Usually thats right. However in this case it seems like its going to be a ground or a sensor or the ecu.

Last time I had the issue i had a plug in one of the plug wires and grounded to the manifold. When I was able to start it by giving it alot of gas and hold it at 2000 rpm you could see that the spark was yellow and weak and very erratic......then the motor smoothed out (as good as it could for three cylinders) the spark went to bright blue and in perfect time. I Put that plug wire back on and confirmed the motor was running fantastic. So I have seen visual evidence of what I suspected. Spark being weak and out of time.

So my guess is still some sensor, ecu or ground

I appreciate all the input. Ill get it eventually...I still have a list of things to check. I just wanted to run all this by you guys. Typically the users know the high fail items.

 

ive had allot of trouble with the Dizzy cap..... 2 times i had brand new caps fail.... making the car hard as hell to start..

 

you dont have access to a scanner we have a snap on scanner you go to movies and check for voltage and temp of the sensor . in most car that I scan the sensor stay in the 4 to 4.7 volts reading 210 degres telling the ecu that the car is hot making the injectors inject less fuel that is why the car won't start also have you try spraying some carburator cleaner and see what happeng if the car start right away you know you got a problem related with injection lmk what happend.......Thanks.......Omar

 

Good point...you assume a new cap and rotor are up to standards. I will take a closer look.

 

I tried the carb cleaner trick actually...and no start. Another reason why I am pretty sure its ignition related.

as for the temp sensor...I will recheck the votage out at temp and when cold and see what it is. That sensor is new as well..but that doesnt mean its right.

I am actually at my job now (Hawker Beechcraft) fixing jets. We had a "pressure maintaining valve" fail on us. We ordered a replacement...it was bad as well. We have now been through 8 replacement pressure maintaing valves now and still we dont have a good one. Sometimes replacement parts suck ass!

 

check your ICM(ignition Control Module) in the Distributor ive had this problem close to yours; weak spark, changed out the ICM fired right up.. LMK how it works out

 

This is the module inside the distributer assy right? Sometimes called the "ignitor" from what I have read. That was my first guess after reading up on hondas. I changed the entire distributer assy. That included a new ignition module, coil, and TDC sensors. This distributer assy was from autozone and it was remanufactured...it could still be a bad one from them. Although I did all the input/output checks on the module and it seems to be ok.

I wont be able to get back to troubleshooting until tommrrow am. Thanks for all the ideas guys. Ill get it eventually.

 

I would also go with a faulty icm module .

I do not have much faith in autozone/discount "Distributor King" dizzys . I would pull the ICM out of the new one and try it in the old distributor ...

Is the timing on ? Do all of your timing marks line up etc ?

Sounds like it could be that or perhaps maybe something in the computer ..

Is the car no longer throwing any codes ?

 

i have a Ecu and distibutor you can try and test to see if anything happens if your around the tampa 33614 area

 

I have all the codes cleared. I drive it to and from work...runs like a top...just very hard to start when cold.

The timing is set...marks line up. I did advance it a bit...maybe a degree or two. No knock on 87.