98 Integra GSR died on me

[Tobra]

Don't have time or tools at the moment. Pulling into lot of store down street and it sort of stumbled and then quit. Hear fuel pump going, will turn over. Pulled wires off cap and one looked sort of corroded, other 3 shiney. Same plug wire that popped off about a month ago when I made an abrupt move to avoid a cell phone zombie. It ran rough on three, so I popped it back on and has been fine ever since, wonder if it is related.


I know I have a bad plug wire, but that won't kill it Have not looked at the plugs, checked for spark or anything. Have a guy I need to do surgery on in a few hours, so I can't do much right now. Will go home after that and get the code reader and tools. I am thinking maybe bad rotor and cap, maybe even coil, probably will tell you how to check the coil in the shop manual I guess. I totally had other stuff to do today, I mean besides cutting off that guys toe after lunch, hopefully anyway, will need to call and see if we got bumped or anything.

Car has about 170K miles, replaced rotor, cap and plug wires like 100K miles ago...

It was not too hot when it died, cranks fine, can hear the fuel pump running, wouldnot start after sitting for an hour, but still cranked fine.

Went and got my parking pass for the hospital and put the code reader on it while there, no codes. Seems like if it won't start, it would throw a code.

Leetle piggy sent to path lab, now to go wrenching, nice day for it, but sort of planned on some time to work on Porsche See, that is my P car content for this post, hook me up and I get a chance to go lay on my back under a German car instead of bent over a Japanese one...

[Oh Haha]

Dude, you 're a freakin' doctor!!! Leave it the lot and get yourself something newer!



I would suspect a coil issue, based on what you have posted.

[Tobra]

Yup, no fire, speaking of which, if I just set it on fire, I could go get something new. No can do though, 'cause none of the wheels have fallen off yet.

This is the sort of stuff I like to get from the stealership, so it looks it will sit until Monday, maybe I will go turn a wrench on the P car

On these they have an ignition coil and some sort of ignitor, figure to replace all that, including rotor, cap and wires, it is a bit oldish.

[kaisen]

Distributors on those are known culprits

[Tobra]

Usually if the distributor is going, it makes some noise from not spinning too well. Need to break out the shop manual before I start buying stuff, though I would rather pay the restocking fee than make two trips for parts...

[ZOO]

Timing belt? Although those are interference motors, so I guess if it let go it may not turn over smoothly.

[kaisen]

Did you check the main ignition relay? Did you get a friend to turn the starter while you look for an ignition arc from a pulled wire?

It's *usually* either the relay, coil, or distributor on those DOHC Honda/Acuras.

[Tobra]

If TB goes, it won't crank right, pistons and valves try to be in the same place at the same time and it just won't turn. Eric, you may be right about the main relay, will have to check that out too, gotta go get to work before it starts to get dark. On the plus side, spring forward on the clocks means it will be light when I get home, maybe.

[Scott R]

It will crank with the timing belt gone, it's won't sound "well" but it an crank. I'm with Kaisen on this, the distributors are problematic on these. They will throw a code 22 naming the "crank shaft position" sensor (notice not the cam position sensor.)

Normally the pickup block inside the distributor has a chunk out of it from the rotor being old and out of wack. People say you need the entire distributor but you just need a new pickup and soldering iron.

[Tobra]

People say it, but is it true? I guess I will see about the chunk thing

Should I just go ahead and replace the distributor? How many rotations is that over 170,000 miles? Probably a lot. Does a distributor come with a new rotor and cap? Probably not, they probably a la carte your ass just like Ruth Chris Steakhouse.

The thing is a piece of cake to work on. You can adjust the valves standing up
without getting carpal tunnel syndrome because you need to make your hand bend where there is not a joint,

[Scott R]

Originally Posted by Tobra

People say it, but is it true? I guess I will see about the chunk thing

Should I just go ahead and replace the distributor? How many rotations is that over 170,000 miles? Probably a lot. Does a distributor come with a new rotor and cap? Probably not, they probably a la carte your ass just like Ruth Chris Steakhouse.

The thing is a piece of cake to work on. You can adjust the valves standing up
without getting carpal tunnel syndrome because you need to make your hand bend where there is not a joint,

It's a trade off, changing the water pump on the other hand is just like a 944, timing belt has to come out and you need a special tool. Also lots of fun to work on the oil coolers on those, and the alternator will have you swearing up a storm.

[kaisen]

Any update? What was the issue?

[Laneco]

Distributors on those are known to fail. I think it's actually a module inside the distributor that fails, not the shaft or anything readily visible.

It's just a car. Got gas? Yep. Got compression? Yep. Got spark? I'll bet you don't.

I'd put money on ignition (distributor/module in distributor/coil equivalent) etc. Have it towed, checked/fixed. Get a rental and do the operation on the poor fellow. This will probably set you back a couple of hundred bucks even if you wind up replacing the whole distributor with a reman.

Whatever you do, do it after a diagnosis, don't "guess." A distributor (however likely) is an expensive guess only to find out that a sensor has failed.

angela