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90-93 Integra Basic Troubleshooting Guide

95K views 21 replies 17 participants last post by  slow_da9 
#1 ·
INTRODUCTIoN ***This was taken from g2ic.com writen up by The_Oz*** All credit goes to him...i just thought this would help some of the people on here that don't know about g2ic.com and are having problems***enjoy

What you will find in this writeup is just a simple reference guide to follow if your car develops a problem. Please keep note that IT DOES NOT COVER EVERY SINGLE ASPECT of a car's problem. What I am trying to accomplish here is to save some time and hassle in helping people solve some common problems.

I suggest running through the list of known problems based on the symptoms that you have encountered, and see if it that has solved your problem. If not, then, by all means, post a query in the Help forums of G2IC.

If you have any questions/comments, feel free to mail me at the_oz@hotmail.com

Regards,

Oz


BASIC TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE

Engine Related Problems

Engine will not rotate when attempting to start

- Battery terminal connections loose or corroded.
- Battery discharged or faulty.
- Automatic Transmission/transaxle not completely engaged in Park mode or Manual Transmission Clutch not completely depressed.
- Broken, loose or disconnected wiring in the starting circuit.
- Starter motor pinion jammed in flywheel ring gear.
- Starter solenoid faulty.
- Starter motor faulty.
- Ignition switch faulty.
- Starter pinion or flywheel teeth worn or broken.

Engine rotates but will not start

- Fuel tank empty.
- Battery discharged.
- Battery terminal connections loose or corroded.
- Leaking fuel injectors, faulty fuel pump, faulty fuel pressure regulator.
- Fuel not reaching the fuel rail.
Ignition components damp or damaged.
- Worn, faulty or incorrectly gapped spark plugs.
- Broken, loose or disconnected wiring in the starting circuit.
- Loose distributor is changing ignition timing.
- Broken, loose or disconnected wires at the ignition coil or faulty coil.

Engine hard to start when cold

- Battery discharged or low.
- Malfunctioning fuel system.
- Injectors leaking.
- Distributor rotor carbon-tracked.

Engine hard to start when hot

- Air filter clogged.
- Fuel not reaching the fuel injection system.
- Corroded battery connections, especially the ground.

Starter motor noisy or excessively rough in engagement

- Pinion or flywheel gear teeth worn or broken.
- Starter motor mounting bolts loose or missing.

Engine starts but stops immediately

- Loose or faulty electrical connections at distributor, ignition coil or alternator.
- Insufficient fuel reaching the fuel injectors.
- Vacuum leak at the gasket between the intake manifold and throttle body.

Oil puddle under the engine

- Oil pan gasket and/or oil pan drain bolt washer leaking.
- Oil pressure sending unit leaking.
- Cylinder head covers leaking.
- Engine oil seals leaking.

Engine lopes while idling or idles erraticallly

- Vacuum leakage.
- Leaking EGR valve.
- Air filter clogged.
- Fuel pump not delivering sufficient fuel to the fuel injection system.
- Leaking head gasket.
- Timing belt and/or pulleys worn.
- Camshaft lobes worn.

Engine misses at idle speed

- Spark plugs worn or not gapped properly.
- Faulty spark plug wires.
- Vacuum leaks.
- Incorrect ignition timing.
- Uneven or low compression.

Engine misses throughout driving speed range

- Fuel filter clogged and/or impurities in the fuel system.
- Low fuel pressure.
- Faulty or incorrectly gapped spark plugs.
- Incorrect ignition timing.
- Cracked distributor cap, disconnected distributor wires or damged distributor components.
- Leaking spark plug wires.
- Faulty emission system components.
- Low or uneven cylinder compression pressures.
- Weak or faulty ignition system.
- Vacuum leak in fuel injection system, intake manifold, air control valve or vacuum hoses.

Engine stumbles on acceleration

- Spark plugs fouled.
- Fuel injection system faulty.
- Fuel filter clogged.
- Incorrect ignition timing.
- Intake manifold air leak.

