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View Full Version : HELP!!! School car wont start! :(

Ninja_Bear
02-24-2008, 07:29 PM
K, so the roomate and I have been workin on this thing for 2 days straight now. We installed a 2-way alarm/remote start into my CRX and got it working. But on the first start via remote the car fired right up as normal and idled fine, but after about 5 seconds sputtered out and died. We havent been able to get her started since, via key OR remote.

So we've removed the alarm and returned everything to normal but still no good.

Right now the car will turn over, all the dash and other lights will light up normal. We can hear the main relay clicking like its supposed to, we can hear the fuel pump come on too.

Bad signs:
-car turns over pretty easy (easier than normal)
-garage reeks of gas (but no leaks) smell comes from exhaust and carb
- oil smells kinda like gas

Good signs:
-we have good spark
-fuel is getting to the injector
-car does turn over
-main relay clicks as it should


My suspicions:
-low compression (car has 250k miles), eats oil, and now wont start. I havent been able to check the actual compression as I have no tester.

-some random gay little ignition issue (from the alarm install)causing the car to hate me.

I need help on this as this is my school car, and til its fixed or replaced Im gonna be driving the supra back and forth between cheney. I was starting to really love the gas mileage of the CRX

My options:

-Anybody lookin for a clean-ass CRX to swap anything into?
-fix it.
-Gonna be giving chris a call at fastlane too. Hopefully he can find something we missed.

Any advice/help appreciated.

thanks

-a stressed and discouraged Brandon
sefus
02-24-2008, 07:45 PM
Check your ground?
Gsolo
02-24-2008, 08:39 PM
well...as a professional technician who has seen this kind of crap before...its what you get for using aftermarket alarms and starters. I know i'm going to get flamed for this but most of them fuck the car up more than help out.

Check fuses for everything...including any fusible links. Worst case scenario is you fried the ECU.

Are the injectors pulsing?
sr240
02-24-2008, 09:00 PM
what year is this car??
Ninja_Bear
02-24-2008, 09:18 PM
Its a 91 dx
Turbo
02-24-2008, 10:43 PM
how much????
talntid
02-24-2008, 10:50 PM
Brandon you shoulda called me back. lol :)
I'd have stopped by and helped fix it - I was just in the area.
twotons
02-24-2008, 11:13 PM
If it turns over easier then normal reeks of gas and still has spark it could be the timing belt has stripped a few teeth and the cam is now out of time but still turning. that would cause all 3 of the simptoms mentioned.
94blueGSX
02-25-2008, 07:59 AM
Fried ECU is a good call to me. Just because it was more electrical issue sounding.
Nacho8705
02-25-2008, 08:25 AM
Fried ECU is a good call to me. Just because it was more electrical issue sounding.

It could be, but when you turn the key on, the main relay clicks like it should, meaning the ECU is working. And from what i have read online, a bad ECU is very unlikely, but im not ruling it out yet.

Thanks for your help though.
Ninja_Bear
02-25-2008, 09:01 AM
Checked timing last night and its good. Could try the ecu but I'm thinkin grounding might be an issue. This is really bummin me out.
Nacho8705
02-25-2008, 10:10 AM
Checked timing last night and its good. Could try the ecu but I'm thinkin grounding might be an issue. This is really bummin me out.

Just to be sure we should pull all 4 plugs and make sure we are getting spark in all cylinders.

Sidenote: Operation: Get the MKIII goes down tonight. Can you be home around 5 so you can give me a ride out there?
Gsolo
02-25-2008, 08:14 PM
You can never rule out a bad ecu unless you check out with a known good one.

Which relay are you refering to when you say it clicks?? It's possible that the ECU could be half working like if the injector driver is whacked out.

Also...have you considered that the engine might be flooded?? How do the spark plugs look?
a1320honda
02-25-2008, 10:35 PM
Youll just have to sell it to me Brandon so i can make a 10 second car out of it.
BlackMagic
02-26-2008, 06:44 AM
Youll just have to sell it to me Brandon so i can make a 10 second car out of it.

You have to make an 11 sec car first lol
Ninja_Bear
02-26-2008, 07:20 AM
So it runs now. Not sure why or how but she now runs again. Started unplugging sensors til she started. When we disconnected the water temp the car fired right up.plugged it back in and she continued to be able to start. So I don't know, don't care as long as the demon car moves again. Justin put in new ground wires for safe measure. Thanks everyone for the input. This was a strange one.
talntid
02-26-2008, 08:06 AM
Here's my theory:

When you unplugged the water temp sensor, the ECU on DSM's cuts fuel - maybe its the same for CRX. How long did it run with the Water Temp Sensor unplugged? Did you plug it back in immediately? Maybe you unflooded it because it was still providing spark.
Ninja_Bear
02-26-2008, 08:52 AM
Here's my theory: its an evil. Fucking. Car.
Jetblack
02-26-2008, 04:35 PM
Here's my theory: its an evil. Fucking. Car.

You have one of those too? My ex-wife's CRX ran for freaking ever, unless it rained or was cold or windy or in any way at all, inclement. Then it made you walk. So when you didn't need a car, you had one, right up until you needed one. It was just like an old VW. Smelled like a gas spill on rubber matting, all the time.