I was trying to set the timing in my 1990 acura gs and while the car was running the wire from the distributor from piston one got disconnected now the car wont start everytime. When it does start it idles wildly and when I floor the gas it bogs out and the engine turns off…PLEASE HELP!!! This is my first import car I have always owned domestics and I am kinda lost as to what the problem is here. I checked the distributor and I am getting a spark and the the spark plugs are good…I am lost here please help
sounds like mechanical timing is off.
you are going to have to jumper the connector by the ECU and check mechanical timing first. After that is checked out you going to let the car idle 10-20 minutes and do a timing relearn for the ECU to program itself.
Ok thanks for the help. I tried to short the connector and it wont show a check engine light…Is that normal? Is there another way to short out the ecu when I reset the timing?
I check the mechanical timing and had to set it…It was way off…and it was a pain in the ass by the way…Its almost worth it to take the motor mount off if you can for ease of access…anyways after I did this the car still wont start…it turns over nicely but wont actually start…I bought new spark plugs and every time I try to start it the engine just gets flooded with gas…I pull the spark plugs out and they are coated in gas…is it possible that I fried my spark plug wires or even my distributor when I was trying to do the timing??
Run a quick spark test if no spark start with wires, then move on to distributor. Or even ignition coil. Clean the posts in the cap and connections on the rotor.
So wait…was the car running normally before that wire got disconnected?
IT was running…it would start every time…but it idled roughly and it bogged down in low rpms…in high rpms it ran great…but yes now it won’t start…it floods out every time I try and coats the spark plugs with gas…any ideas??
that was definitely to do with your timing being off. sounds to me like your distributor is the new culprit. what you describe sounds just like what I went through when my teg died a couple weeks back. you could always change the ignition coil. that is usually what fails in a OEM distributor, but for what the cost of a plain distributor is versus cost of a coil just replace the whole thing.
don’t be fooled if you turn it over a couple times and see a spark… a failing coil can throw a spark initially but it will die away until you have no spark at all.
I know if you google around you can find info here and at honda tech as to how to test the coil and wires with a multimeter. that was what I did. theres some good articles that will tell you how to exactly do the resistance tests to narrow issues with the ignition system down. 
K…I just got off work and bought a new coil I am about to install it…FINGERS CROSSED
you fried the coil. reason being is that the near 20000volts has no path to ground with plug wire off. your initial concern probably was the timing. after you replace the coil and it fires up, check your IGNITION timing. for this, you need a timing light. follow the procedure to a tee, and you’ll be alright
I installed the new coil with the same results…the damn car still wont fire up…maybe it might be the ecu?
check for 12v at the blk/ylw tracer wire at the distributor
have you since replace the ignition wire. deffinatly sounds ignition related. possibly a broken wire??
are you talking about the spark plug wires? If So I have replaced those and the spark plugs and still no spark…I am about to set this car on fire 
did you check for power at the blk/ylw tracer wire? key on.
Yea and I am getting power to the Distributor but no spark to my plugs
how many plugs did you check spark to?
I only checked the first cylinder. Why? Does it make a difference?
usually you’d want to check them all. and you sure you’re grounding it to a good, solid ground? was there fuel on the plug when you pulled it?
and the belt is turning, yes?
have you pulled the distributor cap off to have a look inside? there’s a small spring loaded contact for the coil inside the cap. if that spring isn’t there/is broken, there won’t be spark.
also check that the rotor hasn’t fallen off.
if those look good, you have power to the distributor, i’d have to say replace the distributor
one more thing. when you crank, does the tach move AT ALL? or is it dead still?