Car wont start after changing head gasket

[kindra]

Hi guys,

I've got a Honda Integra 91 and I've changed the head gasket as it was leaking etc. Everything went all smooth but when I went to start the car it wont start. I checked the spark plugs and it is giving sparks. Any Ideas?

[zco]

grounding would be first thing i look at

[kindra]

grounding would be first thing i look at

whats grounding?

[fatboyz39]

does the starter motor kick over?

[bennjamin]

does the starter motor kick over?

as above. Does the engine "try" to start (kick over) ?
If no the issue is a missing/loose ground cable or loose power to the starter

If it does try to start , lookback to whats connected around the loom , make sure the dizzy is properly connected and all leads are connected.
Since you took the timing belt off or slid to the side , your timing maybe off and the engine is simply sparking at the wrong part of the cylinder revolution. Get a timing light on it

[kindra]

Yeah, I guess the starter motor kicks over. Its the noise when you switch the ignition and you try to start the car. That noise right? That noise i hear but it wont start. Also with the timing belt, I slid it off and theres this thing that says up on the wheel , (the thing that turns the timing belt) I positioned it upwards. Should that be okay, or is this the cause of the car not starting.

If it is where can I get a timing light?

Thanks for the quick response

[bennjamin]

your timing could be off a tooth or a few - it wont start because it cant. The arrow points to TDC When the n.1 cylinder is at max compression. You wontbe able to use a timing light because you cant get it started...
Please get a professional to check it out before you do any damage

[Sp00ny]

Yeah, I guess the starter motor kicks over. Its the noise when you switch the ignition and you try to start the car. That noise right? That noise i hear but it wont start. Also with the timing belt, I slid it off and theres this thing that says up on the wheel , (the thing that turns the timing belt) I positioned it upwards. Should that be okay, or is this the cause of the car not starting.

If it is where can I get a timing light?

Thanks for the quick response

If you manually changed the cams to the "Up" (TDC Position) while the Belt was off, then Timing is your issue. The Crank and Cams must be at the same position, otherwise as Bennjamin said... the spark will be firing in the cylinder at the wrong time.

If you know you changed it then get your timing fixed. If you know you didn't, I would be looking into Fuel Delivery. If you are getting a spark, then it's either Timing/Fuel Delivery.

[kindra]

OK sweet thanks for the reply, I'll be getting one of those timing lights hopefully this is the answer (im pretty sure it is) thanks for the response guys, I'll keep you posted

[sammy342]

shoulda locked your cams with a 5mm pin punch through the holes at top of the cams the if your crank mark is top dead center you cant go wrong

[OMG.JAI xD]

you shouldve lined up your crank at tdc on cyl1 compression and marked the cams.

Dont just start sliding belts off.

[Paul1985]

you shouldve lined up your crank at tdc on cyl1 compression and marked the cams.

Dont just start sliding belts off.

Right on.
You dont know what a timing light is or whether your cars cranking or not, yet managed to change a head gasket?

Did you just pull the timing belt off the top of the cam's and then just slap it back on when you reassembled everything??

If so i recommend not to start the car and pull the chain back off and line it up correctly for starters.

Hopefully your head isnt warped aswell. Often when a head gasket is gone the head needs re-surfacing/milling.

[Paul1985]

Also, if this is the issue. A timing light isnt needed...

What is needed is a workshop manual. Get a Haynes one from supercheap etc, or search for an online one. There used to be some up on hondatech.com.au or hondahookup.com

From there you will need to follow the instructions on installing a timing belt.
If you do this wrong you could bend all the valves in your engine as the piston hits them due to wrong timing.

You need to learn how to get the crank at no. 1 TDC (top dead center). Screwdriver in the spark plug hole can work. Or you can look at number 4 cylinder for "rocking". Although yours is prob all out of wack so you would wanna follow the manual right along and start from scratch.

The manual will show you where all the markings should be.

You will then need to be sure to line the camshaft's up correctly according to the manual and some of the tricks mentioned in posts above will help you lock the cams in position.

One other thing, check the condition of the belt. Now could be a good time to change it to a new one.

[kindra]

Yeah, everythings sweet, coolant doesnt leak or anything, just forgot to mark the timing belt with dead center. I'll do this next time lol.

[Paul1985]

id be lining it back up...

at the very least, turn the engine over by hand (breaker bar) to ensure it doesnt lockup. If it does, your in trouble if you start your engine.

[Riviera]

fark me lol...

dunno what a timing light is, but managed to changed a head gasket...

Other notes...
* Is the gasket on the right way up...???
* did you even use the correct torque setting when tightening the head back down???
* did you tighten in the correct sequence....???
* did you replace the headbolts.???


if you sign up to hondahookup they have honda shop manuals on there...

but as paul said rotate the crank around till cyl1 is at the top and ladee daa dee daa...

Goodluck... :thumbsup:

[Type S Tony]

Man if the belt sliped of while you were trying to crank you might have bent a few valves, make sure u get a professional to check it out to make sure this hasnt happened!

[kindra]

Man if the belt sliped of while you were trying to crank you might have bent a few valves, make sure u get a professional to check it out to make sure this hasnt happened!

nah i made sure everything was back on before i cranked it. I even followed the manual where the points had to be up and alligned. Does it have to be dead center and the side points have to match in order to start?

[kindra]

I also noticed there was this plastic hose that was connected to the fuel injector manifold thing (where it says fuel injector program) to the gasket or something, would this be it? my dad said there's no petrol coming into the engine.

[Type S Tony]

Cylinder 1 needs to be a top dead center, if their is a hose missing it might be a return line or something, make sure your injectors are pulsing and check all lines comming from the fuel pump!

[Paul1985]

kindra, just be sure that belt is on correctly before starting. All the lines need to be SPOT ON. If not you could bend valves. Even if you dont bend the valves and the belt is installed just a little bit out, your car will ping and your engine life will be very less. Not to mention it will lose a lot of power.

The vacuum hose you are talking about sounds like the fuel pressure regulator vacuum hose. If it is, it goes to the intake manifold somewhere. There should be a nipple for it on the manufold i would assume.

[Paul1985]

Also, i dont know if its possible or not on this car, but i've seen at work before the fuel lines hooked back up the wrong way around...

There usually is different fittings etc to prevent this from happening but not always.

If you have the fuel lines hooked back up the wrong way the car wont start.
Get that hose hooked back up aswell.

Get some pics and people will be able to tell you what it is.

[kindra]

Also, i dont know if its possible or not on this car, but i've seen at work before the fuel lines hooked back up the wrong way around...


There usually is different fittings etc to prevent this from happening but not always.

If you have the fuel lines hooked back up the wrong way the car wont start.
Get that hose hooked back up aswell.

Get some pics and people will be able to tell you what it is.

Ok, Ive taken some pics and its where the red circle lines are, it might not be very clear but I tried to get it as clear as possible, I think this is the problem of why my car not starting.

http://www.mypicx.com/04172009/carengine/

[Paul1985]

If someone doesnt chime in sooner, i'll go and look on my DA9 later today and see if i can see what that is and what it hooks upto.

It looks as though its a vacuum nipple for something but its hard to see.

Check that all your vac hoses are connected up
(brake booster, fuel pressure reg, PCV, carbon cannister etc)

[Paul1985]

Also, if that is a vacuum nipple you could block it with your finger and see if anything changes...

[kindra]

Also, if that is a vacuum nipple you could block it with your finger and see if anything changes...

nope nothing...