Engine turns but it won't start...

[1989accordaz]

1989 LX Automatic Carb, all of a sudden won't start. When I try to start it, the engine turns but just won't start.

- I switch the key to the on position and I can hear the fuel pump energize.
- I did compression test last week and it reads as follows: cylinder 1,2,3 and 4.
1= 165 psi
2= 160
3=165
4= 130

Car has 250k miles.

After I read the compression I drove the car as normal, and ran just fine.

So the next thing to do is to get a spark plug tester and make sure they are all working.

Any suggestions? I would like to test the fuel pressure but I am not quite sure how, I am doing a bit more research on it...I'll keep posted...

[Oldblueaccord]

If your pretty sure you are getting spark a little raw gas down the carb is ok to see if it will fire. Be very careful doing this!


wp

[1989accordaz]

Thanks Oldblue, I'll try that...

[w261w261]

How about some starting fluid spray instead of dumping raw gas. A lot less dangerous.

[lostforawhile]

1989 LX Automatic Carb, all of a sudden won't start. When I try to start it, the engine turns but just won't start.

- I switch the key to the on position and I can hear the fuel pump energize.
- I did compression test last week and it reads as follows: cylinder 1,2,3 and 4.
1= 165 psi
2= 160
3=165
4= 130

Car has 250k miles.

After I read the compression I drove the car as normal, and ran just fine.

So the next thing to do is to get a spark plug tester and make sure they are all working.

Any suggestions? I would like to test the fuel pressure but I am not quite sure how, I am doing a bit more research on it...I'll keep posted...you can get a fuel pressure gauge for low pressure applications from advance or autozone,it's the actron, it measures both fuel pressure and vaccume. they aren't very much, you t it in to the fuel line with a couple of hose clamps. follow the instructions on here to bypass the fuel pump relay and read the pressure at the gauge with the key on.

[1989accordaz]

OK, so I bought a can of starter fluid spray, and an ignition/spark plug tester.

- Spark plugs test fine. Tester indicates constant strong current to each sparkplug.

-Sprayed starter fluid and still didn't start.

- I removed the fuel line at the carb, turn the ignition the on position and fuel comes out on a short burst.

So there is spark and fuel going to the carburetor....but it still wont start....running out of ideas.....

PS: A few days ago, I started the car in the morning and it felt as if it was going to die, it started to shake and almost die...but it didn't.

Then yesterday I started the car, started shaking, then died. And that was that.

[Sarchie]

Need to check the timing and timing belt. This happeded to me when my timing belt broke a couple of teeth and slipped.

[Dr_Snooz]

Sarchie might be on to something. Take off the distributor cap and see if the rotor turns when you crank the starter.

Did it start with the starting fluid? Please be careful using that because you can wreck an engine bearing pretty easily with it.

[1989accordaz]

Sarchie, I took the timing belt cover off and just took a quick look, but then again, I didn't look at all of it. I will tomorrow, take the sparkplugs out and then rotate it manually so I can look at the entire belt.

Dr. Snooz, it didn't start with the starting fluid either, that was even more frustrating. I'll take the distributor cap and check it out to see if it rotates, then take it from there...

I was thinking about getting a timing light and check the timing....

Thank you all so far for your advice so far!

[LX-incredible]

If the distributor wasn't rotating you wouldn't be getting spark...

Rotating the crank to TDC and checking that the cam gear is either pointing straight up or straight down is the only way to see if it slipped a tooth.

Checking the timing and firing order would be my next course of action. The mechanical advance inside our distributors likes to grenade, advancing timing and making for harder starts.

How long after the compression test did the car run for? I would check for proper choke operation as well.

Where in tucson are you?

[1989accordaz]

"If the distributor wasn't rotating you wouldn't be getting spark..."

You are right, getting spark would indicate it is rotating, so let's scratch that.

I did the compression test about 3 weeks ago, car ran fine afterwards.

Thanks for the pointers, I'll check the timing and take it from there. You know, I have a feeling that is fuel related but I can't pin point it yet. I'll keep working on it.

Thanks again for your much needed advice!

PS: I am on the East Side of town LX.

[1989accordaz]

Making progress...


I had my girlfriend crank the engine and try to start it, while I opened the choke manually....and it started, very rough though..but it was running...

So my problem looks like air/fuel related....or the choke mechanism may be getting stuck?

[LX-incredible]

The choke makes sense to me... Car started after the compression test, possibly from minutes of cranking allowing the electric choke to heat and excess fuel to be vented. Our chokes are alternator output driven, right? Another possibility would be a stuck float. I believe there is a sight glass somewhere on the carb to check the level in the fuel bowl. Sorry, not too much experience with honda carbs here...

I'm on the NW side.

[1989accordaz]

LX-incredible, thanks for the pointer! You know, even though my car is running, I still think back about all the red-flags that I have seen over the past few months that may have been telling me something was failing and I needed to do some preventive maintenance.

For example on several occasions, I would start the car for the first time in the day ) and it would rev up around 3k...the engine then would warm up several minutes later and the RPM's would still be at 3k.

Stopping at red lights with the engine going at 3 or 3.5k was not fun, it was like trying to stop stop a fat guy from getting in line for the all you can eat buffet.

So I would drive it and make a pit stop to get gas or coffee before work, tried to start it and it would not start...I had to wait for about 30 minutes before I could start it again.

That happened about 3 or 4 times. And looking at the carb forums, I found a thread that pretty much describes my problem:

http://www.3geez.com/forum/showthread.php?t=71231

I may tried replacing the intake air control diaphragm as well.

So just to close this thread, it appears the choke was getting stuck...once I do more research and some work on it, If I do find a definitive answer then I'll comeback and post it, hopefully some one experiencing the same problem will find it useful.

Thanks all for your much needed help!

[Sarchie]

Glad you making some progress!

[Dr_Snooz]

If the distributor wasn't rotating you wouldn't be getting spark...


Oh yeah, that...

[A20A1]

http://www.3geez.com/forum/showpost.php?p=645234&postcount=4