Intermient Spark

[Dave89LX]

I have made progress this week-end on my 89 carbureted LX. It ran a couple of times. Here is the problem and what I plan to do next.
I sometimes get spark, sometimes not.
Changed wires, rotor, cap.
Checked coil per manual...OK.
Checked igitor continutiy in one direction. OK
Checked voltage to ECM (electronic control module) in the distributor. Got less than .2 volts, was to have 12 volts.
This is me reading the voltage on either of the two wires disconnected from the ECM. I had the ignition key turned to the spot far clockwise with the next position being the cranking position.
I believe I have a bad ignition switch that is intermittent.
The car has been having starting problems for 6 months.
I will also check to see if I have a bad ground wire too.


I also looked at the carb and found that the gas level is about 3/16 inches lower than the center of the window. I will adjust once car starts OK.

The downloaded Honda manual is a lot better than the Haynes I have been using.

Hope to have car running soon.

This web site is great!!!


Any comments please feel free to make them. Dave

[k-roy]

Welcome to the site man.
Sounds like you are on the right path. I am not too experienced with electrical but I would check the main relay, there is a howto posted on that.

[Dave89LX]

I have a carbureted engine and can not find the main relay on the wiring schematic. I find one on the fuel injected circuit diagram in my Haynes manual. Is there no main relay in the carb engine. Dave

[k-roy]

Oh crap, you got me. There is no main relay on the carb model. I just checked.
You said you suspect the ignition switch. So remove it and hotwire it. That could explain it. Also Check the distributor.

[Mac]

It could be a bad ignition switch. Might be worth to look closer at it.
In position l continuity at Wht/Red-Wht/Blk
In position ll continuity at Wht/Red- Wht/Blk- and Blu/Wht
also continuity at Wht- Blk/Yel- and Yel
In position lll continuity at Wht- Blk/Yel- and Blk/Wht

[cruznz]

check the voltage at the switch

[Dave89LX]

I checked the continuity on the ignition switch and it passed. Still not getting voltage to the distributor pick-up unit and no spark most of the time to the spark plugs. I checked the wires from the coil to the distributor too and they are OK. My ignition switch is loose in the back where it connects to the locking barrel. Tonight I will tighten the ignition switch and check voltage coming into the coil...if no voltage coming to coil then it has to be the ig switch or the wire between the switch and coil. Thanks for the comments.
If all wires pass tonight then I am first taking my coil in to have it tested and then probably buy an ignition switch. The junk yard wanted $20 for the switch if I took it off. They close early too. Can't believe most junk yards I have called do not know what year of cars they have on the yard. Dave

[cruznz]

did you check the voltages at the switch?.......a continuity test may prove ok, but it may fail with a load across the switch points.

doing voltage drop tests is a better way of checking.

Check the coil yourself ,as you have a multimeter, if you need a how to, i'm sure Pauls site will provide.

[Dave89LX]

Last night I checked the ignition switch voltage and voltage at coil as well as voltage to the distributor. I jiggled the ignition switch many times and got good voltage all the time. I made sure I had a good ground on my meter too by putting on aligator clips on the probes. I checked the igniter coil (pick up unit) per the manual and got very high resistance over 18 mega ohms in both directions. I believe my distributor is bad. There is a lot of red dust in the bottom and the rotor had black soot look before I replaced it.
I have another pick up coil but may just get a used distributor to try before changing my ignitor pick up coil. Has anyone changed one before. Looks like you just pry it off with two screw drivers.
If I have dust I wonder if my bearings in the distributor are shot allowing the the rotor to wobble. Anyway I am kind of farther along and wish I would have done a much thourough job checking voltages at first. I have missed a week of finding a distributor. I have been driving my daughters Chevy Prism this past week ...fun car with a little rocket for an engine. Dave

[cruznz]

certainly points to the dizzy,.....and after reading your post,you'd be better off getting another.

Changing an igniter is reasonably straight forward,should be able to lever it off quite easily,you need some heat sink paste to put on it before putting it back on the dizzy,...but you need to get another dizzy i think

[Dave89LX]

Went to the junk yard ...no 86 to 89 dizzy there. Changed my ECM or contactor...car started and ran bad. I forgot to mark where the bolt was at when I took it out. It would not stay started long enough to adjust the timing. I was going to get the timing pointer lined up with the mark by rotaing the engine and then position the dizzy so the rotor is directly over no 1 cylinder on the cap. I had a lot of black smoke come out trying to start it. I think I am getting oil into my cylinders and that is adding to the problem. I think I need a battery too.
I did get spark though every time I cranked the car. This week end I will adjust the valves and set timing if I can get it started and try to find a good used dizzy. I found a yard that gave a 90 day guarantee for a dizzy for $100 and a rebuilt one for $175 with a 1 year warranty. Auto Zone's has a life time warranty for $169.99. The person at azone did not know if it came with the vacuum advance..he thought it did not come with the ECM. Anyone buy one of these from autozone. Dave

[Dave89LX]

I fixed my car it was the ECM (elctronic control module) in my distributor. I also checked the vacuum hoses and am replacing some of them. I still have a small leak somewhere. Checked for lvacuum leaks with an ultrasonic leak tester and could not find any bad ones. Dave

[cruznz]

good one Dave,good to hear you got it sorted

[rocky2]

did you use a complete distributer from boneyard to correct the intermtant spark ? Or just the module? Was it new or used

[A20A1]

careful about adjusting the float level, the o-rings in the float valve are notorious for breaking.

[Dave89LX]

The part was a new ECM I bought a few years ago. The old ECM had high resistance in both direction...a diode or some other solid state device must have burned up. I did go to the boneyard and found a distributor for $35 but it was not a Hitachi. There is a lot of car crunching going on right now. The junkyards here are getting $88 a ton for scrap steel which is the highest it has been for a while. A lot older Hondas are getting melted down in Indiana and Illinois. A yard I have been to over the years got rid of half their cars, about 1800 due to high scrap prices.
I also took my car in to have a ball joint and tie rods replaced and they told me both my front springs are broken. I may change those myself. All I need now is a new muffler, springs, and front tires to go another 50,000 miles. Dave