b16a not firing

[hoonda]

Not a happy camper :mad:
Got back from work, car wont run.

Battery and starter are fine, it turns over, it just wont fire. Not 'putting' either, just turning with the starter motor.

i suspect its either fuel or spark problem. spark plugs are BKR6E-11 only put in approx 6 months ago tho..

perhaps fuel starvation/ fuel pump shat itself?

Is there an easy way to find/solve the problem w/o going to a mechanic?

Cheers.

Ps car is EG sedan w/ b16a front end.

[krasyvy]

can u hear the fuel pump priming when u turn the key to 'ON'?

could be the relay

[SKREMN]

listen for the relay click after you turn ignition on

[runwaycrackwhore]

The general rule is: for a car to start, you only need 3 things- spark, compression and fuel.

You say you have spark, and I doubt its the compression, so I would start with the spark plugs and the fuel.

[hoonda]

Yeah, i dont think i could here the fuel pump when ignition on- but its a quiet pump, so not sure..

If its the fuel relay, what is the easiest way to fix it?

[SKREMN]

Yeah, i dont think i could here the fuel pump when ignition on- but its a quiet pump, so not sure..

If its the fuel relay, what is the easiest way to fix it?

replace it or get it fixed

[SKREMN]

you have new plugs but you dont know if you have spark?
remove one of your plugs connect it to the lead from the dizzy and crank the car see if the plug sparks???

[hoonda]

you have new plugs but you dont know if you have spark?
remove one of your plugs connect it to the lead from the dizzy and crank the car see if the plug sparks???

Didnt have tools before..

Going back to have another crack at it now..

[hoonda]

OK, went back.. turn to 'on', fuel pump whirring away good as ever...turn ignition, starts first time :!:

Ah well, net result is that car is home and safe in garage.
Maybe hot day evaporated fuel in lines (car was outside)..maybe not.. :confused:

Problem solved. Thanks neway guys :thumbsup:

[EuroDude]

You should check the distributor cap for wear'n'tear, it may work fine now, but may fail again whilst driving (this happened to me).

Also check the distributor coil and housing for cracks. My car died while driving (again a distributor problem), the coil housing had a large crack in it, and cost me $400 to replace.

[tinkerbell]

"vapour lock" by the sound of it...

[Miss Chanel]

Can it be the imobilisor (sp??)... my mum;s car wouldnt start once and it was cuz od that... :confused:

[ProECU]

I say its an intermittent distributor problem... perhaps ignitor.
you have an OBD1 EG Civic, and more than likely the ignitor has not been replaced recently.

[weezer]

Timing Belt intact?

[wynode]

"vapour lock" by the sound of it...
Is that an issue on efi cars? Or am I confusing that with something else?

EDIT: Just to clarify


you have new plugs but you dont know if you have spark?
remove one of your plugs connect it to the lead from the dizzy and crank the car see if the plug sparks???

You have to ground the plug against a part of the car body (best part is something metal on the head...but not the rocker cover) in order to complete the circuit. Or else you'll have no spark.

And don't hold the plug in your hand. Connect the plug to the lead and mount it securely to something metal (the metal clip/ring that's used to attach a chain to the engine is a good part).

[tinkerbell]

Is that an issue on efi cars? Or am I confusing that with something else?


no, it affects any petrol engine...


Vapour lock
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Vapour lock is a problem that mostly affects petrol-fuelled internal combustion engines. It occurs when the liquid fuel changes state from liquid to vapour while still in the fuel delivery system. This disrupts the operation of the fuel pump, causing loss of feed pressure to the carburetor or fuel injection system, resulting in transient loss of power or complete stalling. Restarting the engine from this state may be difficult. The fuel can vapourise due to being heated by the engine, by the local climate or due to a lower boiling point at high altitude. In regions where higher volatility fuels are used during the winter to improve the starting of the engine, the use of "winter" fuels during the summer can cause vapor lock to occur more readily.

[BLKek]

"You know, we had a lot of fun tonight. But, theres nothing funny about... vapour lock. Its the third most common cause of stalling. So please, take care of your car and get it checked. I'm Joe Namath. Good night!"

[chicken8]

had this problem with a mate's car

mugen power from OH

it was a hot day and his car wont start. and then next morning it will start

NRMA came and took some nut off the fuel thingy in the engine bay and fuel would come out for about 2seconds then no fuel.

and then called up hanny's and they said it was the EFI chip. sometimes in hot days the inside of the car gets really really hot and the chip will get short circuits or dry joints on the soldering

replaced the EFI chip for $50 and been fine every since

[tinkerbell]

had this problem with a mate's car

mugen power from OH

it was a hot day and his car wont start. and then next morning it will start

NRMA came and took some nut off the fuel thingy in the engine bay and fuel would come out for about 2seconds then no fuel.


UMMMMM, that means it was working properly...

[wynode]

LOL

Sounded like a main relay problem.

[Weq]

dude, if the car isnt 'putting', id say its ur battery. not enough juice to turn the starter. IMO. If only heard no putting with a bad battery or all the spark plugs out (ie no compression ;))

[hoonda]

to clarify a few things..
- Timing belt replaced 3000km ago @ APC, so its definitely 'intact'
- Hondata s200 installed, so not an EFI chip problem
- by 'not putting' i mean that engine was turning over with starter, but just wasnt kicking to life- therefore not a battery or starter problem (btw battery only 6 mth old)
- no sign of damage to distributor
- no compression problems apparent

I think vapour lock looking most likely suspect..
still was annoying though!

[ECU-MAN]

I recon your ignition module is on the way out