Hey there!
I'm really hoping that I can find some help here.
I just bought a 1992 Acura Integra, 1.8L 4cyl, 5 speed manual.
I'm no mechanic, I know a couple basics and a few internal things about vehicle, but with it being Hondas DOHC engine, I'm fairly confused.
While I was driving it home 2 nights ago, the car just died, all the dash lights came on, and I was unable to start it for about 30 minutes. I then turned it over, and it fired up just fine. I drove it about 50km to my parents house and left it over night.
Yesterday, I drove the car around with no issues until halfway through the day when I stopped at a friends place to say bye as I was going to leave town and go home. I left the car idling for about 5 minutes, came outside, and it was dead, wouldn't start, and I'm now stuck away from home and I work in 2 days...
There is power to the ignitor coil, but no spark to the plugs...
If you're confident it's not making it out of the distributor take a look at the underside of cap and rotor for wear. It can also be difficult to check for spark at the plug wire make sure you're shorting it out correctly with a screwdriver to ground or with the plug in the wire then to ground. Always attempt a good ground doing this as you can kill your coil if not done right. I recommend going to the parts store and buying a cheap tester for this, it hooks to the plug wire and either lights a bulb or shows a spark.
There are several threads here for this problem also.
You may also have to check for fuel pressure if you find you're getting spark. * Add > I should also say make sure you're getting the initial whirl sound from the fuel pump when you turn the key on. If you can't hear it inside the car put your ear to the open gas filler hole and then have someone turn the key to on. Do this after the car has been sitting for about an hour*
IMHO if you get pressed for time due to work just call one of those mobile mechanics out he/she will have everything that's needed and it shouldn't take long to find what's up.
Well so far I have replaced the Ignitor coil, module, plugs, wires, cap, rotor, checked the ECU for shorts, melts, corrosion, etc. Everything seems to be in working condition, I just can't figure it out for the life of me... There's fuel in the lines and filter. Fuel pump is engaging when key is 'ON'. The only thing I havent replaced due to the extensive cost, is the distributor itself.
So the engines not cranking when you turn the key, it's silent?
I have to head out to work but I still suggest getting a cheap spark tester. If it cranks check the distributor connections and pins. It could also be a sensor in the dist housing such as the CYP cylinder position sensor. You sometimes get an engine light for this.
Here is a drawing I did for someone although it may not be conclusive.
You also have a crank position sensor (2, 6) and and top dead center sensor (3, 7) in there. The resistance and continuity table is the same for each set in the chart I believe.
It sounds like you've declared war on your car by replacing all those parts without proper testing. it would be way cheaper to call someone out. Thoes guys are usually top line troubleshooters and can be surprisingly cheap.
also check make sure your timing belt is tight. i once replaced a distributor on another car of mine, AND THEN realized that the timing belt came loose. fail.
The way you describe the car dieing while running, not restarting, and then it does restart eventually sometimes makes me want to see fuel pressure. It really sounds like a main realy(computer/fuel system, up under the dash by the column) problem to me. With a bad main relay you won't get spak or fuel pressure and the problems with those are usually intermitent in the beginning. Sometimes tapping on the relay will get it to start if thats the problem.
Also I agree about only using an actual spark tester to check for spark.
Hmm, well I know the problem is that I am not getting spark to the plugs. There is power in the coil, but it isn't making it further than there. Almost 100% sure it has nothing to do with the fuel, as there is gas in the filter.
At first, there was an intermittent spark to the plug, now there's none.
I bought a used distributor base, and am going to be replacing it with the current one in a few hours, as the current one looks as though a few of the wires have been overheated and are quite brittle.
Could the timing belt cause me to not have spark at the plugs, but power in the coil?
if it sounds like it normally does when it turns over, its probably not the belt. the problem will probably be your distributor. if not, i'm stumped if it is the spark.
Thanks Killswitch, but he doesnt show how to actually tell if it's the distributor itself, which is what I'm trying to figure out right now. Replacing it within an hour or 2, will update when finished.
Hey guys, I uploaded 2 pictures of my main relay to a photo album, would anyone be able to check it out and let me know if it's in need of replacing? I know that I could solder it back together instead of buying a brand new one, but I figure Ive spent so much on it already I may as well go new.
Thanks.
I replaced the Relay, and it started and ran for about 10 seconds, then died again, and won't start... I'm almost in tears, my life has been screwed, I lost my job, I have no money left, no vehicle, and I'm still stuck away from home.
I just don't know what to do!
looks like you need a distributor housing. you can try sanding down the contact points(connecting to the ignitor and coil) on the housing to see if that helps
remember to NEVER EVER crank the engine without grounding the coil. if you crank it without the cap, rotor, spark plug wires and spark plugs, you will destroy the coil.
The problem is now when I turn the key to ON, the fuel pump isnt engaging, and neither is the relay... Could the distributor housing cause that? I also have a solid CEL. I'm starting to believe it's my ECU...
I know how to test, jumped the testing pin with a paper clip, CEL is still solid. After leaving the car overnight, I went to start it this morning, it fired up first turn, ran for another 20 seconds, then died, and will no longer start, again.... However, when I turned the key to ON before starting it this morning, (not positive where from), there was a very definitive sounbd from near the main relay, that sounded like it was shorting out or something, but after the sound stopped, the CEL went out, which is when i fired it up and it ran for 20 seconds, but as I said, it died, and now have a steady CEL, and no start again. I'm really stumped and frustrated.
if the CEL stays on while you're jumping it, it means there are no codes. try resetting the ECU by taking off the negative battery cable for a minute or two and then putting it back on. after you do this, listen for your fuel pump when you turn the car on. it might be your fuel pump shorting out the relay. this is the only thing i can think of at the moment...
Okay, odd question. On my main relay harness, the black wire in Pin 2, is the ground that is supposed to lead to the thermostat housing, correct? There is no ground wire on the housing, and I am just wondering if it would kill the entire harness if I cut JUST the black wire at the harness (that connects to the relay) and temporarily re-ground it to the body inside the car, just to see if it's the problem? (If not I could easily reconnect the ground wire to where I cut it).
not sure if it goes to the thermostat housing, but it is a ground. you can cut it and re-ground it anywhere on the body. on a paintless surface, needless to say.
Hmm, so I have 3 used relays, I tried connecting each, and then turning the ignition to ON, it seems that whenever I connect one of them, and turn it to ON for the first time, it makes a lot of buzzing noises, the CEL flickers a little bit, then goes solid after the noise stops.... I did cut and re-ground the wire.
That info help a diagnosis at all?
Okay, now another bit of info, I disconnected my battery for 10 minutes, re-connected it, and now whenever I turn my key to ON (II), the pump engages for about 2 seconds, the CEL goes out, the relay starts its berserk buzzing, the pump shuts off, and the CEL comes back on solid. (even with the test plug jumped)
My fuel pump is good though, we dropped the tank and jumped the pump yesterday, it runs fine.
EDIT: I'm still stuck on the idea that it's the relay... Because of the berserk buzzing sound it made before the car started this morning, and whenever i pull one, and put the other in now, it buzzes a little bit and the CEL flickers but once the noise stops, the light goes solid... (still not starting)
No you shouldnt. That's likely an ecu failure. Find a friend with a p61.
I've seen this behavior on old ECUs, the main power capacitor fails, leaks, messes up traces. You can repair the ECU if this is the case and you're savvy with a soldering iron. If you want to look and confirm open the ECU and take a picture of the biggest capacitor near the OBD plugs.
Did it ever run right with that ECU? Go into VTEC ect? That's for an LS.
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