Ask Me Help Desk

Ask Me Help Desk (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/forum.php)
-   Cars & Trucks (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=41)
-   -   Duralast ignition control module? (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/showthread.php?t=620427)

  • Dec 17, 2011, 04:18 PM
    Billy1972
    Duralast ignition control module?
    1991 Honda Civic 1.5 L. Engine died, no spark. Coil primary and secondary are fine. Pulled the ICM and tested it at Autozone, failed the current test. Installed new ICM and it fired right up. Let it idle until warm power off and no restart. Let sit 20 or 30 seconds restart okay. Checked spade terminal connections and they looked good. Changed ICM with the same behavior in new ICM. While running all is well, just hot restart is the problem. Suggestions?
  • Dec 17, 2011, 05:10 PM
    TxGreaseMonkey
    Replace the coil, too. Bench testing coils is virtually worthless, since it doesn't simulate the extreme heat they are subjected to.
  • Dec 18, 2011, 11:41 AM
    Billy1972
    Good suggestion but... New coil, distributor cap and rotor and still the same condition. If engine does not start while warm wait 30 seconds and try again, usually starts. I still blame the ICM but I think I am done throwing money at this. It is 21 years old, looks rough, the throw-out is squeeling, the cv joints growl and I can hear a rod complaining. It is time to recycle it. I has served my family well and I have no complaints.
  • Dec 18, 2011, 12:36 PM
    TxGreaseMonkey
    Did you apply silicone heat transfer grease to the back of the new ICM?
  • Dec 18, 2011, 12:57 PM
    Billy1972
    Yes, the ICM came with a mylar tube of the stuff. I traced the harness assembly (in the distributor) looking for problems and everything is high and tight on that. Since two of the ICM modules behave the same way, the likelihood of an internal electrical intermittent is remote, that with the fact that while it is running it is solid. I figure the ICM is some sort of state machine. Do you know what signals are being processed? There is a ground and then three other connections. I figure one is the coil the other is the cam position sensor and the third is just power. If it is a solid state gate array could I be dealing with a programming issue?
  • Dec 18, 2011, 01:20 PM
    TxGreaseMonkey
    The BLU wire goes to the tachometer.
  • Jan 6, 2012, 05:10 AM
    Billy1972
    Thought I ought to get back to this. Operated the vehicle with Duralast ICM for about 3 days with no improvement to the hot start issue. The behavior was predictable and repeatable: on no start, wait one minute and restart is immediate. Then another issue was noticed, the tach would drop out completely or bounce around erratically. Pulled the ICM again, replaced it with a NAPA part (cost $80.00 vs $50.00 for the Duralast) and all noted problems are gone. Autozone was very polite about refunding the cost of the ICM, as they have been for the 15 Duralast alternators that I got from them for the same car. Good thing I had a lifetime warranty... the most recent alternator is from a different supplier and seems to be a keeper (knock on wood).

    I think I am through with Duralast. Everything else from Autozone is spot on...
  • Jan 6, 2012, 05:57 AM
    TxGreaseMonkey
    Nice job. Thanks for the "heads up" on AutoZone's ICM--that's the first reported problem I've heard of.

  • All times are GMT -7. The time now is 06:13 AM.