ALTERNATOR FUNCTIONAL TESTING

How does the alternator operates.

Let me first discuss the electro mechanical operation of an alternator using a separate voltage regulator.

An alternator has a winding called the ROTOR, since it is a winding there are two ends , one will received a positive current from battery and the other goes to the ground or body of the car. This rotor rotates within an the center of a winding again called the STATOR.  Some stator windings has three ends, each of this ends goes to the positive side of  a diodes, that means , there are three diodes , of course one side of the diode is grounded. .  There are another three diodes where its negative end is connected to the positive of the previous diode mentioned.  The positive side of these additional diodes is connected to each other or lump into one terminal,  this terminal now goes to the battery  to charge that battery.

When the rotor rotates a magnetism occurred and electricity is produced by the STATOR in each three terminal  but on AC mode, the last three diodes mentioned above rectifies that AC power into DC power , the car battery being DC. 

HOW DOES IT OPERATES.

There is a voltage regulator with two separate windings , each of which has contact points that swings to a two fixed metal  contact .  this regulator has  SIX  terminal wires that goes outside  broken down as ff:

   FIRST WINDING 
     1.  came from a fixed metal  where one side of the movable contact point of one of the winding is temporarily connected.   This wire goes to the fuse box.
      2.  came from another fixed metal which is grounded ,in tandem with the one mentioned in number 1 above. This wire goes to the negative side of the ROTOR winding of ALTERNATOR.
     3.  came from the other end of the resister mentioned in no. 1. that wire goes to the positive side of the ROTOR WINDING
      
SECOND WINDING

     4.  came from a fixed metal which is grounded where one side of the movable contact is temporarily connected.  That wire goes to  a bulb or pilot light to supply that bulb with negative.
      5.  came from the end of a winding , that wire goes to one terminal of the STATOR WINDING  in the alternator.
   6.   came from the a fixed metal in tandem with the one in no. 4, that wire goes to the fuse box also.

INTERNAL WIRING CONNECTION OF THE VOLTAGE REGULATOR
    1. the wire mentioned in number 2 above , is connected to the other end of a FIRST WINDING.
   2. The other end of the first winding goes to the fixed metal mentioned in number 4.
  3. the other end of the secondary winding mentioned in no.5 goes to the fixed metal contact mentioned no. 2.
 -     
 THREE WIRES OF THE voltage regulator is connected to the alternator , ONE to positive side of ROTOR,  SECOND to negative of ROTOR, 3RD, goes to the STATOR WINDING.

 when the ALTERNATOR ROTATES,  the movable contact of the SECOND WINDING transfers to the other side of the fixed metal, it transfers because of the positive current supplied from the AC produced by the STATOR. The bulb looses a negative supply so it becomes dead,     the rotor produces magnetism and the STATOR produces  AC current , passes thru the rectifier diode and out as DC current then goes out to the battery for charging
There will come a time that the battery will be fully charged with high current  carried by the wire from fuse box that goes to the fixed metal of the SECOND WINDING where the positive of the winding of the FIRST WINDING  is connected .
In this instance the movable contact of the FIRST WINDIng transfers to the negative side of the fixed metal contact., in this case the wire that goes to the positive of rotor is converted to negative hence the charging process is cut.  If the battery looses that high current due to usage, that contact point goes back to positive. then the cycle continues..


HOW TO TROUBLE SHOOT THIS CHARGING SYSTEM

IF AN AMPERE GAUGE and  VOLTAGE REGULAR ARE USED.
1.  the ampere gauge  fails to deflect indicative of no charging.

A QUICK CHECK CAN BE USED AS FOLLOWS:

1.  run the engine, , get a short wire, insert that wire on the center of the six terminal socket located on the side of the plastic socket has a notch or curved side.
2. scratch the other end of the wire to a good ground, if with spark, meaning, your rotor winding is ok. if no spark , your rotor  winding is cut open or sorted.
3. if  with SPARK,, diode, or loose connection of the three terminal ends of the STATOR is open.
4. remove the single wire connected to the rear end of the alternator, START THE ENGINE, get a piece of wire, connect the wire end to the rear end nut of the alternator, and the other end, scratch to a good ground, if no spark , then DIODE is dead or STATOR winding is burned or loosely connected.


