Ok first of all thanks to everyone out there, and thanks to the people who suggested to replace the distributor cap.

My refusing to believe that the slightest moisture on the outside could stop the car from starting cost me nearly 200.00.

Why 200.00? Well, seeing that coolant was leaking from the upper radiator hose to the radiator, I tried several things to stop it.
First try was to use high temp silicone around the inlet tube, prior to installing the radiator hose...that didn't work.
Second try was to use a worm clamp instead of the spring clamp Honda initially installs...well ...I knew better, but....that led to a crushed inlet tube and the need for a new radiator...that was 100.00, plus new upper radiator hose.

I managed to remove and reinstall it in 30 mintutes. and it is a 2 core unit rather than single core...so should run cooler too.


This is how 100% know it was the distributor cap. After installing the radiator I wanted to clean the engine of some grease. I used some engine degreaser, making sure to not get it on the distributor. Once the engine was covered with the stuff I placed a rag on top of the distributor and started the car to warm it up. I hosed off the grease being careful to not get it on the distributor. Apparently I wasn't careful enough, a small amount of water, about that of a good spit got on the distributor cap and stopped the engine cold.

I took of the cap, and inspected and didn't notice moisture inside , but did see some on the rim on the outside. Took a rag doused in acetone and wiped the inside and outside of the cap and re-installed...The car started right up. Tried a little more to clean the grease off and again it stopped the engine, again wiped the cap with acetone, and again it started just fine. Further inspection of the cap revealed that I had cracks where the small screws are. I'm guessing the cracks were enough for the spark to short through the crack onto the distributor housing.

So the purchase of the coil, 49.00 + shipping and distributor rotor - 11.00 was not needed, and had I been a little less anxious I could have saved my radiator.


Moral of the story? there are a few.
1) start with the distributor cap, then progressively more expensive part.
2) never use a worm hose clamp on a radiator with plastic tanks.
3) don't dismiss the idea of moisture on a distributor cap, even if you don't readily see moisture.

 

OK off topic: is the girlfriend hot? if so, post a picture. lol

First return the battery if you can ...if the car turns over then it is not the battery.
Second remove the distributor cap, leaving the plugs on. Take a rag soaked in either acetone or alcohol (which ever you have on hand...acetone is expensive), and wipe the inside and outside real good. Inspect the cap and look for any cracks...no matter how small. Electricity doesn't much to find its way through it. Replace the cap and try it...if it works get a new cap.

let us know how you do with that first.

 

I cleaned out the dist cap and checked the rotor as well. It all seems clean, but i cleaned it anyway like you said. What should i try next? Should i replace the dist cap? It's just doing the same thing...engine turns (belts move), i smell when im trying to start it, when i put it in II on the ignition ..i hear the humming noise, the check engine light does what it usualy does--starts as on and then goes off and i hear a click....someone help, this is getting very fustrating. HELP! I will try to clean it and expect it again in a little bit, in the mean time, someone help!! thanks a million!

-Dave

 

are there any cracks at all, like around the three screws? Did you use a quick evaporating sliquid to clean it? Is there any coolant on the fan shroud?

If not then the best thing to do is buy an ignition spark tester. A simple device that plugs into one of the spark plug's wire and gets grounded anywhere on the block, have the Girlfriend turn over the engine while looking at the tester...a spark should appear and jump a big gap.

Oh also did you happen to notice a little tiny spring on the coil? You MUST have that on the coil... The coil is within the distributor, with cone shaped thing protruding out into the cap.

Since the caps are cheap...might as well as buy one, and don't forget the o-ring.

let us know how THAT goes.

 

Hi and BTW thanks so much for helping.

I did not see any cracks on the dist cap. I cleaned it with alcohol..I wiped it down good too. I examined the dist cap very closely and didnt see any problems with it.

There is no coolant on the fan shroud.

I replaced the spark plugs earlier today, but still...no start. I also bought new wires, but the jackass at the autozone must have given me the wrong size because they didnt fit correctly on the engine! I am going to go make an exchange tommorrow.

Where can I get an ignition spark tester? Do they sell them at like Autozone or advance auto parts, etc? I should try that to see if there is a spark.

I did notice a small spring on the coil. It was sticking out at me. I reinstalled the dist cap after i cleaned it off. I checked the manual to see if the rotor is messed up but it looked fine..but i could replace the dist cap anyway to make sure its good.

