91 CRX won't start

[draybook]

My car won't start. I've replaced the starter, which was locked up anyways, and still nothing. All I get when turning the key is one click and all my lights and stuff dim. The battery is new and has been tested just to be sure. I'm getting a code 6, which is the coolant temp sensor. Could that stop my car from starting? Also, I'm getting good voltage so I know the battery is fine.

[Killa_CRX]

tell me what it did when it died.

do you hear the fuel pump coming on at all when you turn the key to the 'run' position? if not, check the main relay. have you checked to see if you're getting spark? if not, pull a spark plug and have someone crank it while you ground the plug and look for a spark.
If it wont even crank, check all your wiring, make sure it's ok, and check your ignition switch (directly behind the key cylinder) make sure it's plugged in and all the wires are good... if you can, look to see if any of the contacts are burned.

But do tell what happened when it stopped running.

[CRXperiment]

Originally Posted by draybook

I'm getting a code 6, which is the coolant temp sensor. Could that stop my car from starting?

Double check all your grounds too, one on the tranny, valve cover, and thermostat.

[draybook]

Originally Posted by Killa_CRX

tell me what it did when it died.

do you hear the fuel pump coming on at all when you turn the key to the 'run' position? if not, check the main relay. have you checked to see if you're getting spark? if not, pull a spark plug and have someone crank it while you ground the plug and look for a spark.
If it wont even crank, check all your wiring, make sure it's ok, and check your ignition switch (directly behind the key cylinder) make sure it's plugged in and all the wires are good... if you can, look to see if any of the contacts are burned.

But do tell what happened when it stopped running.

Yeah, the fuel pump kicks on when in the on position. It won't turn over at all, it just clicks. That's why I'm sure it's a wiring/connection problem.

When it died, it just simply cutoff at 50 mph. Luckily it was enough for me to cruise into a gas station. It's been giving me trouble ever since I replaced the dizzy. It wasn't a new dizzy so I expected it. It would usually cutoff and then restart with no trouble. Sometimes it would cutoff 2-3 times and when it did that it would drain the battery.

I tried to restart it yesterday and the battery posts started smoking lightly. It stopped as soon as I turned the car off. I'm thinking my ground is bad somewhere, thus causing a surge and creating the heat and smoke from the battery. Does that sound about right?

[FrodoGT]

could also be that the starter is jammed in some way. There is no fuse between it and the battery and it could easily overload the thing. Either your starter or your engine/transmission could be stopping it, have you tried push starting the car?

[draybook]

Originally Posted by FrodoGT

could also be that the starter is jammed in some way. There is no fuse between it and the battery and it could easily overload the thing. Either your starter or your engine/transmission could be stopping it, have you tried push starting the car?

Yeah, we tried push starting it and it wouldn't turn the distributor. Also tried turning the flywheel with the plugs out and no motor turnage. Think it's locked up. And at a bad moment to happen too.

[FrodoGT]

It wont turn the distributor eh? and its in gear? If the engine were locked the car wouldnt move in gear.

[draybook]

Originally Posted by FrodoGT

It wont turn the distributor eh? and its in gear? If the engine were locked the car wouldnt move in gear.

I dunno. We just tried to push start it and instead of trying to turn over or anything it just came to a quick stop.

[crxrookie]

sounds like you've locked up the motor(sounds like it at least). But the part about you posts smoking and stuff that really sounds like your batt. is in backwards (if thats the prob. please don't admit to it) or your batt. is grounding out really bad , I've seen that happen b-4 and what you've described is what happend(except for the flywheel not turning)

[FrodoGT]

Well the car isnt going to move very far if the engine doesnt start. Put it in like 4th gear and give it a good running push and drop the clutch (im assuming its a 4spd) if you can hear the engine turning over then thats fine, but if you drop the clutch and the tires just slide or you can hear the clutch just slips...bad. Pull your spark plugs and try again, but its likely that your engine is locked up. As to why the engine died repeatedly and started again I couldnt tell you based on this.

[draybook]

Originally Posted by FrodoGT

Well the car isnt going to move very far if the engine doesnt start. Put it in like 4th gear and give it a good running push and drop the clutch (im assuming its a 4spd) if you can hear the engine turning over then thats fine, but if you drop the clutch and the tires just slide or you can hear the clutch just slips...bad. Pull your spark plugs and try again, but its likely that your engine is locked up. As to why the engine died repeatedly and started again I couldnt tell you based on this.

I dunno, I'll have to try that, and it's a 5 spd. I think it's locked up though. I think the bottom bearings are fucked on the crank. The battery was hooked up right also. I think it just had a loose ground connection.

[Killa_CRX]

put it in 5th gear and see if you can roll it around like frodo said.. if the car will at least roll while in gear, you haven't locked the motor up... once you've got that figured out, double check your battery and ground connections again.. and then pop the distributor cap off and make sure the rotor is still attatched.... is a very common problem for the screw holding thee rotor to come off and die just like you said... when you take the distributor cap off, make sure you have a bag or blanket or something under the distributor itself to catch the screw as it falls (if it has come out).. it's a very small screw.

Let us know

[AutoMaintenanceGuy]

sounds to me like a bad wire. check the wires to the starter. i had a similar problem once and it was the power wire grounding out.

of course, if you were having problems ever since you put that disty in, that could be the problem. try getting a new one. ive gotten my honda parts from http://www.autohausaz.com/honda-auto-parts/index.html for a while now. they should have a fairly good price on a new or rebuilt disty.

[rusted]

Also tried turning the flywheel with the plugs out and no motor turnage

If he can't push the car around in gear, with the plugs out; then his engine is seized, period. No playing with wires or the starter will change that.

It's theoretically possible that something in the clutch area is broken/wedged; ditto the starter gear. Pull the starter out first.

But I'd suspect such is false hope. I'd think something catastrophic -- loss of oil pressure; or a broken timing belt & valve parts wedged into the piston/wall -- happened.

IMHO you should be thinking about another engine.
.

[FrodoGT]

Ditto, exactly my thoughts. If its really blown after troubleshooting all other options, Id pull the head off and see just how bad it blew..curiosity of course.