I noticed a crack in the sensor on the distributor of my '92 Accord. It's called the CYP sensor, and I'm pointing at it with a pen in this picture: http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/b...psacf2eab4.jpg I've been dealing with a cranks but no-start issue with the vehicle, although the car will randomly start sometimes but most of the time not. I have already investigated other possible causes without success. My question is whether there's a good possibility this cracked part could be the cause of my issue. I checked for any code being thrown by this potentially bad sensor, which would be a (OBD1) code #9, I understand. But no code is being thrown. At this point of my investigation I would like to just know whether it seems likely or not that this cracked sensor is causing my issue, despite it not throwing a code. Thanks

 

A crack in any sensor is never good.

Have you checked what is missing, fuel/spark when it will not start.

I would replace the distributor assembly in any case, even if the cracked sensor is not the problem now it will be at some point, and if spark is what is missing when it will not start and there is still power at the black/yellow when ign. is in both the run and start positions, then the distributor is the problem, [CYP, coil or ICM]. 94

 

Thanks for the reply fcm. Yes, my plan would be to replace the distributor because of that cracked sensor, but at this particular point I just wanted to know if it's reasonable to go ahead and rule out that cracked sensor as the cause of my cranks but no-start issue. I've checked for spark from each spark plug wire with a spark tester, and am getting spark at each wire, (although I'm uncertain I had the gap of the spark tester wide enough; only gapped as far as my spark plug specified gap), but I did see bluish/whitish spark from each wire during cranking. In regard to fuel check, I sprayed starting fluid into the air intake of throttle body while cranking, and that doesn't change the no-start behavior either.
My crank but no-start behavior description: Car cranks and feels like it sort of "catches" once in a while, but never actually gets running. What I mean by "sort of catches" is for a few brief moments (a second or two) it gets the vroom-type starting sound of pistons being fired and compression happening, sounds like it is starting up, usually during the first initial cranks, then that stops/ends and it just cranks. As though briefly it is getting the right combination of spark and fuel at the proper timing, but that combination doesn't continue, it seems to get cut off. That's the way it acts/seems. The other day it actually started right up one time, easily, for some mysterious reason, but it does not want to start again.
I've had the ignitor (ICM) checked on the machine at the auto parts store, and it checked out fine, and my check engine and indicator lights are acting normally when I turn the key on and/or to start, and I'm not getting any codes from the ECM. I can hear the proper clicks from my main relay as I turn the key to on/start and also hear the it run the fuel pump for a few seconds while the check engine light illuminates and then goes off.

 

Check valve and ign. timing, maybe a compression test. 94

 

The car was starting/running fine. I had a new rotor that I decided to install, since I had just previously replaced the plug wires and dist cap but didn't yet have the rotor at that time. I don't think it has anything at all to do with it, just coincidence, but for whatever reason after I changed out that rotor I all of a sudden I began getting the crank but no-start behavior I described. Also, as I mentioned the car did start up a day or two ago, one time, easily, and was idling/running fine. I shut it off and tried it a while later, and was right back to the same no-start behavior again. So in regard to the suggestion that I check valve and ignition timing and maybe do a compression test, how would it be possible that the car started and ran fine before all I did was happen to change out that rotor, and also started/ran once as I just mentioned? Can the valve and/or ignition timing and/or compression just go out of whack causing the no-starts as I described and then just all of a sudden be fine again, with no changes or adjustments being made in between? I wouldn't think so, just doesn't seem logical to me at all.

 

Coincidence.

You need spark, fuel, compression and timeing for an engine to run, you say you have spark and fuel, all that is left is compression and timing, maybe timing belt skipped a tooth, that can happen at anytime.

Have you confirmed that the firing order is correct?

1-3-4-2, distributor is... #1 on the bottom, #4 on the top, #3 on the back, [firewall side] and #1 on the front, [rad side] 94

 

In regard to the possibility of timing belt skipping a tooth, that seems quite unlikely to me, as I had been having the crank but no-start symptoms I described, then all of a sudden one time it just decides to start for me (as I mentioned), and run fine. Then so I shut it off, and then go to try starting again but it won't because the timing belt somehow skipped a tooth since merely shutting it off then trying to start up again?
I am more than positive that the firing order is correct, as because, and I'll mention it again, the car started easily and was running good that one time just a day or so ago, and I hadn't changed the position of any of the spark plug wires or turned the distributor or anything do anything like that to mess up the firing order.

 

I have 1-3-4-2 going clockwise on the cap. #1 on front (rad side), #3 on bottom, #4 on the back (firewall side), #2 on the top.