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Car will no longer start :(

Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 11:33 am
by Asacei
Hi,

Ok quick summary....car was running albeit with a few idle issues, changed gearbox (due to other problems not because I thought it would fix the idle :) ) .......now car turns over fine but won’t fire up :x

The problem appears to be spark related.

The car has new plugs, new rotor arm, new distributor cap.

If I pull one of the plug leads and using an old spark plug check for a spark I seem to be getting an odd, fairly week spark, just once when the engine first turns over but then no further sparks. But this is a fairly hit or miss occurrence with there often being no sparks generated at all.

I am struggling to work out why it would suddenly start doing this when it was previously starting no problem at all.

So most likely causes?

Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 11:36 am
by GJMHONDA2012
Coil pack, they can go anytime even if it started fine ten minutes beforehand I found that out lol, is the rev counter bouncing when u turn it over

Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 11:48 am
by rob quilter
Yep, sounds like the coilpack. Happened on my old lude, dead easy to replace and are about £25 off ebay.

Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 11:50 am
by Asacei
Cant say I noticed the rev counter bouncing. Would the coil pack going still give the odd spark? I thought it tended to give nothing at all if it had given up?

Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 11:52 am
by rob quilter
Could also be the dizzy cap or rotor.

Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 11:54 am
by Vtecmec
Also the dizzys are really sensative, if you check for a spark and the plug is not properly earthed, this can blow the dizzy too. The safest way is to connect a jump lead to the negative of the battery and clamp the plug with the other end.

Also worth checking that the earth to the thermostat housing has been put back properly, this will prevent the car starting too and it's likely affected if you have swapped the gearbox.

Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 12:52 pm
by Asacei
Dizzy cap and rotor are both new, so think its unlikly to be them.

Spark plug used for checking for spark was earthed well to the header and the block is well earthed so should be ok (battery is in the boot so jump leads wont reach the negative terminal)

Good point on the earths Vtecmec, they got a quick check over but worth a double check

thanks

Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 1:38 pm
by GJMHONDA2012
There's probably a few symptoms why it won't start my car would turn over and give the occasional hint it was going to fire up but eventually it just wouldn't so I replaced the coil and boom fired up on first turn of the key, easy enough to change the coil in the dizzy

Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 1:49 pm
by Asacei
Thanks GJMHONDA2012, I have ordered a replacement - hopefully will be up and running again next week :)

Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 1:51 pm
by GJMHONDA2012
Asacei wrote:Thanks GJMHONDA2012, I have ordered a replacement - hopefully will be up and running again next week :)
Hope u get it going soon bud