Rep Power: 0

for a few days when at idle the engine would bog down but never die and when around 65 mph it would cut out, never die, but i would let off the gas and get back on it and it would be fine. then the other day it wouldn't start. i assumed it was the distributor again (this would be my third one in 3 years), but i just swapped it and it still wont start. i can hear the fuel pump kick on and can smell the fuel if i pump it. I'm not a mechanic, just a parts changer at best, any ideas what to check next?

 
Rep Power: 518

Check if it has spark or not?
Did you check that before just popping another dist in?


Aftermarket distributors are junk.

 
Rep Power: 0

no, i didn't check that first. It was the same thing that happened twice already and was still under warranty, so i just pulled it off and replaced it. I took it for granted the new one would be making spark, it is an aftermarket though.

 
Rep Power: 518

I've seen where someone had to try as many as 5 in a row before getting one that would run the engine.



Of course, if the problem wasn't the distributor in the first place, you would be barking up the wrong tree and may have complicated the whole thing by installing a completely new problem.......

 
Rep Power: 0

I've checked and i have spark. i cracked the line going into the common rail and had pressure. still no fire. what controls injectors? crankshaft sensor, some other sensor or relay? I'm looking for other things to check and am getting out of my league. i'm leaning toward not enough fuel pressure or injectors not spraying. it just wouldnt start one morning so i dont think they are plugged.
if it is crankshaft sensor is there a cheat way of installing it? manual says to remove covers and timing, and altenator belts.

 
Rep Power: 518

Does it crank funny?
Sounds like weeeweeeweeeweeeweee instead of RuhRuhRuhRuhRuh?

Pull the plugs out: Are the spark plugs dry or are they wet with fuel?


(looking for is it flooded, and has it lost compression)
The important crankshaft sensor is inside the distributor.
The one you see by the crank pulley is only used to detect misfire. It should run just fine without it but the CEL would stay on.

 
Rep Power: 0

i did some more troubleshooting tonight in the cold and dark. plugs are wet. i'm gonna try to get a pressure gauge to check fuel pressure. Right now I'm thinking the pump may not be supplying enough pressure and the injectors are just dripping more than spraying and flooding it. I checked the spark plugs again and there is a strong blue spark. fuel pressure is the only thing i can think of that would cause it to not start with fuel and spark present. ???

 
Rep Power: 518

Plugs wet = flooded. You already have plenty of fuel.

Gotta get the cylinders dried out and reoil the rings in order to get compression back up.


Read these 2 threads:

https://www.civicforums.com/forums/2...ont-start.html


https://www.civicforums.com/forums/2...tart-help.html

 
Rep Power: 0

i tried oiling the rings, no help. i checked compression and am getting 140-150psi in each cylinder. i have to be missing something stupid, everything i check is good. i was thinking that when i checked for spark and pulled plugs at cylinder 1 and 3, but i didnt pull the other two. anyone know the firing order on this engine?

 
Rep Power: 518

If I checked compression using my method and my tester, that would be a very low reading. I expect 180 or higher.

Many things can cause compression to be lower than expected....weak battery and slow cranking speed, flooding, cam timing, equipment fail, method fail, throttle closed, not all plugs removed, etc...

Flooding washes the oil off the cylinder walls and makes compression drop, that's why reoiling is sometimes necessary.

Gotta get the cyls dried out too.

Is cam timing still correct? (is ignition timing correct with a timing light?)


Firing order is 1342