Integra Ignition Problem

[jdm>usdm]

So Im completely stumped

I have a boosted 94 integra ls. Completely stock b18b1 motor.

The problem: My tach goes completely crazy when I give it WOT and I gets into the higher rpms. Whenever the tach shoots everywhere, it feels as though it misfires and looses a good bit of power.


It did this on a completely stock ignition set-up with nkg wires and bkr7e plugs. I figured that it obviously had to be something within the dizzy, so I replaced the entire distibutor with one I had off of my old ls. This dizzy had the full msd set-up ( sci box, blaster coil). I installed the entire set-up and dizzy (which gave me ZERO problems before) only to discover that I still had the same problem. So after a few days of running it like this, I returned it back to stock, hoping that the problem would be easier to diagnose without all of the msd.


I found a few people on honda-tech who posted up similar problems. They all found the solution in replacing or completely bypassing the ignition control modual via a circut board. So today, I removed my ICM and headed off to advance to get it tested. Low and behold, it failed the test. So I bough a new one thinking the problem was fixed. I installed it only to find out that the problem is STILL there.


The coil is nearly new. The cap and rotor are also practically new.

Could a cam or crank sensor possibly cause it?



Any help would be highly appreciated




EDIT: another problem has been posted on the 2nd page.

[Tech5]

is your dizzy tight???? 3 bolts?

Is the coil wires snugged on very tight???

[JKOBD]

Any check engine lights? Both the cam and crank sensors are in the distributor. Do you have another distributor assembly you can swap to try it....one w/o the MSD?

What about your grounds?

[Sneeky Ninja]

Yea check yo grounds and maybe even try another ecu. Good luck

[jdm>usdm]

Yes the dizzy is tight.lol



And no, I dont have another dizzy on hand I can swap out. But I have a very diffucult time believing that it would change anything, considering the same EXACT problem existed with and without the msd, on two different dizzys that both ran fine just a few months ago.


Cant find any loose grounds. And the ecu is good. I actually just had scotty at mainstream to tune it for me... I forgot to mention that. I took the car up to scott because it desperately needed a tune, and I told him that something weird was going on with the ignition. He reset all the fuel maps and put a tune on it though with no problems out of it whatsoever while it was on the dyno for a good 3 hours or so.

[jdm>usdm]

Another weird thing... It was tuned on like a 98 degree day. And it ran very nicely the day it was tuned. But now its like it hates the heat.


I just got done after driving it a moment ago, and the temp is currently in the 70's, and the bitch ran freakin perfect. Not a single problem. So whatever the problem is, its got somthing to do with the temp.

[Batlground]

Another weird thing... It was tuned on like a 98 degree day. And it ran very nicely the day it was tuned. But now its like it hates the heat.


I just got done after driving it a moment ago, and the temp is currently in the 70's, and the bitch ran freakin perfect. Not a single problem. So whatever the problem is, its got somthing to do with the temp.

The temp sensors may have gone bad. Hook up a logger and check it out. If you dont have a logger I would be happy to help you.

[Vteckidd]

So Im completely stumped

I have a boosted 94 integra ls. Completely stock b18b1 motor.

The problem: My tach goes completely crazy when I give it WOT and I gets into the higher rpms. Whenever the tach shoots everywhere, it feels as though it misfires and looses a good bit of power.

your distributor is bad. Replace it. The tach signal comes from the distributor, and when its cold it will run better or fine but as it gets hot, the electrical connections weaken then it will run worse and break up/misfire etc.

Use a known good distributor from a buddy, and make sure your plugs are gapped right.

Might be an ECU problem check the Chip in the ECU make sure its secured right

MSD stuff sucks, stock Honda ignition components are good for 350-400whp easily. Sounds like you are losing the tach signal which can be the Cam Angle sensor (in the distributor) has a bad wire, connection, or ground.

Did you buy a NEW distributor?

[Batlground]

your distributor is bad. Replace it. The tach signal comes from the distributor, and when its cold it will run better or fine but as it gets hot, the electrical connections weaken then it will run worse and break up/misfire etc.

Use a known good distributor from a buddy, and make sure your plugs are gapped right.

Might be an ECU problem check the Chip in the ECU make sure its secured right

MSD stuff sucks, stock Honda ignition components are good for 350-400whp easily. Sounds like you are losing the tach signal which can be the Cam Angle sensor (in the distributor) has a bad wire, connection, or ground.

Did you buy a NEW distributor?

I thought he was pointing out a different issue related to the heat.

x2 check the distributor.

[Vteckidd]

I thought he was pointing out a different issue related to the heat.

x2 check the distributor.

I dont think the Temp sensor is that accurate on the hondas. I mean it could be possible, but ive never seen it but theres a first for everything.

Usually the tach jumping around is a sure fire sign the coil/ignitor is going bad in the distributor, it will work great in the colder weather but when it gets hot, it will act up.

I had it happen once to me, and i know how frustrating it was for it to work 1 second then not the next lol

[Tech5]

I dont think the Temp sensor is that accurate on the hondas. I mean it could be possible, but ive never seen it but theres a first for everything.

