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Confused about firing order...

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  #1  
Old 07-02-2011 | 05:01 PM
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Default Confused about firing order...

EDIT: Still not sure why the cars aren't showing up in signature but the post below refers to a '95 and '93 Accord both 4-cyl 2.2l.

I know the firing order on the 1993 Accord is 1-3-4-2.

What I don't get is how the spark plug wires are supposed to be arranged. The haynes manual shows a circle with four circles inside arranged in a diamond pattern. This is I am assuming, the distributor. Now it appears to imply that spark plug "1" starts off on the bottom and going clockwise should be "3", "4" and then "2".

But I'm not sure how to apply this to the car. Because the Haynes manual also shows the word "front" for the front of the car and the diagram could then mean the circle on the bottom is actually the plug socket closest to the front of the car on the distributor.

Right now my plugs are arranged as follows:
Spark plug one is closest to the front of the car.
Spark plug two is closest to the sky.
Spark plug three is closest to the ground.
Spark plug four is closest to the firewall.

Do I have them in the wrong order?

On a 1995 Accord the order is the same but the Haynes manual diagram does away with the confusing "front" thing and just shows it as it looks on the distributor I think. In this case plug one starts closest to the front of the car and goes clockwise.

The problem is, on the 1995 Accord I just checked and plug three is installed closest to the sky and plug two is installed closest to the ground. Firing order would then be wrong wouldn't it?

If both are supposed to have the same firing order and same arrangement of plugs, since both of them are not the same (plugs two and three are reversed), one of the cars have to be wrong right? Uh oh...
 

Last edited by MessAround; 07-02-2011 at 05:11 PM.
  #2  
Old 07-02-2011 | 05:46 PM
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I think you have to check the show signatures under User CP, then options.

For both distributors, the firing order is the same (1-3-4-2). It is where you start with #1.

I'll post a pic for the 95. What is the trim level for the 95 (LX, DX, or EX)? And the 93?
 
  #3  
Old 07-02-2011 | 05:52 PM
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I added it to signature under User CP but it's not showing up. Just checked and it's still there. Strange?

I never checked trim level. Don't know how?

I think the most confusing part is where spark plug one starts. The firing order is fine, 1-3-4-2, but where does one start for me to even begin placing according to firing order? The diagram is confusing.

I've just seen another diagram from some service manual (can't seem to find it now) and it shows that spark plug one should be closest to ground. Oops. I don't think I detect any misfiring. If the plugs were in wrong, why wouldn't it? Maybe it's because going clockwise it's still in order 1-3-4-2. Maybe where plug one starts off is irrelevent?

If I'm wrong and I do have the plugs in the wrong order and where plug one starts out is relevant, well then maybe fixing the order will change how the car runs?
 

Last edited by MessAround; 07-02-2011 at 05:59 PM.
  #4  
Old 07-02-2011 | 06:05 PM
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For trim level, it should say it on your trunk.

If you have the spark plugs installed with a 1-3-4-2 order and the car is running, then you have them in the correctly.

If you had a 1-3-4-2 order and you started with 1 in the wrong spot, then the car would not start.
 
  #5  
Old 07-02-2011 | 06:16 PM
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Oh you mean LX? The trim level on both is LX.
 
  #6  
Old 07-02-2011 | 06:31 PM
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Here is the pic of the 95 distributor cap. Keep in mind the flat part of the distributor cap doesn't face the ground on the car.
 
Attached Thumbnails Confused about firing order...-dist-95.jpg  
  #7  
Old 07-02-2011 | 08:06 PM
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I found another diagram that shows the positions are totally different for a 1995 Accord.

This is frustrating. Even then, going by your diagram the plugs are wrong anyway. My plug three and two are swapped on that image.
 
  #8  
Old 07-02-2011 | 08:16 PM
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Is your car running like crap? Is it lacking power?

Looking at the distributor cap from the passenger side of the car....start at plug 1 and go clockwise, the order should be 1-3-4-2.

Cylinders are numbered in order 1, 2, 3, then 4 from right to left when looking at the engine from the front bumper. Cylinder 1 is on the driver's side engine block. 4 is on the passenger side of the block.
 
  #9  
Old 07-02-2011 | 08:40 PM
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Nevermind! :-)

It's fine! The diagram you gave me actually does match up with it. I was going by the number on the wires but then I realized the mechanic used plug wire three where cylinder two is, for some odd reason he essentially swapped plug wires for cylinders two and three but left one and four alone.

All's fine now. The wiring is correct according to diagram.

If I hadn't discovered that the wrong wires were used the ordering would be 1-2-4-3 going clockwise but since he swapped wires 2 and 3 it's 1-3-4-2. Correct.
 
  #10  
Old 07-02-2011 | 08:47 PM
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I'm glad you figured it out. I knew it had to be something pretty obvious. That engine wouldn't work too well running on two cylinders.
 
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