At least, no one has been able to help me yet. There might be some cash or D16A6 parts (AEM intake, K&N, other extras I have lying around, etc) in it if someone can help me figure out the actual problem and how to fix it!

A few months ago the engine in my 1990 civic suddenly died on the highway, and I had to get it towed home. I thought it was blown so it sat for a few months before I tried to figure out what went wrong. Anyway, this week I found that the distributor rotor had just flown off the shaft due to a loose screw. So the distributor is back together and the car cranks fine, but won't start because there is no spark to the plugs.

The problem seems to be BEFORE the distributor/ignitor, so simply installing a new distributor or ignitor is not the answer:

I get the brief check engine light and single (non-repeating) ecu flash when I turn the ignition on, with no codes flashing, so the ECU seems to be alive. Also, because there are no ECU codes, I think the distributor sensors are OK as well. What I did find was that there is a problem with the ignitor wiring. There are 4 wires leading to the ignitor, the +12V ignition and +12V trigger wires, which are fine, and the ECU and TACH wires, which are the problem. According to Helms, I should have continuity to ground on the ECU and TACH wires, but I do not. I checked/cleaned ALL the ground points, and the ECU and TACH wires are physically fine (there is continuity from the ignitor end of each wire all the way to the ECU and tach.) They just don't see ground which I guess would indicate a dead ECU and tach. But since the ECU powers up, gives a single (non-repeating) flash, and lights the check engine light, how can it be dead? Shouldn't I get a repeating single flash, or some other code, or if totally dead, no CEL light-up at all?

I'm open to ANY suggestions or opinions, I can't think of what else to try. I don't have an extra ECU to test with, so that is not an option at the moment. I really am trying to figure out what the lack of continuity to ground means, and what can be done to further diagnose and or fix the problem. THANK YOU in advance to anyone that can help me out, I am really stuck!

Jon
1990 Civic 4WD 1.6 D16A6
pagemaker20@hotmail.com

 

Well, first of all you probably won't throw a CEL because you've had the battery disconnected, right? So when you turn the ignition on, it acts as though nothing were wrong because all the codes were cleared (if you had any in the first place). My car did the same thing and it ended up being the ignitor AND coil. Cost me $460 at the dealer for them to replace them.

 

I assumed that any codes would reappear during the attempted restarts, as soon as the ECU saw a problem. Does the engine have to actually run again for a code to show up and be stored? I've cranked it at least 5-10 minutes total over the past few days, but it has never started due to the lack of spark.

 

I would think it would have to be running for a code to be thrown. Like for my secondary O2 sensor......I could reset the ECU by disconnecting the battery cable and the CEL wouldn't come on until I started the car and let it run for a while.

I tried the cranking ordeal with my car as well....wasn't getting any spark. I tried replacing just the coil and that didn't work either. I had to replace both of them at the same time and viola! It started right up. This happened at the same time my catalytic converter clogged on me.

 

igniter and/or coil - almost 100 percent certain going by your info and explaination

 

Well, any news yet??

 

sleepercivicex 460 for just the ignitor and coil? don't you know how to install that yourself and save yourself over $300 easily?

 

The ignitor is not getting a signal from the ECU, so even if the ignitor is good it won't work until I get that problem solved first. The coil is an external Accel unit and it tests good. I'm trying to figure out if there are any other known causes for a lack of continuity to ground on the ECU ignitor wire, other than a dead ECU or bad ground. Since the ECU appears to be OK and there is a good ground, I am not sure what else to try. I don't have access to another ECU to test, so I was hoping to hear if there was anything else I could try before buying an ECU on ebay. I'm stumped. Any suggestions? Thanks!

 

Check your fuses (also try the fuel injector fuse)

 

ignitor and coil..... or play with it and hook up a different ECU and see if that works borrow from a buddy or somthing just to check it out