I did a compression test and am having no luck. It is reading only 30 psi. Im going to check spark again. be back.

 

if it's reading that low it could be timing issue, put a little bit of tranny fluid in there and then test it, you should be at least 130 psi or better..

 

DO NOT waste your time checking for spark ,.. if your compression is only 30 psi all the way across the car will not start,,
chk to make sure the timing belt did not jump if did repair accordingly
if it did not engine might have what we call a cylinder wash too much raw gas been pouring in the cylinders,,,,,,if t-belt is ok try what i suggested before , remove the plugs clean and dry them and put a bit of tranny oil on the cylinder, reinstall the plugs also chk the oil make sure it is not full of gasoline ..

try and repost

 

I will check timing tomorrow. How does the timing belt skip a cog? Funny thing is the car started once and ran until i shut it off like normal. An hour or so later it tried to start but only sputtered, then it never started again. Texashonda refered to a post on another site where a guy had the same issues as me and turned out his coil was bad. I am getting spark to the coil and to each individual plug as well. How big of a spark should there be? The spark at the coil is pretty big and at the plugs its a lot smaller. The car sounds like it isnt even trying to spit or sputter much less start. Are there any sensors or relays that would cause the car not start even though i dont have a CEL?

 

the spark should be blue in color (good spark) did you re-check the compression? if you have a manual look up coil test, usually there's a basic test you can run on it with a voltmeter.... a bad distributor cap/rotor gave me one heck of a battle once but I believe you said yours is new (unless I'm confusing posts again...) make sure that you've got proper compression though before you mess with buying parts...

 

I will check timing tomorrow. How does the timing belt skip a cog? Funny thing is the car started once and ran until i shut it off like normal. An hour or so later it tried to start but only sputtered, then it never started again. Texashonda refered to a post on another site where a guy had the same issues as me and turned out his coil was bad. I am getting spark to the coil and to each individual plug as well. How big of a spark should there be? The spark at the coil is pretty big and at the plugs its a lot smaller. The car sounds like it isnt even trying to spit or sputter much less start. Are there any sensors or relays that would cause the car not start even though i dont have a CEL?

 

There are spark testers to plug into a spark plug connector that simulate the conditions inside the cylinder and deliver a more accurate indication of spark quality. Sticking a spark plug onto the wire and visually checking for spark is more of a yes/no check, and will not identify a weak (usually internal short) coil that is delivering a substandard spark.

Not to question your ability, but have you experience in testing for compression? You should turn the engine over at least 4 compression strokes before observing the captured pressure in the pressure gauge. A warm engine will usually deliver higher compressions than a cold engine. Anything < 100 psi suggests a problem w/ a cylinder/s. If the compression is 30 psi w/ a good check, something is wrong. Jumped timing belt or leaking valve/s. Timing belt can only jump if the tensioner is not properly tensioned or nibs on the belt are missing or worn severely.

good luck

 

I have used a compression tester before. Im not sure it is sealing all the way in the plug hole.
I will check the timing tomorrow. The engine hasn't rum since wed. and was cold while testing for compression. I will retest the compression again. Thanks for your help.

 

Word of warning on using a thread-in type compression tester. Some have an extension barrel in the kit. If you add that extension barrel and thread into the spark plug threads, the hose may separate leaving the barrel in the spark plug well and inaccessible! Guess how I know? I was finally able to extract by putting some paper towel on the hose threads and re-engaging the barrel. W/ the paper, the barrel in the spark plug threads released. I was getting desparate before this worked.

good luck

 

what does putting tranny fluid in the cylinders do?? I had a mechanic tell me to put about an OZ. of tranny fluid in with the oil and drive to quiet noisy valves and smooth out the general running of the engine although Ive never done it.