I've never worked on or been inside of a Honda, but my woman has one.. So I could really use some help from you Honda guys!!

The other day it'd been sitting for, what, say, 14 hours and we had been having some light rain for quite a few hours. The air was really wet. You know the kind of day..

So there we are trying to start the car. It didn't crank normally- the motor was bucking in a patterned but forceful way and sounded awful when it was cranking.. . But if you kept cranking it it'd sound normal for a few seconds and then go back to that awful sound (unpredictably)

There was spark, but it looked weak to me... is that normal for a tiny little engine like this one? I didn't check for fuel, because I could not find a schrader(sp?) valve

I finally smelled gas (not sure if it smelled like that right away, don't think so) which prompted me to hold WOT and crank on it .. and after doing that for the second time it finally coughed at me (an incomplete combustion sound, but the one you hear when you've finally at least got SOME happening)

It has 177k on the clock, timing belt was done at 100k or so, was exceptionally maintained for the first half of its life (her parents gave it to her about 9 years ago) and fairly well from there

Obviously moisture is affecting it some way or another.. The coil and dist and the connectors on the plugs and the dist all of it looks dry and fairly new ( I have no idea of the history as I've known her only a year and she has no idea of what any of anything is )

Last summer there were about three times it cranked and wouldn't start. This was when it was over 100F outside. I am pretty sure the "main relay" caused that, but it wasn't a necessary car then so we let it go. And it has been fine no matter how cold outside or whatever else until that wet day.

Anyone have any ideas? I am pretty sure that the main relay isn't the problem since I had spark when it would not start.. Am I wrong about that?

Today it was wet outside, rained for quite awhile, and it did crank a few times (maybe 2 seconds instead of the usual 1) before it started... I added some heet to get rid of water in the system.. which I'v alread done twice in the last month.. but I only use half a bottle at a time of the "premium" heet as a preventative measure.

Is there really an obd connecter (the one you can jumper with a paperclip) under the passenger kick panel? Is it difficult to get to? I have heard three different way you are supposed to read codes on these. On my automobiles it's ... .. stop ... .. stop ... .. stop ... .. for a 32 .. I am told that on this car it could be - - .. or some crazy ****?

I just am not sure if the wet weather that day is a red herring, since finally doing the WOT while cranking seemed to get it going. But then again I don't believe it smelled like gas at first. I don't know. I'm not a Honda guy at all so I bow to your skill, guys!

Thanks !!!!

 

only intermittent firing issue w/ my '93 was when oil got past the seal (just switched to synth oil) and into the distributor.
To check I'd feel the outside bottom of the dist for oil drops, or open it up and look inside.

wish more helpful. luck

 

I didn't find any water or oil coming from around the dist cap .. And I haven't taken the cap off, but the connectors on top looked brand new and were greased. . I bet you're right though, about something hiding under the cap.

Do I need to take any precautions when I remove it, outside of remembering which wires go where? What is more important to replace- distributor cap OR rotor? (Don't want to do both)

These days is it still okay to spray out the inside of the dist cap with wd-40 to keep water out, or will that cause problems?

 

It sure sounds like condensation inside the dist. cap.. Inspect it, then replace it. I am not sure if there is a seal there to replace. Remove and clean the rotor contacts, replace if needed.

 

Makes perfect sense. . Will the car get unhappy with me if I spray down the inside of the cap with WD-40 to prevent moisture from attaching, in the future?

 

I have heard of people doing that with their boat engines to prevent corrosion and moisture in the coilpack. I would hold off on that with your car, especially after replacement of the cap/rotor...Maybe as a last resort ??

 

I was hoping I could do that instead of replacing the actual parts... my car is down, and it's been expensive, so trying to bandage hers together well as I can .. I remember using some kind of "electrical component water repellent" spray in the past.... if not WD, would that work?

 

I don't have any experience using that type of product. Maybe try calling a electronics repair shop and ask about it.
I just did a Google search for "Distributor Moisture Repellent"...Some info there to confirm as well. You may have a cracked cap and it really should be replaced, there is a seal shown in the diagram also. WD 40 is mentioned as an external repellent, and directions on how to clean and dry a wet cap using carb cleaner aerosol spray.

 

Cap, rotor, AND plug wires. Start it up at night & mist some water from a pump bottle on the wires, see if it lights up.

 

I like that.. the mister idea... nice one!!!

I think I'll spray the dist cap and see if that makes it upset and if it does, just replace it.

STILL a little concerned about the way it was violently bucking during cranking the other day ... what the hell could cause that?