This question is NOT VW specific, but is probably pretty applicable to all
engines. It's as much a puzzle as anything.  ANY help is appreciated!

A friend's car will not start.  Got her to work in the AM and ran fine, but
refused to start when she left work to drive home.

The car is a 1990  Honda Accord: Engine error code light blinks 9 times,
indicating that the TDC sensor in the Distributor is malfunctioning.

Trouble shooting went as follows:

*Distributor assembly checks out okay using the Haynes book's continuity
testing procedure.

*Plugs all have spark (tested by removing and grounding the plug)

*Fuel pump is pumping

*Fuel is getting to injector rail.  Can smell unignited fuel out of tail
pipe. But, didn't test individual injectors per se.

*Sprayed Starting Fluid (ether) into air intake...not even a fart.
Should've started engine with or without injectors firing.

*TDC sensor in Dist. lines up with crankshaft TDC.

*Checked timing belt, not broken or missing teeth.  BUT has a 1 inch
deflection on one side (which) varies from front to back with each 180�
turn of the engine.  No spec was listed in the book but feels loose to me.

*Number 2 plug was covered, soaked, with oil!  Like someone had dipped it
in oil.  Never seen anything like it before.  Other plugs were dry.

So, if spark and fuel are present, why won't the engine start??  And the
ether should've worked regardless of the fuel situation.

And what does all the oil in Cyl.#2 mean?  Crashed valve?

The only thing I can come up with is that the timing belt slipped, and
rotated 180� out of phase.  But the ether still should've gotten some kind
of detonation

Any ideas are welcome

Thanks

James

-----------------------------------------------------------
James Cohen

New York City, and Williamstown Ma,
Aspen, CO (winters)

Alternate address:
stirling@aol.com

 Red '93 Corrado VR6 SLC (Highly modified)
 Red '87 GTI G60!! <----
    and
'67 deluxe split window (9 pass.)
'71 Westy Breadloaf (high performance engine B&B)
'81, '85 Westy Vanagons
'83 9 passanger Vanagon
'66, '74 (9 pass) busses (decomposing)
----------------------------------------------------------