Ok,I think I am having a problem with my MFR. I am familiar with the solder contacts getting bad and it not wanting to start after it gets warmed/hot, which has happened in the past and is happening again now, I think. So i think I need to re-solder the contacts but... would a malfunctioning MFR cause me to idle high/higher than normal (around 1100-1500 RPM)? I'm a little stumped. It just started this afternoon... I noticed the slightly higher idle then shut it off to get a $5 hot & ready LOL and get back to car... Started then immediately died. Had to crank 4-5 times before it would run... Drive 3-4 miles home (still idling high) and shut off in garage and no start again. Car has since cooled off about 45 min and seems to be fine. Is this a possible other symptom of bad MFR or another problem I may be having? Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Not sure if relevant, but 1990 DA with B20B swap.

PS. I have already Googled it Dammit!

 

If you do not hear the fuel pump priming when you turn the ign. on, then the problem is most likely the PGM-FI Main Relay.

On the othe hand problem is most likely the ign. coil or possibly the ICM, both are susceptible to heat related failure, more so the coil if it works after cooling down, the ICM tends to just stop working altogether, although it can sometimes start working again once cooled down. 94

 

Would either of those cause a higher idle?

 

Unlikely, you may just need to adjust idle for that. 94

 

So I have been fighting with this for a while now. It seems to be very intermitten. I had 2 MFR's and I got both of them re-soldered by someone who knew what the heck he was doing -- not me. I tested both of them and the car started up perfect. Sweet!!

Fast foward a few days and the problem happens again. But oh yeah! I've got my spare MFR on me. Quick swap and... NO START! I had read somewhere that cold rag or water on the distributor would help if the prob was ICM or coil. I tried that and sure enough car started after about 5 minutes versus 30-45 minutes as it had been before.

I had the coil and the ignitor checked and they were both ok, But they were checked when they were cold...(not sure if that would give me false readings since it only does it when hot). I figured, after A LOT of research, I would try the ICM first based on my symptoms.

I ordered a new one and guess what? It won't fit. WTF? This is my luck. All the pics I see on the interwebs look like the one I was sold... Two holes on the outermost edges to bolt to the heatsink. The ICM in my distributor has the heatsink molded to it. I can't figure a way to disassemble them. There are not 2 little screws on the back to seperate the 2 pieces. AND I can't find the heatsink by itself.

So I cleaned the prongs that the four wires hook to and re-greased with some dielectric grease. As well, I noticed a small crack in the housing of the Coil where one of the screws that holds it down to the housing appears as tho it may have been over-tightened at some point. I put some specialty 3M hot glue that said it was good for high temps and was good with electrical insulation. I don't want that electricity going where it shouldn't be. So far, so good. It has been 3 days and I have not had any more starting issues. Knock on Wood...

Does anyone know why the ICM would be like that, all one piece? I can't be 100% certain that it IS in fact the original distributor, but the car was bone stock and had obviously had very little maintenance when I purchased it. I would be shocked if the dist. had been swapped with another year/make. That being said... the part number on the back of my OE. ICM (MC-8132) referenced a 93-95 Honda Accord and some other vehicle, I can't remember. Very strange.

And to address the slightyly high idle, which I think may have been completely un-related, I replaced the PCV, tightened the intake manifold bolts (which a few were slightly loose) and re-bled the coolant system.
ROCK AND ROLL!!!

 

high idle is usually caused by a vacuum leak

 

^^ That's the obvious thing. I have checked that for sure. Numerous times. I wish it would have just been a leak somewhere. That would have been much less headache LOL. I think majority of it was a sticky PCV.