How do you fix a 1980 Honda Accord that cranks but will not ignite?

Answer 1

There are several reason for a car not to start. To do so, it requires fuel and air in a proper mixture and a spark to ignite the mixture at the proper point in the cycle.

First you should check to see if you have spark. This can be done by removing one of the spark plug wires from the distributor and observing while you have someone crank the engine. A good spark will jump a good quarter of an inch in dry air and you should be able to hear it snap while holding the wire near the socket it plugs into.

If you are not getting a spark, the most likely place to look is at the distributor.

There could be several problems. Either the points are not opening or they are opening too far. The other possibility is the condenser that is attached to one of the connections to the points and is usually bolted to the frame in the vicinity of the distributor. If the condenser fails, there will be no spark. The other problem could be that the distributor is just plain worn out. They are usually good for 300,000 miles or so but, they do go bad eventually.

If you have spark, the next thing to do is to squirt some carburetor cleaner into the carb. Remove the top to the air cleaner and give it about a 2 second shot of cleaner. Crank the engine and see if it acts like it wants to start. If it does, then the problem is that it is not getting fuel. The in-line filter may be plugged or there may be some other stoppage in the line from the fuel tank. The fuel pump may also be defective.

If the carb cleaner doesn't do anything for you, it might be getting too much gas. Crank the engine and then smell in the vicinity of the exhaust pipe. If you smell gas there, it is possible that the float in the carburetor is stuck and not shutting off fuel from the pump, flooding the engine. Too much gas will not ignite by a spark.

If you have spark and fuel at the carburetor and the carb is not malfunctioning, it could be a timing problem and you should seek the help of a mechanic.