Engine surges while holding accelerator steady

- Intake air leak.
- Fuel pump faulty.
- Loose fuel injector wire harness connectors.
- Defective ECU or information sensor.

Engine stalls

- Idle speed incorrect.
- Fuel filter clogged and/or water and impurities in the fuel system.
- Distributor components damp or damaged.
- Fault emissions system components.
- Faulty or incorrectly gapped spark plugs.
- Faulty spark plug wires.
- Vacuum leak in the fuel injection system, intake manifold or vacuum hoses.
- Valve clearances incorrectly set.

Engine lacks power

- Incorrect ignition timing.
- Excessive play in distributor shaft.
- Worn rotor, distributor cap or wires.
- Faulty or incorrectly gapped spark plugs.
- Fuel injection system out of adjustment or excessively worn.
- Fault ignition coil.
- Brakes binding.
- Automatic transmission/transaxle fluid level incorrect.
- Clutch slipping.
- Fuel filter clogged and/or impurities in the fuel system.
- Emission control system not functioning properly.
- Catalytic converter plugged.
- Low or uneven cylinder compression pressures.
- Obstructed exhaust system.

Engine backfires

- Emission control system not functioning properly.
- Ignition timing incorrect.
- Faulty secondary igntion system (cracked spark plug insulator, faulty plug wires, distributor cap and/or rotor).
- Fuel injection system malfunctioning.
- Vacuum leak at the fuel injectors, intake manifold, idle air control valve, or vacuum hoses.
- Valve clearances incorrectly set and/or valves sticking.

Pinging or knocking engine sounds during acceleration or uphill

- Incorrect fuel grade.
- Ignition timing incorrect.
- Fuel injection system faulty.
- Improper or damaged spark plugs or wires.
- Worn or damaged distributor components.
- EGR valve not functioning.
- Vacuum leak.

Engine runs with oil pressure light on

- Low oil level.
- Short in wiring circuit.
- Faulty oil pressure sending unit.
- Worn engine bearings and/or oil pump.


more common problems...link to g2ic topic
 
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#2 ·
I have a 92 integra 5 speed. the other day when i went to drive it my car accelerated very slow out of first and second. Then the next day on the way to school it started slowed down when i was flooring it in second. So i took it to my transmission guy and he said that it might be my distributor. only thing is he drove it 2 days later and it drove perfect for him but he drove it for about 15 minutes. So i went back to pick the car up today and he took the distributor apart while i was there and noticed a missing screw so he put the screw back on and it was making a weird clicking noise but he said it should be fine to drive but if it acted up again to get a new distributor. so i drove it home and it did the same as for him, it drove fine for about 15 minutes, then when i got to a stop sign down the street from my house it acted up again, i just want to make sure its definetly my distributor and only that before i buy a new one.
 
#3 ·
Check to see if your ecu is throwing any codes before you buy anything. That could help find out what is wrong. Usually when a distributor is bad the car wont start or is very hard starting. Try doing cap and rotor first and while you do that check to see if the shaft of the distrib has any play in it....if so i'd replace it. But it could be afew different things:
Engine lacks power

- Incorrect ignition timing.
- Excessive play in distributor shaft.
- Worn rotor, distributor cap or wires.
- Faulty or incorrectly gapped spark plugs.
- Fuel injection system out of adjustment or excessively worn.
- Fault ignition coil.
- Brakes binding.
- Automatic transmission/transaxle fluid level incorrect.
- Clutch slipping.
- Fuel filter clogged and/or impurities in the fuel system.
- Emission control system not functioning properly.
- Catalytic converter plugged.
- Low or uneven cylinder compression pressures.
- Obstructed exhaust system.
 
#5 ·
1992_LS_INTEGRA, it could be any of the listed things. But I would check out your distributor from what you've said. Or perhaps the fuel filter needs to be changed out. Alternator charges the battery so it isn't that.

