Help! Engine won't start
19-Apr-2006, 04:13 PM
#42
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I've unclipped the injectors (so that no fuel will get into the combustion chamber) and sprayed some starting fluid in the air intake. I then tried to crank the engine and it just kept cranking - I would expect the engine to at least "cough". I then took out the spark plugs and I can smell that they did fire while in the combustion chamber.
Can any one tell me what else I can try?
Can any one tell me what else I can try?
22-Apr-2006, 12:05 PM
#43
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i had the same problem my car stopped running when i was driving home from work ... didnt know what it was so i got it towed to my mechanic... he told me it was my ignition coil i believe its called.. cost me $200 ... so that might be the problem dunno if sum1 mentioned it b4.. but just thought id mention it bc i know its annoyin.. neways gud luk
22-Apr-2006, 02:52 PM
#44
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As I mentioned earlier, I bought a new coil as well - but the resistance between the A and B terminals is 1.1 ohms, instead of the 0.6 to 0.8 ohms as specified in the service manual. My old coil also had a resistance of 1.1 ohms. So it's the same as the new coil.
I've talked to the Honda parts department and they said all their coils are like that - the guy has measured a few other new coils for me and they all came out to be 1.1 ohms. Can any one tell me whether 1.1 ohms is acceptable, or whether all the coils in the parts department are bad?
Thanks in advance.
I've talked to the Honda parts department and they said all their coils are like that - the guy has measured a few other new coils for me and they all came out to be 1.1 ohms. Can any one tell me whether 1.1 ohms is acceptable, or whether all the coils in the parts department are bad?
Thanks in advance.
30-Apr-2006, 11:06 AM
#47
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man your car is fukd then. your main relay is good, your getting fuel, and spark. you say you replaced all these parts.
i say double check the firing order then send it in if it doesn't work.
post a pic of the engine bay as it sit right now with out moving anything so we can see the firing order. i think its the firing order cause you can have all that mombojumbo working and it wont start if the firing order is wrong. depending on how bad the order is it might and might not back fire.
check the firing order.
i say double check the firing order then send it in if it doesn't work.
post a pic of the engine bay as it sit right now with out moving anything so we can see the firing order. i think its the firing order cause you can have all that mombojumbo working and it wont start if the firing order is wrong. depending on how bad the order is it might and might not back fire.
check the firing order.
30-Apr-2006, 02:02 PM
#50
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I've asked 2 different mechanics to try to fix it. But they couldn't figure it out. Do you think I'll waste everybody's time (and my time) here if the solution is as simple as getting a mechanic to fix it?
Also, please don't ask me to check the firing order again. I've checked it 20 times literally. It's one of the first things I checked. The mechanics have also checked it for me. So I'm 100% sure the firing order is correct.
Even if the timing is incorrect, the engine should at least cough with the starting fluid, right? But the engine is not even coughing....
Does any one have any other suggestions that have not been suggested before please? Thanks.
Also, please don't ask me to check the firing order again. I've checked it 20 times literally. It's one of the first things I checked. The mechanics have also checked it for me. So I'm 100% sure the firing order is correct.
Even if the timing is incorrect, the engine should at least cough with the starting fluid, right? But the engine is not even coughing....
Does any one have any other suggestions that have not been suggested before please? Thanks.
Originally posted by duse
its been way over a month. why dont you get your car towed and get your mechanic to fix it?
its been way over a month. why dont you get your car towed and get your mechanic to fix it?
30-Apr-2006, 02:14 PM
#51
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all were trying to do is help you out, but your getting mad.mechanics aren't always right. for someone who doesn't look at a honda engine bay all the time might not notice that the firing order is backwards.
just calm down buddy and take it easy. please post up a picture of the engine bay. it would be easy maybe someone can point something out that you might not notice.
30-Apr-2006, 04:29 PM
#52
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Don't get me wrong...I'm not getting mad - maybe it came out the wrong way. I just want to emphasize that I've checked the firing order numerous times - I've mentioned this a few times in my previous posts already - but I guess people don't read the entire thread before replying.
I do appreciate all your help - I just want to get some fresh ideas on what else might be wrong about the engine. If we talk about the same ideas again and again, then we'll just be going in circles, right? We have 3 pages of posts here, and if you read them all, you'll see that about 15 to 20% of the posts asked me to check the firing order! And, I've replied to every single one of those posts saying that I have checked the firing order.
I do appreciate all your help - I just want to get some fresh ideas on what else might be wrong about the engine. If we talk about the same ideas again and again, then we'll just be going in circles, right? We have 3 pages of posts here, and if you read them all, you'll see that about 15 to 20% of the posts asked me to check the firing order! And, I've replied to every single one of those posts saying that I have checked the firing order.
30-Apr-2006, 06:23 PM
#53
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if the "mechanics" couldn't atleast give you an idea of whats wrong then they aren't good mechanics. You obviously aren't going to find what the problem is if you tried everything like you said you did.
My guess would be weak spark, but you said you dont have weak spark. But have you have seen the difference between a weak spark and stron spark when its grounded?
My guess would be weak spark, but you said you dont have weak spark. But have you have seen the difference between a weak spark and stron spark when its grounded?
