Car will not turn over!?!

whats up fellas. heres the situation: this morning i tried to leave for work and my car just wouldnt want to turn over. i mean it cranks but just doesnt want to stay on. i drive a 97 honda accord lx sedan f22b2 yada yada yada. i tried starting it 15 or 20 minutes later but still wouldnt do anything. so i checked the following:

1. intake- good, sealed all the way to the TB
2. rotor and cap- good, looks new
3. timing belt- needs to be changed but didnt break
4. drive belts- same as timing
5. spark plugs- looks not too bad but i could change them. so this is still a possibility im guessing.
6. trans., oil, coolant fluids- all good
7. battery- has a lot of charge, brand new

now i have a set of possibilities that I think may be wrong:

1. EGR valve
2. fuel filter and pump- not too sure about this becuz i smelled gas when i checked the spark plugs
3. ECU malfunction
4. main relay

so i was hoping with my novice diagnosis, someone could tell me what may be the problem. let me know if you need anymore questions.

I gather that the engine cranks but does not fire-correct? You have me confused when you say it doesn't want to stay on. Or do you mean it starts but doesn't want to stay on after you release the starter?

You need to check ignition and fuel. Do you have spark when you turnover the engine with the starter? If not, check igniter, coil, ECU, main relay in that order. Does the fuel pump pressurize the fuel line? If not, check main relay, fuel pump? Get back to us with your results.

Make sure the rotor is turning when you crank it, in case the distributor bearing screwed the pooch (did they still have that problem in '97?)

pumas. sorry for the confusion but yes, the car starts but wont stay on after i release the starter.

to update with this problem, my uncle and i think it is the ignition coil because we placed a light tester between the ignition coil and the *primary?* on the distributor cap. hopefully that is it because replacing it seems like a snap. a couple of bolts and unplug a couple of harnesses. well see what happens in a couple of hours...

Sounds like the ignition switch.

Sounds like the ignition switch.

yep

i wouldnt think so because i got that replaced a few months ago. my description of the problem must be vague to you guys...

here it is as best as i can explain: when you normally start your car, you turn the ignition and let it crank then it turns over. in my case it keeps cranking and cranking and the motor wont start after i release the key.

HOPE THAT IS BETTER

to update: tried switching ignition coils but it didnt help at all. now a mechanic is telling me that it may be the Ignition Control Module (ICM?) inside the distributor. sorry im not too knowledgable on the ignition system. could someone give me a crash course?

so yeah guys...any more ideas? im going absolutely bonkers about this.

ICM replaces the function of points, sensing distributor shaft position by means of magnetic interference pickup, and processes that signal into an on/off trigger for the coil's primary winding. Could be the module, or the pickup.

Been a long time since I tested for spark on a Honda, but in general one wire at the coil HAS to have a flashing on/off pulse when the motor is cranked. If not, there is a module or pickup problem. If the signal is there, but no spark, the coil is defective.

I agree that it sounds like you're not getting a spark - for whatever reason. (BTW you had me - and maybe others - confused by a piece of terminology. For most of us "turn over" means the SAME as "crank." What I think you mean is that it won't "fire," as mpumas said)

I agree that it sounds like you're not getting a spark - for whatever reason. (BTW you had me - and maybe others - confused by a piece of terminology. For most of us "turn over" means the SAME as "crank." What I think you mean is that it won't "fire," as mpumas said)

I was having a little trouble following what was actually happening, yes. :sly:

again pumas, jeff sorry for the confusion.

so you guys are saying that since my igniter (ICM) is defective my coil will not work? is there anyway for me to check if it bad? thanks guys!

What we are saying is that if your igniter is bad the coil will not produce a spark. I don't know if it is bad. You need to do some testing. The first test is to see if you have voltage coming into the distributor. There are two wires that connect to the coil in the distributor. Disconnect the wires and hook a small 12v light to the wire that doesn't go to the igniter and the other to ground and turn on the key, the light should light. Then connect the light to the wires that were connected to the coil. Turn on the key and engage the starter, the light should blink. Then disconnect the yel/grn wire from the igniter. Connect an analog ohm meter to the wire and the other to ground. Turn on the ignition and engage the starter. The needle should go from minimum resistance to maximum resistance. If it does, then the ECU is sending a pulse to the igniter. Get back to us with your results.

update: my uncle and i tested for voltage and came up that my ecu wasnt sending any voltage. i think that is what he explained because he tested a probe and it was giving a low voltage reading. way he did this was by removing the whole distributor and checking for voltage while the whole part was seperated from the motor. gonna go to a performance shop tomorrow and going to try and see if they can troubleshoot my ECU.

if it is the ECU, do i have to buy one that is made for my car?

update: my uncle and i tested for voltage and came up that my ecu wasnt sending any voltage. i think that is what he explained because he tested a probe and it was giving a low voltage reading. way he did this was by removing the whole distributor and checking for voltage while the whole part was seperated from the motor. gonna go to a performance shop tomorrow and going to try and see if they can troubleshoot my ECU.

if it is the ECU, do i have to buy one that is made for my car? anyone know of a good place to grab one?

The ECU does not send any voltage. It provides a ground path. So when it is not sending a pulse, the voltage into the ECU on the igniter lead is high. When it sends a pulse, the voltage goes low because it grounds the voltage in the ECU. If you need an ECU it has to be an exact match for your engine,. Go to a junk yard.

okay so the reading he took is normal?