Usually the tach jumping around is a sure fire sign the coil/ignitor is going bad in the distributor, it will work great in the colder weather but when it gets hot, it will act up.

I had it happen once to me, and i know how frustrating it was for it to work 1 second then not the next lol

Very true

[jville95]

MSD stuff sucks, stock Honda ignition components are good for 350-400whp easily.

Great stuff! I didn't even know that but im learning, THX!!

(+Reps)

[chip P.]

have you tried just having it in nuetral and revving it? or only while driving..? checked spark plugs? what about fuel? bump up in octane or anything?

[Vteckidd]

problem with the MSD stuff, at least for hondas, is it overcomplicates and already simple system.

Ask scotty, we have seen more problems out of MSD than a stock setup.

As long as you have good heat range plugs for your application, NGK Wires (the simple blue ones ), and a healthy distributor, nothing is needed till you cross the 400whp mark.

Some poeple get lucky, like i think Spoolins first car did 600whp on stock distributor haha

[JKOBD]

The OEM IAT sensor is slow response so I doubt that that temp change would be it. +1 on trying another good distributor. When they are going out, the temp has a big affect on things.

The MSD stuff is really hit and miss, but I have had good success with the Digital 6 and Digital 7 + boxes. The older, lower level stuff always seems to have issues. My car made 700whp with the digital 6 box, blaster coil and Hondata S200.

[jdm>usdm]

your distributor is bad. Replace it. The tach signal comes from the distributor, and when its cold it will run better or fine but as it gets hot, the electrical connections weaken then it will run worse and break up/misfire etc.

Use a known good distributor from a buddy, and make sure your plugs are gapped right.

Might be an ECU problem check the Chip in the ECU make sure its secured right

MSD stuff sucks, stock Honda ignition components are good for 350-400whp easily. Sounds like you are losing the tach signal which can be the Cam Angle sensor (in the distributor) has a bad wire, connection, or ground.

Did you buy a NEW distributor?

Yeah I know how finiky msd crap can be. Thats one of the main reasons why I returned everything to stock.

And Im am a bit reluctant to just go off and drop a nice chunk of change on a new dizzy. Considering that Ive already tried two different ones that both ran perfectly fine last time I checked. So no, I didnt replace the dizzy with a brand new one. Im hoping I wont have to. But I will if I dont have a choice.

And Im not too sure how to test if the chip in the ecu is good or not. I know that when scott messed with it for the tune though he didnt mention anything about it looking bad.

And yeah the plugs are gapped accordingly. And the wires are just plan blue ngk ones. I had some stock ones lying around that I swapped over and they had no affect.

[jdm>usdm]

And thanks for all the input everyone.

Its greatly appreciated

[DarKStaR]

Change out the ignitor/check the wires make sure they are tight on everything, my tach jumped all over the place and was caused by a loose wire on the ignitor.

[jdm>usdm]

Change out the ignitor/check the wires make sure they are tight on everything, my tach jumped all over the place and was caused by a loose wire on the ignitor.

The igniter was changed with a new one. I snugged all of the wires on nicely, but Ill go back and double check and also carefully look over all the wires to see if I notice any damage.

Ill borrow another dizzy from a buddy next week and see how it runs then. I also have a friend with some hondata ecu tuned to 8 pounds. Ill try and run that too and see what happens.

[jdm>usdm]

Sorry to bump this back up, but I fixed the problem and figured Id post it up just incase someone else runs into this problem.



A 3 dollar tube of dielectrical grease fixed it. After a new icm, two different dizzys, and all the time to install the external coil and msd box.

All I did was put the grease into all the connections that plug onto the icm, then squeezed them a bit with a pair of pliers for a tighter fit. Then plug eveything back up.

Its running better than ever now.

[chip P.]

thats whats upp. lol. great new tho.

Sorry to bump this back up, but I fixed the problem and figured Id post it up just incase someone else runs into this problem.



A 3 dollar tube of dielectrical grease fixed it. After a new icm, two different dizzys, and all the time to install the external coil and msd box.

All I did was put the grease into all the connections that plug onto the icm, then squeezed them a bit with a pair of pliers for a tighter fit. Then plug eveything back up.

Its running better than ever now.

[jdm>usdm]

AHHHHHHHHHH fuck. The problem is back. And I also have something else going wrong


Ok so like I stated in my last post, I used dielectric grease and it completely fixed the problem for a while. But now the problem is back, and no matter what I try now I cant get the problem to completely go away. I was going to buy another distubutor for it and see what happens.

But now when my tach goes crazy, my damn speedometer goes crazy too. It tries and moves back down to 0mph when I give it WOT and the tach shoots everywhere.

The dizzy has no correlation with the speedometer does it?

[marcos713]

for the spedo jumping around try ur speed sensor on ur tranny. had that same problem with my car and it turned out the connection was loose.
if ur looking to buy a new dizzy try distributorking.com (thanx vteckidd lol) goo quality dizzys with limited lifetime guarentee