no spark

[vegieman]

The problem with my '88 Accord started in the fall. When I stopped for 10 to 15 minutes and tried to restart it would be hard to start. Then, just before Thanksgiving, it stalled in traffic. I got it off the road and came back a few hours later and started it right up. It would run long enough to get up to operating tempature then die. I finally got it to the shop and had the ignition module replaced. All was fine for a few weeks. Then before Christmas it did it again. Back to the shop again, this time for a new coil. All was fine again until one blistering cold morning. It wouldn't start (no spark) and has refused to start ever since. It is getting gas to the carb. but no sign of a spark anywhere. Does anyone out there have a clue what might be going on?

[smufguy]

did u check to see if ur battery was good?

How about the alternator?

Did u change your cap and rotor?

Once the car is warmed up and the car dies, that sounds like a bad idle set up. Check your idle stop screw.

does the car even crank like in it turns over but just wont fire up? IF the car is totally dead, as in it wont even turn over or crank, u aint getting nothing to the starter to turn the flywheel which turns the engine which in turn turns the rotor on the dist.

This is what i can say to you. Go to pauls website. http://www.pauldesign.ru/honda/shopmanual.html << go here and download the carb section or any other sections u want. Read it and see what might be wrong and go from there. IF the car does not even turn over, then ur starter aint getting shit.

[1988starter]

I would check you ignition coil

[vegieman]

It turns over! Battery is good. Starter is good. We've got no fire at the plug or from the coil wire. The coil was just replaced (not to say that this is the first time that a new part was defective). I'm stumped! Thanks for the replys.

[TINBOAT]

if the coil is okay, pull the distributor cap and inspect the cap and rotor, also look for crap in the distributor itself...any oil in it etc...another trick is to pull the coil wire out just enough that you should see spark jump across, but you could be in for a little jolt...bad ignitor maybe ???

[k-roy]

Do you have a carb or pgmfi?

[vegieman]

Smufguy, thanks for the link, it could be very helpful. I tryed to get a spark from the coil. Nothing! The ignitor and the coil are new. Has anyone ever had a problem with the Radio Condenser? The manual says it can cause the engine to stop running, but gives no further explaination. I can't see how it's tied in on the wiring diagram.

[Vinny]

the radio cond is in line with the path to ground for the coil from the ignition switch. Bad condensor means no ground on the circuit. Since the measurement on it is pf best bet would be to change it if you can't find anything else wrong. I'd make sure you are getting voltage from the ignition switch to the coil itself on the black/yellow wire atleast thats what I believe it is.