    How to trouble shoot.  CHECK FIRST IF THE ALTERNATOR BELT IS CUT OR SLIDING.
1.  remove the nut in the alternator where the wire that goes to the ampere gauge, or to the fuse , or to ignition switch, or to positive battery  is connected. Remove also the wire in it. Start the engine, get a one foot wire, connect to the NUT mentioned  then scratched the other end to a good ground ,  there must be a  spark , IF SO, your alternator is producing electricity , of no spark,  so  maybe the wire you just remove is cut open, or your ampere gauge is defective.....NO SPARK. then maybe the stator not producing current. .
2.  remove the voltage regulator,  at its back , using the six terminal socket , locate the wire that comes from the rear end of alternator MARK  N , (neutral), start the engine, using the one foot wire, insert that wire to the terminal of the N  and one end scratch to a ground,  there must be spark,  If so, your ROTOR IS OK,  if no spark, maybe the ROTOR winding is open or shorted or some loose connection on STATOR  WINDING.  
3. RUN the engine ,   while the voltage regular is removed , locate at the back,  the wire that came from the end of the resistor that goes to the ALTERNATOR   MARK   F.  Using that short wire, insert it on the six terminal socket for F , scratch it to a ground , NO SPARK , maybe the fuse is busted, or the wire on the six terminal socket got loose.
4. check for fuse busted or loose connection on the six terminal socket,,,, if  fuse is busted then replace it and run the engine again. , if still not charging.
5. go back to no. 2 above, if  still NO SPARK  then the ROTOR WINDING IS OPEN OR SHORTED, replaced  it.
6 if in no. 4, the fuse is OK , then disassemble the alternator and check if STATOR WINDING is burned or it has loose terninals.  if all OK., then
7. check all diode for an OPEN terminal.
   

    IF A PILOT LIGHT IS USED AND A ELECTRONIC VOLTAGE REGULATOR IS USED.

The pilot light stay lighted.
 1.  Check if alternator belt is cut or sliding., if not.
 2.  while engine is running , open any lights,  remove one terminal of the battery cable,  if the engine still runs, and light stays lighted ,that means the alternator is still producing current to supply the battery .   In this case the engine gets electric power from the alternator.  There is only  something wrong with the wiring of the pilot lamp.

IF YOUR BATTERY IS PRESUMED WORKING WELL AND YET THE ENGINE DOES NOT CRANK FASTER (  after using it )  BUT WHILE USING A FUULY CHARGED BATTERY , THE ENGINE STARTS THEN SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE ALTERNATOR.

1. Get a voltmeter,  set it to 50Volts DC.
2. Get a good battery, Start the engine .
3. Open the headlights, the aircon, Measure the voltage being produced by the battery using the voltmeter
4.  If the reading falls below 12, your alternator is defective. The reading should be at least 13 and above.

HOW TO BLEED YOUR CLUTCH SYSTEM

Although this is a very simple thing to do but sometimes , you will difficulty or to consume a lot of hour before you can feel there the pedal clutch becomes hard.

If you have changed your repair kit of your clutch master cylinder of you have changed a flexible hose , or you have accidentally open the bleeder, or the fluid was drain due to leakage ,   an air will enter the whole system.  In that case the fluid line will have an air and same time a fluid. If that happens , the air will be blocking the fluid so that the fluid could not push the push rod of the secondary master located near your bell housing hence the difficulty of engaging transmission gears.

If air enter the system, you will feel in your clutch pedal the ff:
             1.  totally the pedal goes to the floor.
             2.   you feel spongy the moment you step on that pedal.