Engine starts but stops immediately

- Loose or faulty electrical connections at distributor, ignition coil or alternator.
- Insufficient fuel reaching the fuel injectors.
- Vacuum leak at the gasket between the intake manifold and throttle body.

Engine stalls

- Idle speed incorrect.
- Fuel filter clogged and/or water and impurities in the fuel system.
- Distributor components damp or damaged.
- Fault emissions system components.
- Faulty or incorrectly gapped spark plugs.
- Faulty spark plug wires.
- Vacuum leak in the fuel injection system, intake manifold or vacuum hoses.
- Valve clearances incorrectly set.
 
#6 ·
first time poster, and first time teg owner. although i have owned 88 civic dx and 89 civic si, and my current 96 prelude. the integra is a 90 model hatchback. the car does not start. yes i have replaced the fuel relay, fuel pump, filter, battery, starter, and plugs.

i thought it may be related to the fuel cause when i disconnected the fuel line from the filter and tried to crank, now fuel came out. which is why i went the fuel route.

tomorrow i am going to have a friend stick his tounge on the plug as i try to start the car. ok not really, but we will double check to see if spark is getting to the plug.

any suggestions?
thanks in advance.
 
#7 ·
cifer6425 on May/30/06 said:
check to see if spark is getting to the plug.

any suggestions?
thanks in advance.
That should have been done before the fuel check since its way easier.
 
#10 ·
cifer6425 on May/31/06 said:
yes i agree it should have been done before. but we live and learn. right now spark is not getting to the spark plug. i tested this by removing plug, connecting plug to wire, and having a friend to try to start the car. expecting to see a spark. no spark.
You know it has to be grounded to see spark right? If its just the plug on the end of the wire up in the air, there will be no spark as it has no ground. Yes the electrode is the path to ground, but when its in the air, it has no ground.

When its in the cylinder head it grounds through to the engine from the plug itself.
 
#11 ·
I Been have in a hard time with my 93 integra LS Automatic for about a month now, The car sometimes its hard to start, when I open the switch the check light appears and its hard to start, once the car starts the S3 light starts to flahs is that something bad? The other problem is that the car when its running for a while the revolusion start going up and down like crazy then few seconds the car dies down. I took it to the mechanic so he can check the ECU but he said that is not giving any codes. The fuel filter is good the batt is new i just had clean the injectors. what can it be?? I would Really apreciate any help.
 
#12 ·
#14 ·
All the answers are up above.

At least make a list of all the things that you have checked.

And your problem off the top sounds like the main relay.

Also if your check engine light doesn't show up, then check for codes using the jumper wire.

And again list your car year so others can help you better.
 
#20 ·
hey guys, im new to cars in general I have a 91 integra rs auto hatchback. I recently bought it and replaced air, oil and fuel filters, and spark plugs. when I start the car up it occasionally will accelerate on its own, like 2.5k rpm and when I stop for 2 seconds it stops and doesnt come back. any ideas on what it could be?
 
#22 ·
Hey guys I'm new to HT. I bought a da integra the other day from an old man who said it had a problem with the headlights and a blown headgaske. Well I got the car back home and got it started to pull it off the trailer and put it in reverse and the car died. I tried it again and the same thing. Pushed it off the trailer and started one more time and turned in the headlights and it killed the car. Started it again and the lights stayed on and the car ran but when I went to shut it off the car stayed running and and the lights stayed on. I tried everything and it just wouldn't shut off. I started messing with it again today and now it will start but as soon as i turn the lights on the car dies and when the car is shut off If you press the horn, press the brakes, or turn the headlights or marker lights on the temperature gauge lays all of the way kver showing that the car is hot without the key on And the little voltage box thingy (not sure what it's called) in the passenger side of the floor will vibrate and make a loud noise. When you turn the key over it won't do the 3 clicks and fuel pump won't prime. Sorry for being such a noob and I hope I don't get roasted to bad. I've looked everywhere and can't find anything on the problems I'm having. Any help will be greatly appreciated. I've searched through tons of forums and even made a post on here and HT.
 
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