So I have been having persistent issues for a while now. The OEM distributor finally crapped out, at the same time my battery was toast and won’t hold charge.
Got a new distributor (shitty richter technologies or some crap, I know) and I used the battery from my crown victoria to see if that will fix the issue before I went and bought a new battery too. Car started first try with the new distributor, took it on a few mile drive and had no issues.
So next was a battery, I found a brand new optima yellow top on craigslist for $100. Put the new battery in and it started up first try. Drove to gas station and noticed the battery light had come on, it had not before. Turned the car off to get gas and it wouldn't start afterwards. Just cranks and cranks but wouldn't fire.
I checked for spark by arching the plug to body bolt and the spark looked super weak(I did this at night too and it looked weak). The coil tested within range and I even tried another good one I have and still wouldn't turn over.
Took my battery out and left the car overnight. Went to mess with it today.....hooked up battery and it started first try. While driving it home I would get random hesitation almost like when you stall out the car and it jumps forward real bad, but this was happening while starting to accelerate. Got to my drive way and noticed smoke then the car died. Smoke was coming from my alternator.
All my grounds are good, plugs are good, cap/rotor are good. Of course my tach didn’t work anymore after I put in the new distributor as we’ll.
Either way that’s my struggle. So my questions are…
Can the optima fry my alternator? why would it fire up then suddenly not after being turned off? I am at a loss at this point. Please and thank you.
Battery is brand new. I’m sure the alternator is toast. Noticed my power steering leak was dripping on it while car is running.
[QUOTE=welfare;2316557]replace the distributor.
are your battery terminals tight and clean?[/QUOTE]
I did replace the distributor, granted it’s probably garbage since my tach doesn’t work now out of no where. Strange thing is it starts up and idles perfectly normal after it’s been sitting for a while. Once I drive it the battery light come on then it won’t start again once I turn it off.
Yes, car just started up and idled fine first try in my garage.
I gotta check out the main relay, but at this point it’s more than likely the distributor. Does anyone recommend good aftermarket brands? Lifetime warranties? Rebuilding my old one?
but typically, the battery light tells you that charging voltage is at or below battery voltage. which usually indicates an alternator issue. check how much voltage the alternator puts out. high beams on, heater on blast
The cheapest distributor on RockAuto is approx $127, why bother with a junker or eBay? My first and second OE distributors died of seized bearings, I’m not a fan of OE, so I think that they should be avoided. With eBay, just prepare to replace the igniter or coil. Likely because the distributor may have been assembled without thermal grease. I went through two eBay distributors, first one had a bad igniter out of the box (lasted a couple of weeks), second one lasted a couple of years (car was not driven for a year…) Telltale sign; tach would drop to zero. Oh well, I’m a glutton for punishment, fixed it with an eBay igniter.
tbh, oe is not very good, you’re right. the coils are notoriously underrated for the revolutions that honda engines see. but unless you build a hybrid distributor, which btw, a lot of people do, it’s still better than any aftermarket unit on its own
I have a brand new one of those cheap ass ones now(richter technologies I think?). My tach doesn’t work at all…I maybe saw it move slightly once. So you’d say igniter? Even if it starts right up.
My issue now is I can start the car first try, but after I drive it a mile it starts to act up and will either die or not start again after being shut off. I’m in the middle or replacing my PS hoes and alternator since it was leaking into my alternator. So after that back to distributor problems. I will say tho, when I am able to drive it b4 it starts to act weird it runs perfect.
Never heard of building a hybrid one. Do you have any Links for that?
naa. came across it many moons ago. may have even been on this site. something about using hitachi coils or something or other. the guy was pretty in depth on the whole thing