The procedure.

1.  fill with fluid you master cylinder.
2.  put a small plastic hose to the bleeder and the other end to a small container to catch the fluid.
3. have someone pump the pedal at least three time, then stop at a where the foot is on the floor. (engaged)
     do not release the pedal until the other person say so.
4. open now the bleeder , expecting a bubble to come out of the hose.
5.  try to manually push the push rod by yourself , to remove further any air.
6. repeat number 3 but one stroke , 4, 5, all over again, untill you feel that the pedal becomes hard to press.
7.  from time to time fill the reservoir with fluid.

CAR WONT CRANK

There are a lot of reasons why a car engine won't start  Let me discuss BASICS of a car engine starting system.

A.  THE IGNITION SWITCH AND THE BATTERY
         In the ignition switch, there are wire terminals in it , there  is one MAIN TERMINAL  that came from the positive terminal of the battery thru a fuse box,  and one terminal is delivered  to the ignition coil, one  to the fuse box, and  one to the starter solenoid.
         When you switch to ON POSITION, the terminal for ignition coil carrying a live wire  goes to the ignition coil  , also the terminal for FUSES  goes to the fuse box, that is why your dashboard is lighted for OIL, BATTERY,  and the CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR 
          When you turn forward  your key from the ON POSITION  ,  a live current will be received by the terminal that goes to the STARTER SOLENOID to trigger the starter to rotate .

Let us analyze.

      1. When you switch to ON POSITION,  the  OIL , BATTERY INDICATOR , ENGINE INDICATOR are NOT LIGHTED, the following are the possibilities:
             
                 a. the battery may be totally dead or has zero voltage ( though remote to happen because your battery before it became zero voltage, or totally dead , it will show symptoms that it is becoming weak).
  1.  Try checking the battery cable  connected to the battery post for it may have been removed or detached.. Also check the negative battery cable one end if this is screwed to the body of the car.
  2. check also if the POSITIVE CABLE  wire that goes to the fuse box is  not removed or detached from the fuse box.
  3. get a one foot wire,  put one end to the positive terminal of battery ,  rub the other end to the negative terminal, if there totally no spark , the battery is really dead,  IF THERE IS STRONG SPARK , that means your battery can lit the dashboard , and can crank your starter , even very slow.
 4 if there is no spark, then you can assume that your battery is totally dead.  if you have a voltmeter or a TESTER,  try reading your battery voltage. If no deflection at all then , battery is really dead.
5. take note that even if your battery  was only discharged to due an accessory being left open so long , still your battery should have a voltage reading.
     b. if the battery is proven to have a voltage reading or has a spark, then maybe the wire terminal that goes to the  ignition switch that come from the positive terminal of battery did not reached the IGNITION SWITCH as mentioned  above.( though remote to happen). This time maybe you need to call a mechanic to remove the ignition switch to check the terminal carrying the wire that came from  the battery.  However you can access to it,  normally  an ignition switch has  for each terminal there are letter imprinted to each terminal, like  IGN for ignition coil, ST, to starter solenoid, ACC , to fuse box, and the last one is the one that came from the battery  , maybe coded B or BATT,  or AM.,   use a multi tester, or an ordinary test light or by getting a  two feet wire then put one end to that B terminal and the other end rub to a good ground,  IF THERE IS NO SPARK despite the battery is OK then that wire in that ignition switch is open or cut .

