PDA

View Full Version : Hard starting after Timing Belt Change - Runs Fine when started?



LeidenK
11-07-2006, 01:13 AM
Hi There,
I recently did a Timing Belt & Balancing belt replacement as my car was at 100,000 kms. During the operation I was using the battery to power a small 12v light to see in dark places. This drained the battery a bit. When I had got it all back together It would seem to turn over fine, but wouldnt fire. I kept trying until a clicking sound coming from the startor motor. First I thought I stuffed up the timing, but I gave the battery a change anyway for about 15 minutes and it started almost instantly. It was revvin at about 1200 RPM but then dropped to about 700. I let it sit for about 10 mins Idling to give the battery a little charge before going to bed. In the morning the car started fine, almost instantly again.

Anyway, since it all went so well I gave my car a good clean out, inside and out. My Dad then got the bright idea to waterblast the motor and apply blackner to all the pipes. He spent about 20 mins under there and eventually it looked spankin'. Anyway the car sat for a couple of hours with the bonnet up to let everything dry out.

Later that day I went to start it and It turned over fine for the first two startor strokes, but then sounded as if it was turning over slower and slower. After about 4 - 5 strokes it fired up. I thought maybe the battery drained a little so I took it for a drive for about 1hr. I then parked it up and went to bed.

In the morning I had the same problem, except this time it was a little longer before it fired. When it ran it ran like normal, but when starting it sounded as if it was seizing up the more the startor motor turned it over. The strokes were getting slower and slower.

I went to work and after work I had the same problem, work is around 30 mins out of town and I'm drivin' at around 100kms so its revving at 3,000 usually. I thought that would have given it a good charge. Sure enough after work it was again hard to start. Once it had been running for a while it would start again after the first or seccond stroke. Only when its been sitting for a few hours is it hard to start.

The problem seems to be getting worse, the alternator is quite hot -- too hot to touch after trips, dont know if thats normal? The battery has a little built in meter thing which tells if it needs chargin, fresh water, or fine. The display shows that its fine and I'm not getting a battery light while I'm driving. I have checked water and oil and everything is fine. Oil is a little black but Its due in another 2000km's.

I've noticed sometimes it will do it and other times it's fine. More often than not it takes about 5 strokes, each one sounding slower than the last, until it finally starts up. I also noticed once or twice it makes a nock sound just as it's about to fire. The timing was fine, it lined up pretty good after about 6 turns of the crackshaft.

I have a few ideas of what it could be,
1: Oil leaking onto the sparkplugs?
2: Faulty startor motor?

Sometimes it seems like the battery is totally dead when starting, when the startor turns over it makes a click sound under the dash. Its not a click from the startor motor. It always seems to start fine though. Even with the clicks.
I really need help, could a waterblasting to the motor have caused something like this, or would incorrect timing do it? I also took apart the startor motor to jam a screwdriver into the teeth of the flywheel to get that pulley bolt undone. I didnt damage the teeth and I put the startor motor back together the way it came apart.

Please help
Thanks!

civicracer5000
11-07-2006, 08:54 AM
if I would be you I would check the timing again and make sure is right. my car just blew up last night due to the fact that the timing got jumped. but is funny that you mentioned my car did the same thing it was hard to start just like if the battery would be drain but it would start after few strokes.

thats just my advice.
Good luck with everything

LeidenK
11-07-2006, 05:44 PM
The thing is though, Before I put the car back together I checked to see if all the marks lined up. Everthing looked perfect. The car also started fine after I had charged the battery for a few minutes.

If my timing was out wouldnt it also mean the car would run like crap, slower takeoff, etc. It runs perfect once its going.

I dont know :/ I'm going to take it down to the garage and see if they can do a alternator / battery test on the car. Even maybe check if oil is leaking onto the sparkplugs.

Z U L8R
11-08-2006, 09:50 AM
if you can take your starter out, then you can check if oil's getting on the plugs.....just pull a wire and if there's oil in the spark plug tube then you need valve cover gasket with the tube seals...but honestly...it sounds like you just need a battery. especially with the cold weather, your alternator sounds like it's charging the battery, but it sounds like the battery's not holding sufficient charge to give enough amps for cold starts. it sounds like the timing is fine also, when you did the timing belt, did you do the water pump? cam + crank seals? balance shaft oil seal? and most importantly the balance shaft oil seal retainer? it's a little $5 2 bolt hole metal bracket that keeps that balance shaft oil seal from blowing out and leaking like a mofo, you can get em from honda for like $5. if you've had that battery 3 years or more i'd definately put a new ( not crap ) battery in there and go from there.

LeidenK
11-08-2006, 01:30 PM
Nah I didnt do any of the seals. I have been regularily checking the oil level and it hasnt dropped at all. The battery looks as though its the one that originally came with the car. I've got it booked into a diagnostic to see if there are any other problems with it.

I noticed that it starts almost perfectly when its really cold. If the weather is hot I notice its hard to start and a clicking is heard somewhere under the dash. Its not the clicking you would normally hear from the startor when the battery is near dead.

LeidenK
11-09-2006, 01:29 PM
Bang on the money Z U L8R. I just got a new battery and the thing starts seccond stroke. And its turning over much much faster when cranked.

Still got it booked for a diagnostic though, It would be cool to find out how well its running etc.

Z U L8R
11-10-2006, 01:46 PM
np =]