What about the wrong gas? I wonder if your daughter somehow put diesel fuel in there? If the 99 has a fuel tank drain bolt like the 94-97s, then you can easily drain the tank.

This still doesn't explain the spark going away on your test though. If you have a spare spark plug, use that instead of the screwdriver. Just ground the threads of the spark plug to a valve cover bolt to test for spark.

This thread is getting strange, due to the spark disappearing, and the starting fluid.

 

The wrong gas is always possible, but I would lean more towards bad gas, since she did the typical kid thing and only put in a small dollar amount. Early on in this long drawn out process, I thought maybe even the gas gauge might be off since is showed 1/4 of a tank. I put in a couple gallons myself to ensure the vehicle had fuel. I ruled out the gas after having two successful test drives prior to the car failing.

I do the sparkplug test everytime I do the screwdriver test to ensure wire vs plug results are the same.

I don't have a fuel pressure gauge to check for fuel, but I'll see if I can get one to perform the test Desert reccommended. The ULEV engine is setup a little different than the manual I'm using for help, but I'll get it. One of the test I found, showed removing the return fuel line and measuring the fuel output prior to start. The fuel input to the injector rail looks completly different from what I have on vehicle, but again I'll get it. I checked for voltage at the fuel pump and also felt the pump run by hand while having someone put the ignition in position II.

I don't have much give up in me, so as long as you guys are willing to put up with "strange", I'm willing to keep giving it a go.

 

Okie////////////// if you spray carb cleaner in the throttle body does the engine run???and as long as you spray stays running ?? or it won't start at all ?? I want to understand that properly ..

 

You have to keep the starter engaged to keep the vehicle running. If you let off the ignition the vehicle will not stay running. So I guess it won't start at all, but you can make the spray ignite, if that makes any sense.

 

let me get this right.........car runs, but as soon as you let go the key it dies ????? if so, it is an ignition switch problem , the electrical part

 

Try starting the engine, but don't COMPLETELY release the key. Just hold the key & releaese it just enough so the starter-motor quits running. If you can get it running that way, then it's absolutely a bad ignition switch. That's semi-common in Hondas.

 

Jim, in one of my earlier posts I informed of having a spare ignition switch given to me, which was tried with no difference in results. Sense than, the ICM was changed, which did test bad at Oreilly's. Do you think it's worth a shot to try the spare ignition switch again? Scratch that last question, I'll try the spare. I'm to the point of whatever it takes....

 

Desert, sorry didn't see your comment/question in the string. The car only runs due to me spraying starter fluid in the throttle body at the same time as my wife is holding the key in the start position. If I quit spraying the car quits firing, if she lets off the key, the car quits firing. It looks like two problems lack of fuel and lack of continuous ignition. The fuel I will try and get a pressure check tonight. The ignition, I will try the spare ignition switch again as Jim suggested.

 

Well I had some luck tonight and got the car started. Here are the things I did.
-Couldn't find a pressure gauge and didn't want to spend $50 for a set. Pulled the regulator off the fuel rail and turned the key on and got fuel coming out of the rail. The fuel coming out of the rail didn't smell gassy. Made several on/off cycles with the regulator out and just let the fuel run out. Never did smell gassy. Put it back together and vehicle failed to start.
-Installed the spare ignition switch with no success.
-Went ahead and pulled the Main Relay and installed the spare one and used the spare ignition switch with no success.
-Reinstalled the orginal Main Relay and ignition switch.
-Pulled all sparkplugs, which were dry.
-Poured a small amount of fuel in each cylinder, re-installed plugs and tried to start. Vehicle tried to start on about the fourth time and actually ran for about 15-20 seconds. You could hear on every retry after vehicle wasn't getting fuel or wasn't getting good fuel.
-I sprayed starting fluid while the wife ran the ignition. Each try the vehicle acted a little more like it was trying to start. It finally started running with no fluid being sprayed, but wouldn't idle, so we just kept it running at high rpm until I could get everything buttoned up.
-Since it wouldn't idle, I had the wife rev up the engine enough for me to jump in the drivers seat before dying. I drove the vehicle (hard) 7 miles to the gas station. I left it running while filling the tank with non-ethanol fuel, also added a can of Heat. Ran it back home the 7 miles. Pulled in the barn and it would idle. Shut off for a couple minutes, it started, but had to work the peddle to get it going.
-Took the vehicle out for another 25 mile test running it hard with the AC full blast. It ran like a top! Pulled back in the barn with the AC running and the vehicle idled fine, shut the AC off and the vehicle idled fine. Shut the vehicle off let it sit for 10 minutes and the vehicle start without having to work the peddle. Made several re-starts with every one a success.

PA, Desert & Jim, I can't thank you enough for sticking with me on this "strange" one, as PA mentioned. I'll be interested tomorrow morning to see if it will start. My best guess is the fuel was bad. I ran out quite a bit out on the ground and it never really smelled like you would have expected for the amount drained. If any of you have any thoughts otherwise I would be very much interested in hearing them.

Sorry for the long reply, but since the thread became so long, I thought it was deserving of a detailed explanation of what was tried and what it took to finally get it started.

Thanks again!!

 

I'm glad that you posted a detailed explanation. It may help someone else that runs into a similar problem.

Keep us posted.