2.  when you turn the key to ON POSITION and the dashboard are lighted ,  it means that the battery is OK or still GOOD.  When you turn the key to the START position the following may happen.

              a.  THE STARTER PRODUCE NO SOUND AT  ALL.  the following are the possible causes.
                              1.  the wire that came from the ignition switch marked  ST  ( for starter) that goes to the starter solenoid  maybe totally cut open. The starter solenoid is a separate unit but attached to the starter, That solenoid has a three terminal, and one of which, a small wire with a socket ( the other two with big wire) came from the ignition switched which may have been cut.  Get a long wire enough to reach the positive battery terminal. .  Detached the small wire  connected to the solenoid which came from the ignition switch.  Switch the key to ON . Attached that long wire to the terminal of the solenoid where you detached the small wire   and the other end of the long wire, have it touched to the positive battery terminal,  IF THE STARTER ROTATES, ( remove that wire immediately) that means the solenoid wire is really cut open. Temporarily , you can use that long wire to start the engine.  The permanent solution is to put a new wire from solenoid to the ignition switch.
              b.  the STARTER RUNS SLOWLY. The following are possible reasons.
                        1. the two battery cable may have some corrosion.  Clean it with water.
                        2.  battery cable is loosely connected.  Tighten it.
                        3. the battery terminal itself is defective or has no conduction anymore. Replace it.
                        4. the battery is already at dying age.  Transfer that battery to another car, if that other  car starter runs faster, then your batter is still OK. That means your starter has a problem.
                        5.  Your starter bushing is worn out , resulting your armature to touch the magnet of the starter.   Remove the starter . Get a booster cable. A booster cable has two wires.  Attached positive terminal of the cable to the positive  of battery  and the negative terminal of the cable to the negative of battery, the other end of negative cable to be clipped to the body of the starter. Now the other end of the positive cable , shall be touched to the wire that goes inside the starter from the solenoid . IF THE STARTER DID NOT OPERATE OR MOVES SLOWER , THEN YOUR STARTER BRUSH OR BUSHING NEEDS REPLACEMENT. IF IT RUNS FASTER , THEN...NEXT. maybe your solenoid contact point is corroded.
                         6. the solenoid contact point is already corroded. To verify.  Get a short wire, attached that wire to the two big terminal of the solenoid. Get a booster cable, clip the positive to the positive terminal of battery , the negative to the negative of battery.   The other end of negative, clip it to the body of the starter, the other end of the positive  of booster cable  touched it any of the two big terminal of the solenoid. IF THE STARTER ROTATES, THEN YOUR SOLENOID CONTACT POINT IS ALREADY CORRODED.
                        7.  an advance timing can also be the reason for a slow engine rotation , especially when the distributor was previously removed.  

         c.  THE STARTER PRODUCES A CLICK SOUND ONLY.
                          1. normally that click sound is caused by the solenoid arm gear touching the ring gear of the flywheel.  that means , your solenoid is functioning well .  The reason for the clicking sound  ONLY is maybe the carbon brush of your starter  has been consumed or too short already  that is why the electric current  delivered by the solenoid to the starter did not reached the armature of the starter. Disassemble the starter and if the carbon brush is already too short , replaced it.
                          2. even a loose battery cable can also be a reason for the clicking sound

. 

HOW TO TIME YOUR ENGINE WITHOUT TIMING MARKK

When your engine has no timing marks on its crankshaft pulley and the corresponding stationary mark in front of the pulley or at the same time the camshaft pulley has likewise no timing mark, here the procedures.

You will only have a problem if and when you have maybe removed the timing belt and have , removed the camshaft, and rocker arm  or have removed the distributor assembly.


FIRST ASSUMPTION:
   YOU ARE ABOUT TO PUT BACK THE TIMING BELT TO THE CAMSHAFT GEAR and crankshaft gear  and you noticed that it has  NO TIMING MARK.   Your engine firing order is 1,3,4, 2

