Car died the other day when I pulled up to a stoplight. Was running rough at idle and then just died. #2 spark plug wire had "pushed out" from the valve cover hole. I noticed from time to time when it would run rough, this would be the problem. So I just pushed it back down, then runs good. However this time it died and wouldn't re-start. I pulled the plug wire out and the terminal stayed with the spark plug and the wire came out. The end was burned up so I thought this was the problem, but not the case.

Here goes my trial and error into hell............

Replaced all plug wires, cap and rotor, No start.
New battery, No start.
New module, No start.
New coil, no start.
New distributor, no start!!!!!

I get spark, I get fuel but NO START!!!! It sounds like it wants to start but it just won't do it. I am at a complete loss.

Could the timing belt have jumped time when it died? It ran pretty rough before it died. I've read some things about orange spark being bad, blue spark being good. Mine seems to have orange spark. How could this be if all ignition components are now new? Anything I'm missing?

HELP!!!

 

do you have compression??

 

I haven't checked the compression so I don't know 100%. I was driving down the highway just before it happened and the engine ran great up to that point. Are you thinking broken timing belt? The distributor rotor turns and it sounds like it is firing on some cylinders when it wants to start. I'm not up on my Honda engine layout but does the distributor shaft (rotor) connect directly to the cam? Each plug is getting spark.

 

you cold have just fluded it blow out cylinder with air and spark plugs start with gas pedle to floor. to check timming plase up mark on cam sprocket up and aline two marks with flat of cylinderhead were valve cover gasket sits and make sure tdc mark on crank lines up (ther are four marks on crank pully 3 for timing ignition red on one all by its self white that is the tdc.and yes the dizzy conect to the cam

 

Wow, grammar at it's best.

One thing that "berginr" was trying to get across is that if you floor it when you try to start it, it will shut off the injectors. If you flooded it from repeated attempts to start, this should resolve that issue. Leave it floored and try turning it over numerous times. Once it starts to rev up, you can let off the gas. If it doesn't start up after 10 attempts, try it again without it being floored.

 

4 basics in an engine

Spark
Fuel
Timing
Compression

If you have spark and fuel, it is either timing or compression.

Are you getting any codes!?
Also, if your distributer rotor is turning, ur timing belt did not break.

 

i cant speell good

 

Any updates on this? Good problem to share with the masses....How many miles on your motor? Thanks

 

Is your firing order correct? Bottom left clockwise to bottom right 1,3,4,2 on the distributor.

 

The timing belt must have jumped. I removed the valve cover and timing belt cover, then removed the distributor cap. I rotated the engine until the "UP" stamp on the cam sprocket was...up and the two horizontal lines were in line with the cylinder head. I removed the #1 spark plug and confirmed it was TDC. I looked at the distributor rotor and it was not pointing at #1. More like #3. So I put it all back together and switched all the plug wires one over and it started. I had to adjust the distributor a bit more counter clockwise to get it to run better but it seems to run fine now.

Question is, will this be a problem? My spark plug wire configuration to the distributor is now like this (as you look from the rh fender):

13
24

It used to be like this and all other motors I've seen look like this:

34
12 is this the stock configuration?

I've got 170K miles on it and it runs great. 35mph, no oil leaks, no oil use. I want to drive it until the wheels fall off...

Update, as I drove to work today, I noticed that is was a bit sluggish off the line and up hills. Seems like I need to advance the timing a little. The distributor has some room for adjustment but how much is enough? I've almost run out of adjustment in the housing slot. Since I believe the T/Belt jumped, I may have to go back to it and put it back in the correct location instead of adjusting the spark plug wires c/wise one spot and adjusting the dist.

Any help on adjusting the timing is appreciated.