30-Apr-2006, 06:47 PM
#54
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Chris_si98:
Thanks for your reply. Yes, I agree that it's very likely to be weak spark. That's why I asked the question a few posts above regarding the coil:
...the resistance between the A and B terminals is 1.1 ohms, instead of the 0.6 to 0.8 ohms as specified in the service manual. My old coil also had a resistance of 1.1 ohms. So it's the same as the new coil.
Can any one tell me whether 1.1 ohms is acceptable, or whether all the coils in the parts department are bad?
But no one seems to be able to answer that question.
My sparks looked strong enough, but I will never know for sure until I know whether the coil resistance of 1.1 ohms is acceptable.
Thanks.
Thanks for your reply. Yes, I agree that it's very likely to be weak spark. That's why I asked the question a few posts above regarding the coil:
...the resistance between the A and B terminals is 1.1 ohms, instead of the 0.6 to 0.8 ohms as specified in the service manual. My old coil also had a resistance of 1.1 ohms. So it's the same as the new coil.
Can any one tell me whether 1.1 ohms is acceptable, or whether all the coils in the parts department are bad?
But no one seems to be able to answer that question.
My sparks looked strong enough, but I will never know for sure until I know whether the coil resistance of 1.1 ohms is acceptable.
Thanks.
04-May-2006, 09:47 PM
#55
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I've checked the spark plugs again today - I've placed the spark plugs about 1/2 inch from the valve cover - the sparks jumped to the valve cover very clearly. So I think the sparks are strong enough. However, I also checked the compression with a compression tester today and here's what I found (at wide open throttle while cranking the engine):
1) cylinder #1 has 100psi of compression
2) cylinder #2 has 100psi of compression
3) cylinder #3 has 130psi of compression
4) cylinder #4 has 80psi of compression
The compression of each cylinder does seem low, correct? Also, the variations between then is greater than 28psi (which is what the limit is, according to the service manual). So, with these compressions, do you think the engine should even cough when starting fluid is sprayed into the air intake/throttle body?
Thanks!
1) cylinder #1 has 100psi of compression
2) cylinder #2 has 100psi of compression
3) cylinder #3 has 130psi of compression
4) cylinder #4 has 80psi of compression
The compression of each cylinder does seem low, correct? Also, the variations between then is greater than 28psi (which is what the limit is, according to the service manual). So, with these compressions, do you think the engine should even cough when starting fluid is sprayed into the air intake/throttle body?
Thanks!
05-May-2006, 02:14 PM
#56
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Was that a dry test or a wet test? If you tested it dry, shoot like 3 drops of oil into the combustion chambers, then test it. Compression should come up. All that fuel in the cylinders must have dired up the seal.
Have you looked into the distributor connector? Disconnect the plug at the distributor and measure the resistance between the Orange and White wires, there should be 350-700ohms. if there isn't replace the distributor.
Have you looked into the distributor connector? Disconnect the plug at the distributor and measure the resistance between the Orange and White wires, there should be 350-700ohms. if there isn't replace the distributor.
05-May-2006, 10:20 PM
#58
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The compression test was a dry test. I will try a wet test tomorrow.
I've disconnected the plug at the distributor and measured the resistance between the orange and white wires on the distributor as suggested by '93TurboD. The resistance was 366 ohms. So, I think my distributor is good?
The car was running fine before. Then one day (about 2 months ago) on the highway, the engine just stopped and won't fire up again. Had the car towed to two different mechanics (one of them is actually a very large chain oil lube place - I won't name names here), and they couldn't figure it out.
The engine is all stock. No swap was ever done.
Any other ideas? Could the engine's problem be its compression?
Thanks again for all your help!
I've disconnected the plug at the distributor and measured the resistance between the orange and white wires on the distributor as suggested by '93TurboD. The resistance was 366 ohms. So, I think my distributor is good?
The car was running fine before. Then one day (about 2 months ago) on the highway, the engine just stopped and won't fire up again. Had the car towed to two different mechanics (one of them is actually a very large chain oil lube place - I won't name names here), and they couldn't figure it out.
The engine is all stock. No swap was ever done.
Any other ideas? Could the engine's problem be its compression?
Thanks again for all your help!
05-May-2006, 11:46 PM
#60
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Well, '93TurboD said that if the resistance between the orange and white wires on the distributor is between 350 and 700 ohms, then the dizzy is good.
I have strong sparks, the dizzy tested out good using '93TurboD's method. Also, I don't want to take out the dizzy unless I absolutely have to - I'll need to redo the ignition timing after changing a dizzy - something that I don't want to do unless it's absolutely necessary - I don't want to add more problems to my existing problem.
Also, I don't want to keep throwing parts at the car only to find out that a part is not the problem. What am I going to do with all those extra parts? It's difficult and time consuming to sell used parts. Last thing I want to happen is for me to have tons of spare parts for my car and a car that doesn't run.
I have strong sparks, the dizzy tested out good using '93TurboD's method. Also, I don't want to take out the dizzy unless I absolutely have to - I'll need to redo the ignition timing after changing a dizzy - something that I don't want to do unless it's absolutely necessary - I don't want to add more problems to my existing problem.
Also, I don't want to keep throwing parts at the car only to find out that a part is not the problem. What am I going to do with all those extra parts? It's difficult and time consuming to sell used parts. Last thing I want to happen is for me to have tons of spare parts for my car and a car that doesn't run.