 1. supposedly, the camshaft pulley  has a lock key , looks like a half moon steel and this inserted to a slot in the camshaft .
2.  let us assume that you have removed the camshaft and the rocker arm and it has no timing marks
3. a  . lightly loosen the nut and screw of the rocker arm so that when putting the rocker arm assembly back , the rocker arm will not be damaged if the camshaft will be positioned wrongly.
 4.  remove the spark plug of no. 1 piston, then insert a long screw driver o stick into the hole of the spark plug.
5. rotate the crankshaft pulley until the stick or screw driver went up fully.  the number one piston is now on compression stroke. Put now a mark on the crankshaft pulley  and on the front of the timing cover.
6.  put back the camshaft and the rocker arm assembly.  Rotate the camshaft manually until the rocker arm tip is about to go down to push the valve tip for  the number four piston. the camshaft now is timed on the crankshaft  .Put now a mark on the camshaft pulley and on the the cylinder head  in line with that mark you put on the camshaft pulley.
4.  this position of the camshaft is assumed to be in the compression stroke of the piston in number one spark plug. Assumption because there is no timing mark on it.
5. insert now the distributor assembly , normally, the camshaft on newer cars has a slot intended for the teeth of the distributor .
6. now , it is expected that the rotor of the distributor is pointing to the port of the distributor where the spark plug cable for number 1 spark plug is placed.  Put a number to that port. say number 1.
7. do not put back the timing belt yet at this stage.

8. rotate now the crankshaft pulley  depending on how that engine rotates normally ( clock or counter clock) , while rotating wait until the long stick went up fully  again ( upon reaching the top dead center of that piston and you continue rotating,  the stick will go down, so do not allow that stick to go down even a little bit).   At this position , the piston number ONE  is  in TOP DEAD CENTER  OR compression stroke.
9. Check if the mark you put in no.5 and 6 is again on line with each other.  

10.  put now the timing belt, make sure the pulley will not move including camshaft gear.
 11.  tighten the belt tensioner.
12.   adjust now the rocker arm of intake and exhaust valve .of number one piston.
13. rotate   the crankshaft pulley , to stop when the rocker arm of the intake valve of number 2 piston is about to go down,  it will go down because the cam lobes for the rocker arm assigned to number 2 is about to push the rear end of the rocker arm of  intake rocker arm..  if you will insert a stick to the number 3 piston that stick will be on upward condition just like in no. 8. that means it is also in compression stroke.
14 . adjust the rocker arm clearance or valve of no. 3 piston. the rotor now is pointing the number 3 spark plug port..
15  rotate again like in number 13, stop when the rocker arm intake of number one piston is about to go down. .
16. adjust the rocker arm clearance of number 4 piston. Rotor now is pointing number 4 spark plug port.
17. rotate again, like in no. 15, stop when the rocker arm intake of number 3 is about to go down,  insert a stick.on number 2 piston. the rotor now is pointing to number 2 port.
18 . rotate again until the number 4 intake rocker arm is about to go down.  adjust the rocker arm clearance. This time the mark you put in number no.  above must be on line  and the rotor is pointing to the port of the number one spark plug..
19. the crankshaft timing mark must be on line , if not on line , have it on line to each other , by this time the camshaft must be also on line, if not , no choice but to remove again the time belt , then make the camshaft timing mark on line.   put back the timing belt.

REPEAT THE WHOLE PROCESS,  check the valve or rocker arm clearance,  rotor pointing to correct port, then upon reaching the top dead of number one piston , both timing mark of camshaft and crankshaft are all on line ,   if the rotor is not correctly pointed to number one spark plug, loosen the holding nut of the distributor and rotate it until the rotor is pointing the port of the number one spark plug. 


 2ND ASSUMPTION.
  You have only noticed that your engine has no timing mark on both camshaft and crankshaft and you only want to put a mark on it.

Procedure:

1.  open the valve cover.
2.  rotate the crankshaft until the rocker arm intake of number 4 piston is about to go down. stop, the arm of the intake and exhaust rocker arm when touch up and down is moving , even the intake rocker arm of number two piston, and that of exhaust rocker arm of number 4, can also be move up and down. That means the intake rocker arm of number is three, intake of number 4, exhaust of number 2, and exhaust of four is non movable.  The number one piston now is on compression stroke or at TOP DEAD CENTER..
3. expect that the rotor of the distributor is pointing the port of spark plug for number 1 spark plug.
4. put now a white paint on the top of the crankshaft pulley and also in front of that pulley or the timing cover.
5.  put also a white timing mark on the camshaft gear and also in front of that mark, on the body of the cylinder head. 

