The car here is a 1992 Honda Accord DX, I recently bought this car in January. When I purchased this car it needed a valve cover gasket which has been replaced. This also had an erratic idle, it would idle like a normal car when the water temperature is cold. When the water temperature get to the normal operating temperature it would idle up to 1500 rpm then immediately drop to 800 in a timeframe of about 3 to 5 seconds. I did some research on this model car and problem that it was having and I was prompted to make an adjustment to the PGM-FI fuel injection. Which in fact work it purrs like a cat now. But, after that adjustment I notice that this car has overheating. It would only overheat under pressure, when the radiator cap is off it doesn’t overheat, when the cap is on it overheats. So, I inspected where I seen steam coming from which looked to be between the engine block and the intake manifold. Being that this is a project for me I took it upon myself to do the intake gasket replacement. So I unhooked a lot of vacuum lines as well as electrical connection and wires. When I removed all the parts that were in my way I noticed that a tiny piece maybe a 1/16 to ¼ of an inch of gasket was stuck on to the intake manifold the rest was on the engine block. As I was trying to remove the gasket off the engine block it would just break into pieces. I replaced the intake gasket put all vacuum lines and electrical connections that I could see back together. When I attempt to start the engine the engine just turned over numerous of times but never cranked. So I turned the key in the start position quite a few more times but still no start. So I did some troubleshooting and notice that there isn’t any spark. Later I realized that when I turn the key in the on or start position that the fuel pump isn’t buzzing neither. I check the main relay and the terminal for the fuel pump wasn’t getting sufficient power so I replaced the main relay but there still isn’t any fuel being delivered to the fuel ignition or its injectors. I even ran a straight wire from that fuel pump terminal on the relay to the fuse box which is hot when the switch is on. The fuel pump final buzzed but still no spark. In the process of trying the crank the vehicle my foot slipped off the clutch since then the motor will not turn off maybe a problem with the clutch positioning sensor. So, I’ve been grounding out the starter to try to crank the car. At the moment I’m pretty sure the battery voltage is low. Keep in mind everything was working before I parked it. I replaced an intake gasket, the car stop cranking.
" I replaced the intake gasket put all vacuum lines and electrical connections that I could see back together. "
Maybe there are a couple of vacuum lines and wires that are not exactly in the correct position…
I plugged in all the electrical connectors, i don’t see any left over and none of the connector have the same male and female ends so i know there isnt a mix up. I dont see any vaccum lines hanging but im not sure if a vaccum line would cause it not to crank (maybe not idle).
So I unhooked a lot of vacuum lines as well as electrical connection and wires.
That’s your problem right there. This is a lesson a lot of us learned painfully. Label EVERYTHING that you disconnect if you don’t know what it is already. You’ve either missed a connection, or you’ve connected something to the wrong other-something. You need to go over the connections (especially the electrical ones) with a fine-toothed comb to find what you missed when you hooked them back up. You may need an electrical system diagram to piece it back together at this point - google it, you’ll find one.
I was think if i can figure out why the fuel pump isn’t working correctly my no spark issue wouldn’t take much longer to distinguish… I think if the main ground which bolts to the thermostat housing is bad (in which had some corrosion on it( i tried using contact spray and sand paper to get it off but didnt much come off) then i would get much of an spark or fuel. But that why im here to get some advice, troubleshooting steps and some fixes for the problem.
The best approach at this point is to get a repair manual and check your work over entirely, every single connection. In future, one thing that I’ve found helps is to not only color code and/or label everything I disconnect, but also take plenty of clear photos along the way. A picture is worth 1,000 words.
While I still recommend the repair manual, Google “1992 Honda accord dx engine images” and you’ll find some really clear photos of the engine compartment from various angles. I did. You might even be able to locate the misconnection from one of these.
Also keep in mind that even if you hooked everything up right, if a wire is broken inside the plug, how you hooked it up doesn’t matter. Inspect all the connections and be sure that there aren’t any busted wires.
What was the adjustment to the PGM-FI fuel injection?
Engine computers usually won’t turn on the fuel pump or the spark circuit unless engine rotation is detected. There’s a sensor somewhere that does this. A crank sensor is usually near the starter motor, or in cars of that era often the rotation sensor is inside the distributor. Check all the connectors for wires going to the distributor. Maybe you haven’t quite got them re-connected.
For the no-crank problem, I think you are on the right track. There’s a clutch safety switch which prevents the starter from cranking unless the clutch pedal is down. It is usually located near the clutch pedal. See if it has fallen off or the wire to it has broken off.
I fixed the clutch pedal issue. But still not get and fuel unless i jumped 12v go the fuel pump form the relay. And still no spark. I’m get power to the coil but no out. But the coil was working before I started messing with the intake gasket. The coil is an external one with a spark plug wire coming from it going in to the distributor cap. The adjustment that was made to the the PGM-FI was the diafram on the right side of the PGM-FI if you’re standing in front of the car.
The computer doesn’t sense that the engine is turning probably. Even though you know it is. Whatever method it uses to sense engine rotation, that’s where to look. Usually it is some combo of crankshaft sensor or camshaft sensor or a sensor that senses the distributor shaft is turning. Also check the fuel pump relay.
The crankshaft and camshaft position sensors are inside the distributor. The wiring harness to the distributor goes to the PCM (computer). The PCM sends the firing signal to the coil. The ignition signal (spark plug voltage) goes from the coil to the distributor cap and out to the plugs.
You are correct in that you pretty much can’t cross up the wiring. It is Murphy proof, but that does not mean the issue is not in the wiring. When reconnecting, you could have bent or broken a pin or you could have broken a wire where it goes into the back of the connector.
First give every wire on the back of each connector a little tug, not too much, you don’t want to break something that isn’t already broken. If the wire is broken, it will pull out pretty easily. Next, separate each connector and check the pins and sockets for damage and corrosion and for any other contaminants. Make sure each connection goes back together smoothly and easily.
I finally got it repaired guys, The bolt at the main ground under the thermostat had started to rust. It cost $203.50 . But, now when ever the clutch is engaged I have a very high idle any suggestions?