Rep Power: 211

DCB1...the **** your going through with mechanics as well as the costs is one of the reasons people start doing their own repairs. The money you spent on them could have purchased a good set of tools.

Not sure why you replaced the fuel pump when the test you followed per ETCG's video proved the pump's pressure is adequate. The reasons to test as much as possible is to try avoiding throwing parts at issues that may not solve them. I don't mean to sound belittling as I know you are new to car ownership and the problems that come with it.

A combustion engine has to have three basic components spark, fuel ,air (which includes compression). You proved spark is good, you proved fuel delivery is good. Seems at this point it might be a compression issue (timing), poor exhaust..clogged catalytic converter, or too much air..large intake leak.

 
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No, that's fair. Lesson learned. I was just desperate and couldn't find a single shop that had a fuel preasure gauge.

Well, I did that initially. Bought a set of sockets with a ratchet, pliers, test light, multimeter, etc. But I had to stop at some point. I'm way over budget.

Sorry to bring something new to the table, but check this out:

I have the hidden switch. The alarm doesn't activate when the car is in the no-start condition but I noticed that some times the remote control doesn't trigger any actions on the car and I have to use the key to manualy get in. This is one of the reasons I flipped the switch to the Off possition, since the alarm wouldn't care if I had the key. It would just cut power to the starter unless I use the remote to deactivate it.
As I was typing, I realized that this theory doesn't hold up very well because the fuel pump works and there is also spark, so, I'm not sure how could the alarm be interfering other than cutting power to these components.

 
Rep Power: 222

Remove all of the alarm crap and restore the wiring to factory

 
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Well, seems like the mistery is solved. The mechanic put a used (known working) Ignition Module for testing and so far, haven't had the issue again. A week has gone by so it would have done it by now. I'm supposed to take it back to the shop so that they can replace it with a brand new one and hopefully get this over with. Brands to choose from are Hellux, RoyalTek and Fispa. I think 2nd and 3rd are locally manufactured. Not sure about Hellux. Have you heard of any?

 
Rep Power: 222

Can you get an oe one from the dealer?

 
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Called the a few Honda dealers a few months ago and they all said they don't sell anything for this model anymore. Probably because Honda brand is not officially present in the country. Dealers import the cars from abroad. Not sure how "Official" they are.

 
Rep Power: 222

Honda's are very picky with electronics. They don't typically like aftermarket brands. Grab another used oe one to keep as a spare. I personally wouldn't put an aftermarket one in uunless here was no other option

 
Rep Power: 211

Glad to hear you got it sorted out. When I mentioned the igniter (ignition module) in reply #10 did you test it (per ETCG video) when you tested the coil?

Unfortunately, if a part is causing intermittent trouble it can pass testing (at times when functioning properly), but still be in need of replacement due to it's weak state.

Have you tried searching Ebay for a Honda genuine igniter?



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@Wankenstein Thanks! Yes, I tested the igniter but the challenge was that it was working, just with weak ground. Couldn't find that out with my test light. The first mechanic that checked it was on the right path by saying that the spark was weak. You guys also said that the spark was weak. There was spark all the time, even when the car wouldn't start, but it was weak and unable to ignite the mixture.

A clear clue that I missed was the RPM fluctuation. After re-reading the service manual I could see that the RPM gauge takes the signal from the igniter, not from the cam/crank sensors. The RPM fluctuation that I was seeing was a clear indication that the igniter was interminently dying or weakening. This was even more clear when I found out that the ECU was not seeing this erratic pattern. With the Hondash I was not picking up the fluctuations but I had a steady RPM signal. This is because the RPM signal that the ECU uses to calculate timing, etc, comes from the crank sensor. So at that point, it was pretty clear the Igniter was sending wrong signals to the gauge (assuming the wiring and gauge were OK)

I can't purchase form ebay because the shipment and import taxes would be just too high. My sister is in the US. If I end up keeping this car, I'll put some money together and will have her buy a whole new OEM distribuitor and send it over or bring it when she comes for visit. If it comes to that I will open a new thread to ask for assistance on where and how to safely get it, since she's not into cars and could be easily scammed.

 
Rep Power: 211

Good find reading through the service manual. You greatly helped the mechanic through your own testing and deduction. Hopefully, you find a stable igniter that lasts for a long time.