Car: 1990 DA9 with a JDM B18B1 swap
Issue: Engine cranks but does not start. Battery has been removed (need another).
Additional Information: The engine cut out at about 3k rpm, Power stayed on and the engine cranked afterward but would not start.
So I have the tools to do a diagnostic on the ignition system and engine electrical systems. And I have the manual on how to test the components. I have opened the valve cover to check to make sure its not the timing belt. And basically I think I have narrowed it down to either the MAP sensor, CKP sensor, or the fuel pump. But my question is, if it comes down to being the CKP sensor, meaning that I would need a new distributor, Do I need to be looking for a b18b1 distributor or is it the same? Similar question goes for the rest of the parts I would be switching out.
Also, anyone know if there is any harm is grabbing just any battery to check some of these components?
Any 12V battery will do to check the components. For your immediate purposes, it does not have to have any specific rating.
Just FYI, when I first started working on mine a couple years ago, the car had not moved for several years. Engine kept dying, and did not run decent until the second tank of gas. Old gasoline breaks down, and in retrospect, it was stupid of me to even run it w/o draining the tank and putting fresh fuel in b/f I started.
Assuming the car has not been converted to OBD1 or OBD2 you will want to source a distributor from a 90-91 B18a engine. The b18b distributors (OBD1 or OBD2) will not work if your car still has the original OBD0 engine control system in it. Most replacement parts you’d be ordering would be for the original car/engine but that’s not a 100% rule as there are some minor things which could be specific to the b18b and will really depend on how the swap was done. When you do that swap there are lots of decisions to make regarding whether the original components are retained or if they are replaced by the corresponding B18b components so without knowing specifics it’s we can’t tell you. The MAP sensor is a perfect example of this. The original engine had the MAP sensor mounted on the firewall. The B18b has the MAP sensor integrated into the throttle body. When you swap in a b18b you can choose to use the firewall mounted sensor or remove that sensor and use the b18b throttle body and MAP sensor. Both options work fine so it’s really just a convenience/preference type decision that needs to be made.
Is the car throwing any trouble codes? The MAP and CKP sensors seem like strange places to start troubleshooting unless you have something (like a check engine light) telling you that is where the problem lies.
It sounds like you’re generally starting in the right place though, checking the timing belt was important before moving forward. Check for spark and fuel pressure now and go from there. As for the battery, it doesn’t matter at all you can go buy a new one or just pull one from another car (or use jumper cables).
[QUOTE=Colin;2322246]Assuming the car has not been converted to OBD1 or OBD2 you will want to source a distributor from a 90-91 B18a engine. The b18b distributors (OBD1 or OBD2) will not work if your car still has the original OBD0 engine control system in it. Most replacement parts you’d be ordering would be for the original car/engine but that’s not a 100% rule as there are some minor things which could be specific to the b18b and will really depend on how the swap was done. When you do that swap there are lots of decisions to make regarding whether the original components are retained or if they are replaced by the corresponding B18b components so without knowing specifics it’s we can’t tell you. The MAP sensor is a perfect example of this. The original engine had the MAP sensor mounted on the firewall. The B18b has the MAP sensor integrated into the throttle body. When you swap in a b18b you can choose to use the firewall mounted sensor or remove that sensor and use the b18b throttle body and MAP sensor. Both options work fine so it’s really just a convenience/preference type decision that needs to be made.
Is the car throwing any trouble codes? The MAP and CKP sensors seem like strange places to start troubleshooting unless you have something (like a check engine light) telling you that is where the problem lies.
It sounds like you’re generally starting in the right place though, checking the timing belt was important before moving forward. Check for spark and fuel pressure now and go from there. As for the battery, it doesn’t matter at all you can go buy a new one or just pull one from another car (or use jumper cables).[/QUOTE]
First of all thank you for the help. Im pretty sure that im still working with OBD0. As for the MAP sensor, I know that the original one on the firewall is still connected.
And its been a few years since I drove this, and I recall something strange about the check engine light. Sometimes it would come on after being driven for a while, but it would go away every time the car was restarted. I assume this has something to do with a problem on whatever remembers the code. Ill hook this up to some power tomorrow and see what comes up on the dash.
So I have the Haynes manual. I did a spark test, there was no spark at any of the cylinders. The next step was a resistance/continuity test on the primary and secondary terminals of the ignition coil. The ignition coil passed.
So next i went to check the igniter. It had me put the key in position 2, and check for voltage to the igniter. So I put the key in position 2 and noticed something. The dashboard did not come on. When i move the key to position 3, the check engine and oil lights come on, along with the seatbelt. The check engine light goes off after about 1 sec as normal. But if i let the key go back to position 2, power shuts off again. I assume this has to to with the lock cylinder? Im currently getting ready to get the tools to remove the steering wheel and steering column to do a continuity test to check the lock cylinder.
Im checking the continuity on the ignition switch right now.
The continuity test involves disconnecting two connectors. One of which runs from the ignition switch to the fuse box on the driver side, and the other connects the ignition switch to the wiring harness. Next I am supposed to put the key in position 1, 2, and 3 and test for certain continuity.
Now for some of them Im getting a resistance of 0 ohms, which is normal, but for some of them i DO get resistance. The resistance is not infinity, which would mean lack of continuity, but there IS resistance. Does anyone know if this is a sign of a bad ignition switch?
I highly recommend ditching the Haynes manual in favor of a Helms. The Haynes is crap compared to the factory service manual (Helms). I see your email is not listed in your user profile otherwise I would email you. Shoot me an email and I can lend a hand.
It turns out that it was a broken timing belt. It was sitting on top of the cams but busted on the bottom. Thank you for all of your help and suggestions guys.
oh my. i thought you cranked the engine when inspecting. quick and easy way is to pull the oil fill cap and have someone crank. watch for cam movement. hopefully you didn’t bend any valves. the non vtec b18 has pretty loose tolerance though, so good chance you’ll be ok. although you were at 3k when it occured…