POWER BOOSTER TROUBLE

there is very simple way on how to know if your power booster is defective.

Simply , step on to your brake pedal, then start the engine, you should feel from your feet that your feet slightly goes down, that means the diaphragm in your power booster is still ok, if  your feet remains steady then the diaphragm of your booster has some leakage.

some trouble of brake/clutch master cylinder

If you feel that while you are holding your feet to the brake pedal while you are in traffic,  your feet is slowly going down, most likely , the repair kit of your brake master cylinder  is already worn out particularly the rubber inside it that keeps a solid delivery of fluid to the wheel brake cylinder..

this is  the same is true in the case of clutch pedal.

WHY MY CAR ENGINE OIL BECOMES MILKY .

One of the proximate reason is that your car's cylinder head gasket has develop a cracked in it due to overheating or due to the ordinary wear and tear.

 The oil from the oil pan is pumped by the oil pump towards the top of the engine or to the cylinder head. that oil passes thru the cylinder head gasket hole to reach the cylinder head top to deliver oil to the moving camshaft, rocker arm shaft..
the cylinder head gasket has likewise has a hole where the water from the engine block passes to that hole to the cylinder head wall.
If your cylinder head gasket hole for water gets cracked, part of the water will transfer to the hole of the oil on that cylinder head gasket ,  that water now will mix with the oil, making it looks like milk.  Your oil dipstick will show that milky texture of your oil, besides making your oil in your engine becomes too many.  

HOW TO ADJUST THE VALVE CLEARANCE

In general , the following  is another technique in adjusting valve clearance.

As the car engine aged, there is a possibility that the clearance between the tip of the valve step and the rocker arm becomes bigger than the required clearance.
If this happens you can hear a clicking sound while engine is running

the following as some principles in valve adjustments and some definition of terms.
1.  newer cars nowadays , with four piston has  normally  4 valves in one piston.  Two intake valves, and two exhaust valves or a total of 16 valves .  One of the two valves is the main valve, its mate is a secondary valve.
2.     VALVES  -   it looks like a big NAIL , with a stem measuring about the size of a cigarette about 3 to 4 inches in height,  its end is circular about inch in diameter.
3.   INTAKE VALVES  - this valve opens when the piston is at the downward stroke (INTAKE STROKE) to give way for the fuel air mixture to enter the combustion chamber. The stem of the valve is pushed down by the tip of the rocker arm .
4. EXHAUST VALVES.  this valves opens at the exhaust stroke of the piston to give way for the fumes to get out of the combustion chambers.
5. ROCKER ARMS .  -  it pushes the tip of the valve to open,  the center of the s rocker arm has a hole where the rocker arm shaft is inserted
6. CAMSHAFT-   This is located in between the INTAKE ROCKER ARM SHAFT AND THE EXHAUST ROCKER ARM SHAFT.  It has a camlobes or a protruded part where the other end of the rocker arm is touching.  this motion causes the rocker arm to push the tail end of the valves..
7. INTAKE MANIFOLD  - this is where the air component of air fuel mixture passes thru. This where the cable linkage of your accelerator is connected.
8. EXHAUST MANIFOLD  -  this where the fumes , as a result of the explosion  in the combustion chamber passes thru leading to the tail pipe.

PRINCIPLES IN ADJUSTING VALVES.

1.  BASICALLY , The valves to be adjusted FIRST are those in the number one piston since this is the first to FIRE. . This piston must be at the FIRING STROKE  and the  intake valves and the exhaust valves are closed. that means that no air can escape inside the combustion chamber to give better compression.
2.  Of course the next to be adjusted is in the third piston , that is if the FIRING ORDER OF THAT ENGINE IS  :   FIRST  is the NUMBER ONE PISTON    , 2nd is the THIRD PISTON , 3RD ,  is the FOURTH PISTON , and last is the 2ND PISTON.  In short    1.  3..4..2  sequence of firing order. If the firing order is 1, 2, 4, 3. then follow that sequence.

