No power!! Help!!

[mister_honda]

Big problem: Just bought a '92 240 sx coupe. It takes five or six tries to get it started (like there's no spark), but cranks over fine. When it does start, it idles fine. Upon acceleration the car is very hesitant and doesn't want to rev above 3k. With the pedal to the floor, it won't go above 3k and makes a turbo-ish sucking sound at the same time. The only things that came to mind for me were: injectors, ignition, fuel pump, or maybe something to do with the air-metering system. Anybody got any ideas???

[S14Zilvia]

I'd go with fuel pump if your idle's alright.

[C-Kwik]

I'd rule out the fuel pump. Chances are, if it's working but not flowing well, it would probably start with a slight surge in power as it begins to lean out, followed by detonation.

Check your ignition system. Plugs, wires, distributor, coil. Does it misfire at all? You'ld feel misfires in 1st gear slowly cruising at about 5-10 mph real easy...it would feel like a slight jerking in the movement of the car.

If you had a leak in your intake, you'ld go lean. You would probably hear detonation as well, if the leak is big enough to cause any major hesitation like you are describing.

Also, since you just bought the car, inspect everything. Test Compression. Was a smog check done when you bought it (if required by your state)? Any abnormal results? Any mods to the car?

[mister_honda]

Just noticed another wierd thing: the tachometer does not move in sync with the sound of the motor; a delayed reaction in the tach signal. Sounds ignition related to me. I haven't found any intake leaks, but I'll keep looking. Keep 'em comin' guys, I gotta figure this one out. Thanks!:)

[EZcheese15]

Pull the distrubutor cap. I'd put money on it (well, not really, cuz i'm broke) that the infrared pickup on the inside of the distrubitor is contaminated.

[drjohn]

Check to see if black smoke is coming from the exhaust. It maybe that you have a corrodied connection at the coolant temp sensor causing a rich mixture. Also you can have good fuel pressure but low volumn do to a clogged fuel filter.

[bruinbear714]

Did you run a diagnostic check on the ecu? The ecu doesn't let you rev past 3k when it senses something wrong with the sensors/engine.

[mister_honda]

Is there a way to bring up trouble codes without having a diagnostic tool plugged in?

[bruinbear714]

You put your key into the ON position, but don't start it.

On one side of the ecu there is a screw. You turn that fully clockwise, hold it there for 2 seconds, and turn it back fully counterclockwise.

Your engine light will have a series of blinks... first long blinks then short blinks. Long blinks go in the tens digit, short blinks go in the singles digit.

So if you get 5 long blinks followed by 3 short blinks, followed by 2 long blinks and then 4 short blinks, and it gets repeated, your ecu is throwing you codes 53 and 24.

Then to reset it, you turn it clockwise, wait and turn it back.

If you don't wan't to reset it, turn off your ignition.

[EZcheese15]

You put your key into the ON position, but don't start it.

On one side of the ecu there is a screw. You turn that fully clockwise, hold it there for 2 seconds, and turn it back fully counterclockwise.

Your engine light will have a series of blinks... first long blinks then short blinks. Long blinks go in the tens digit, short blinks go in the singles digit.

So if you get 5 long blinks followed by 3 short blinks, followed by 2 long blinks and then 4 short blinks, and it gets repeated, your ecu is throwing you codes 53 and 24.

Then to reset it, you turn it clockwise, wait and turn it back.

If you don't wan't to reset it, turn off your ignition.

That only works on OBDII vehicles. He's got OBDI. There is a way to do it off the ECU, but I don't know the precedure right off hand.

[sts76]

My 91 is not OBDII and that is the correct procedure for checking codes.

[EZcheese15]

My 91 is not OBDII and that is the correct procedure for checking codes.

Oh, oops. Well, now I know

[mister_honda]

Will the ECU store a trouble code even if the check engine light isn't on?

[EZcheese15]

Will the ECU store a trouble code even if the check engine light isn't on?

Yes, it can, depending on the code.

There is a 1st trip DTC code and 2nd trip DTC code. The 1st trip one will store the code but not cause a light. A 2nd trip will cause the light.

However, if you erase the codes, it's going to erase both 1st and 2nd trip DTC's.

[mister_honda]

I really appreciate the help- I'll find out tomorrow if the suggestions work; I'll be working on the car tomorrow night after work, and I'll keep ya posted. Thanks again.

[mister_honda]

Problem solved: Clogged exhaust. Clogged bad. All of the Catalyst material dislodged from the cat and slid down the pipe until it met a bend in the pipe and found a new home. Thanks for all the help guys!

[S14Zilvia]

Wow, never would have thought of that. What made you check/find that?

[apex_240sx]

pull your oil pump out....(make sure you flush the oil first) and there is a shaft connected to the oil pump that runs through the front cover up to the distributor, which is alsoconnected to a gear on the crankshaft....if this shaft is snapped, or the gear is chewed up bad...that is your problem...my guess is that since you have good idle, then i'm gonna say that the gear is chewed up. replace this shaft. i had the same problem, except mine wouldnt idle, the gear was fine, the shaft was just snapped, and only spun the distributor when it wanted to

[apex_240sx]

k completely ignore my comment........i neglected to read that you already found the problem....f*** am i stupid