Calling all experts on Dizzies

[barefootbonzai]

Hi all,

My car is currently dead, and my machanic tells me i need a new dizzy. My question is, that is it possible to use a dizzy from another honda engine for my one. I have EM1, ie a B16A2 engine. Cause i've been looking around for a second hand B16A dizzy but can't seem to find one. Will one from lets say a B18 or B20 be the same? Plus if anyone has a second hand one in good condition, please PM me. Desprettly want my car running again, but don't wanna pay an arm and a leg for a new one from honda.

Thanks

[tinkerbell]

maybe B18C?

find a mate with a B18C (as close as the same year as yours) and try and fit it...

if it fits and the car starts, you know what to look for ;)

[ECU-MAN]

get another opinion

the only thing that can make your dizzy useless is if the bearing has failed,( even then it can be fixed) and it made a bad grinding sound. if one day your car just didnt start then it would most probably be the coil or igniter. coil is like $160, ICM probably $200 or so, you could use an ICM from almost any honda, but the coil would have to be from an 92-93 accord, 94-96 prelude 92-00 civic. it must look the same, I dont think your dizzy is physicly broken, not on a em1. the three sensors should be ok as long as the bearing is ok.

[wynode]

Mine just died once.....and like ECU-MAN said, it was the coil. New coil and all is well :)

[barefootbonzai]

thanks guys, but my machanic already changed both the coil and the igniter yet my car is still dead. He reckons the dizzy is not sending any signals or something to the igniter. I really didn't have any idea what his was talking about, but i do trust him, his a good mate. So you guys reckon the dizzy is fixable?

[pornstar]

barefoot, if its not fixable, the b16a and b18c and pretty much any b series dizzy will work.

only thing to watch out for is the odb1 and odb2 differences in the plugs, the odb2 has 24 teeth, the odb1 has 16 teeth :)

gl with it, if u cnat get one, i got a spare.

[ECU-MAN]

may not even be the dizzy at all then. the dizzy sends out 3 signals to the ecu, TDC, CYP, CKP. if any of these sensors fail the ecu would log a fault code. the ecu sends a signal to the dizzy to pulse the ICM > coil, tell your mate to test the coil and ignition modual again, but this time to earth the dizzy if he was holding it and spining it by hand. also try your coil, ICM in another car as a pair.
is the black/yellow wire getting 12v, is he 100% sure it has no spark. what ecu you running, any add ons or just stock.

[barefootbonzai]

my ecu is stock, but it is connected to an Apexi VAFC. Here is a pic of my cuzins car. Is the dizzy connected to the thing with the colourful wires? Cause that's what he is testing for signal and it's not sending any.

http://users.tpg.com.au/duydang/car/DSC05045.JPG

[wynode]

The dizzy is the big black thing with 4 wires runnning to your spark plugs.

[barefootbonzai]

Dam.... so by the sound of things, it may be something to do with my ECU?

[slz33]

So a dizzy is a distributor cap?

[wynode]

Dam.... so by the sound of things, it may be something to do with my ECU?
Huh?

siz33, dizzy is just slang for distributor.

[tinkerbell]

dizzy = distributor = more than just the distributor cap

[weezer]

i know it sounds stupid. But check the firing order? i Changed the Ignitor and coil in my dizzy once and some how it's now 180 degrees out so i had to swap the leads around. But it still works

[ECU-MAN]

Dam.... so by the sound of things, it may be something to do with my ECU?

what your mechanic needs to do is

1 check for ICM input signal to the distributor
2 TDC output from the distributor
3 CKP output from the distributor
4 CYL output from the distributor

he will need a multimeter that can mesure Hz and AC volts, a waveform viewer would be nice but not nessesary.

let me know if you want more information on how to test these signals as Im at work at the moment and dont have time to post up diagnostics at the moment.

also di dhe check the ecu for codes, Im not saying your ecu is at fault. could be anything.

[barefootbonzai]

Thanks heaps ECU-MAN, you the man. I've gone the lazy way, and got a new distributor on it's way, so I'll have to just hold my breath and see what happens. I'll print this thread out for him to read, but i think he was doin what you where talking about, and came to the conclusion the dizzy needs replacing. Will let you guys know how it turns out.

[barefootbonzai]

By the way, what do you do for a living ECU-MAN??? I would love to live around the same area as you ;)

[ECU-MAN]

LOL,
Im in the IT industry
network technician :)

hope it works out for you. let us know the results

[bennjamin]

also...try the main relay ( located under the drivers side) - this item , can overheat and cut off the fuel supply + ignition to give you the same experience you are in now. . .

[Bludger]

My car died at the lights 1 time, I took it apart, trying to find the cause..........
Couldn't work it out cos i was getting fuel but no spark........ I got an ignition speciallist to look at it..... the dizzy(only cost $20)
they said it was the coil and cost $230 all up
Like ECU-MAN said, all dizzies can be fixed, no matter what the problem. take it to an ignition speciallist(as i did)

[Bludger]

lol, didn't read B4 i posted :P
yeah, i did all that crap that ECU-MAN said those workshop books do wonders :P

[barefootbonzai]

Woot Woot after like 2 weeks for F#$@ing around my car is back on the road. And pretty much most off you guys were right about it not being the dizzy. All i needed changing initiallly was the coil and igniter.

The problem was that I gave my spare key to my machanic and didn't realise you can't start the dam car with it. Only my orginal key, has a immobilizer chip in it, which i never even knew about. How useless is my spare key then, it doesn't do anything. How gay is that...

Oh wells, thanks for all your inputs.

[ECU-MAN]

good to hear shez back on the road.

[civiceg9]

I rebuilt my distributor with new parts for $400 fitted.