-it-with-the-car-cold-and-rad-cap-off method. Is that a problem?

*phew* I think that about covers all I've done... no hold up, there's more.

I just replaced the igniter with an NEC model from my old '88 CRX Si distributor. The part numbers were hella different, but otherwise the units were identical. The new unit made no difference in running. I've also tried replacing the MAP sensor with a junkyard unit, and I've just done the cap and rotor as well. The fuel pump was just replaced yesterday with a Holley 190lph unit, and though it's noisier, no changes were noticed.

The main question I have right now is the alternator. I'm using a short alternator belt so that I don't have to bash a hole into my engine bay. The downside to this is that the alternator belt is VERY tight, which might have damaged the alternator. The reason I mention this is that when the car's idle is wandering when I first start it, the fuel pump seems to quieten and get louder almost in tune with the revs, like it's not getting enough power. Makes me think the alternator's flipping on and off, possibly?

OK, here's the general description of the problem.

Cliff Notes:
The car idles very badly while cold. If the throttle is pressed AT ALL when it's cold, the car will stall and die as soon as the throttle is released. If the throttle is maintained, the car will run perfectly (albeit being difficult to drive). If the car is allowed to warm up fully before driving, the idle will smooth out to something resembling 750 rpm, and pretty much stay there no matter what as long as the car is driven, though occasionally it will hunt (usually at stoplights). It never stalls if the car's allowed to warm up, but if you drive it while it's cold, the ECU will never smooth out the idle and it will eventually die every time the throttle is released (though it might fight for a bit first).

I hope you guys can do something with this... . TIA!

 

which ecu/harness are you using?