You've mentioned not getting air? Usually when the catalytic is jammed, the
car looses power and come to a complete stop and no start. There will be
little or no air intake flows or muffler exhausts.

Fuel is best check by smelling the plugs, it tells you richness, fouling,
flooding, etc. If all fuel injectors aren't working, a check engine light is
designed to light up in most cases.

The 90 Accord produces a large arc when using a (normal electrical) ground
wire placed near the coil's secondary (the coil's output) or other areas but
will produce a small arc when using the plugs as a test jig. A good igniter
also plays a part in producing a large arc. Here's why.

Step 1. A simple coil test should consists of supplying the coil's ( + ) and
(-) for 14ms a watch the arc.
Step 2. Now compare this arc to the one produced from the stock igniter, I
mean by cranking the motor. The igniter produced arc should be at least four
times larger, and larger as the gap to ground increases. If step 1 produces
a very, very weak arc and step 2 produces a weak arc, then the coil is in
question.

I've had many Hondas that will start with 2-3 teeth off the T-belt.
Koji


>I checked the sparks three ways. I have a spark tester which plugs inline
>between the plug and wire. I also took out the plug and watched it arc
>when cranked (wire connected). I also watched it arc from dist to wire.
>The spark didn't seem all that powerful, but that's all relative. A weak
>spark should still cause combustion.
>
>I tested the fuel pressure at the fuel rail. When ignition was turned on
>with banjo bolt unbolted, gas shot up out of the bolt as expected.
>
>I'm at a loss on what's going on since I'm getting spark and fuel. I
haven't
>checked if I'm getting air (not sure what the best way to do that is).
With
>all three present (air, spark, and fuel), I should be getting combustion.
>perhaps my timing is off because I have a supra that won't start if the
timing
>is way out of range.
>Gary
>
>gRmEcMgOrVeEw@mindspring.com (Gordon McGrew) wrote in message
news:<q0t3ov086g4jf2tprrk6ofss7fp27u6olf@4ax.com>. ..
>> On Mon, 06 Oct 2003 22:36:03 GMT, "Caliban"
>> <caliban03nospam@earthlink.net> wrote:
>>
>> >How many miles on the car?
>> >
>> >I haven't heard of the main fuel relay failing twice. (Though I guess
with
>> >enough years and miles, it will.) I think there was a defect in the
original
>> >one in this year's Hondas. Subsequent relays don't have this defect.
>> >
>> >Check and consider replacing: spark plugs, plug wires, distributor cap
and
>> >rotor. This is around $100 in parts and very little labor.
>> >
>> >Have you ever replaced the distributor coil on this car? If not,
consider
>> >doing so. It may not be the problem but your car is probably due for a
new
>> >one, so it's probably worthwhile. Max. of about $100 in parts and
another
>> >$100 in labor.
>> >
>> >Same for the ignitor (a.k.a. ignition module). Also max. of about $100
in
>> >parts and another $100 in labor.
>> >
>> >How old's the battery (years and miles)? I ask because it may be
>> >complicating the above problems.
>>
>> Gary said he was getting spark which would seem to rule out these
>> ignition parts and he said it cranks well so the battery must be OK.
>>
>> Hey Gary, how did you check the spark? Was it strong or merely
>> present?
>>
>> I would be tempted to put another fuel pump relay in as a test.