Since the car has just been sitting there for months, do you think it has to do with anything fuel related? Like maybe a clogged filter or something. I am not sure how to check that, but it was a suggestion from someone.

-Dave

 

Hey no problem, haven't helped yet though, sadly.

Yes you can get the ignition spark tester from advanced auto or autozone, usually they don't have many of these in stock though.

Go ahead and get a cap...they are cheap and if it doesn't fix the car, you can return it with little guilt.

To test the fuel pump there are a couple things you can do, the easiest is place a bunch of rags under the fuel filter , loosen the banjo connection from the filter to fuel rail and just turn the key to the II position, that should pump fuel to the fuel rail.

But since you smell gas when trying to start it I am going to assume the fuel pump is NOT the problem.

With the spark tester you'll be able to tell if you have spark or not. If you do have spark and still doesn't start then things get more complicated. If there isn't a spark, then there are only a few things that can be wrong.
Coil,
Cap,
Rotor,
wires,
ignitor,
magnetic pickup.

www.rockauto.com seem to have the best prices around, but being an online service you'll have to wait for the parts.

The ignitor the little microchip doodad inside the distributor that controls the firing of the spark plugs and I believe the injectors. These are usually pretty sturdy little boogers, but..... and expensive.

try cap for poops and giggles. 10-14 bucks.....barely 5 gallons of gas. on that note won't ypu be glad when the car works again?

rockauto has complete distributor for about 160.00

First find out if you have a spark. If you don't want to spring for a tester you could remove one spark plug and re-connect it to the wire and just have it laying on the block somewhere, then turn the car over....

 

Hi.
I replaced the dist cap, spark plugs (I gapped them at .044 like the guy at the store said to do) + antiseize, wireset for the plugs (the jackass at the store gave me the wrong set (a vtec) i dont have a vtec), and checked the fuel thingy (as soon as i opened it fuel leaked out and smelled like gasoline). Result = [:@] no start.

I bought a spark tester, but i dont know how to use it.....here is a link to what it is...
http://www.actron.com/product_detail.php?pid=16168

its an Actron. I got it for about 15 dollars. Please tell me how to use this thing...

BTW, the car seeeeeeeeeems to be "shaking" a lot more then i attempt to start it. It feels like its so damn close to starting, but just not enough whatever it is to just start the damn thing!

-Dave

 

Ok first off, you didn't buy a spark tester you bought a circuit tester ...you can 't use that on the spark plug, you are likely to get shrapnel in your eye if you do.

This is the spark tester I have ... http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-IGNITION-SPA...QQcmdZViewItem

To use you simply remove one plug wire at the spark plug. Insert the tester's end that looks like a spark plug's top, into the plug wire and clamp the aligator clip onto a metal section on the engine block.

You can use the circuit tester on the injectors, however, I'm not sure which wire on the injector is the HOT wire, but if you find that out, you can stab the HOT wire with the circuit tester, clamp the other end onto the engine block some where, have a person try to start the engine and view the bulb inside. The light from the bulb should be rythmic not eratic. The ignitor module inside the distributor controls when the spark fires as well as when the injector fires.. If I had to guess the pulse from the injector happens just before the spark fires.

If it is eratic, then it would be a fair guess that the ignitor is faulty...rockauto.com is the cheapest place I've found....you'll need to remove it from the distributor, without disconnecting the wires, because you'll need to match the piece to one found on the website...apparently they are NOT all the same.

According to my manual for the accord, to test the coil is to simply use a voltmeter, to verify that you have voltage going to the coil while the key is in the ON position ... then the next step is to use an OHM meter to test that resistance between the leads are correct.

My coil's resistance was slightly off, but replacing it didn't fix the problem at all.

Please tell me that you moved the wires from the old cap to the new cap one at a time, while the two caps were aligned side by side.

The next cheapest part to try is the distributor rotor. To remove it, you have to bump the motor so that the metal lead of the rotor is facing downward, in this position the screw that holds the rotor in place will be visible.

If you have a manual verify that the plug wires are in the right order.

 

an easier check for th einjectors is to hold a long screwdriver (or stethoscope if you have one) against the injector body while its running. then stick your ear to the plastic handle, and if you hear a clicking, the injector is fine.

 

I havent had time to try this yet, but when i do..i will give you an update on whats going on. thank you everyone for all the help.

-dave