HOW TO LOCATE THE INTAKE AND THE EXHAUST VALVE.

if the intake manifold and exhaust manifold  of your engine is located in different location, the INTAKE VALVES  are  those in the side of the intake manifold.
the exhaust valve therefore are those in the side of the exhaust manifold.
 In the case of an engine where the intake and exhaust are in the same position, the intake valves are those in the side of the port of the intake manifold.


THE ACTUAL ADJUSTMENT OF VALVES.

1.  remove the valve cover so that the whole assembly  can be accessible.
2.  remove the distributor cap.
3.  remove the spark plug for an easy engine rotation.
4.   using a socket wrench , rotate the engine clockwise ( if this is the its normal rotation of the engine) counterclockwise ( if it is its normal rotation ) . to be able to know it , you must first crank the engine while looking at the crankshaft pulley if what way it rotates.
5. continue rotating the crankshaft untill the INTAKE ROCKER ARM OF THE NUMBER FOUR PISTON IS ABOUT TO GO DOWN.  STOP.  In this position, the number one PISTON is at FIRING ORDER. meaning the rocker arm of this piston must be adjusted. At this point the rotor of the distributor is facing the port where the spark plug for number 1 piston is positioned.
6. check if the timing mark in the camshaft pulley is in line with another mark near the that mark OR  check if the timing mark of the crankshaft pulley ( A NOTCH in it ) is in line with the corresponding notch or mark on the TIMING COVER near the pulley .  In the time cover may appear,  0,  TDC.
7. If not in line, rotate further.
8. at this point, you will notice that INTAKE AND EXHAUST VALVE of number one piston are both in upward position because they went up to close itself in the combustion chamber . if you try to have it moved by your hand , it must be moving , the intake valve of number two piston could also be moved, the exhaust valve of number 3 piston could also be moved. WHILE ,  the intake valve of number 3, the intake of number 4,  the exhaust of number 2, and the exhaust of number 4,  cannot be moved.
9. now , insert the the feeler gauge with the size corresponds to the specification of your engine to the intake valve of number one piston.  example if it is 0.007 inch.
10. loosen the the nut, then insert the feeler gauge, put the a box wrench on the nut,  using a screw driver, tighten the bolt while holding firmly the box wrench ,until you feel that the feeler gauge can be tightly  be moved back and forth .\
11. tighten the nut, then try to insert the feeler gauge if the clearance is ok.  the feeler gauge can be inserted , if it cannot be inserted then , repeat the procedure.
12. next is to adjust the exhaust valve, similar to the manner you use in intake valve except that it has a different size of clearance.
13. next , rotate again the pulley until the INTAKE ROCKER ARM OF NUMBER TWO PISTON IS ABOUT TO GO DOWN.  at this point the rotor is facing the port of the spark plug for number three piston.
14. adjust the intake and exhaust of number three piston.
15,  rotate again, untill the INTAKE ROCKER ARM OF NUMBER ONE PISTON is about to go down. at this point the rotor is facing the port leading to the number four piston.
16. adjust the intake and exhaust of NUMBER FOUR PISTON.
17.  rotate again, until the intake rocker arm of number THREE PISTON IS ABOUT TO GO DOWN. at this point the rotor is facing the number two spark plug cable.
18. adjust the intake and exhaust of NUMBER TWO PISTON.

NOTE: EVERY TIME YOU ARE GOING TO ADJUST A VALVE OF A CERTAIN PISTON, THE CORRESPONDING ROTOR in the distributor FOR THAT PISTON should be in line with the SPARK PLUG CABLE POST   in the distributor. Example , if the valve to be adjusted is those of NUMBER THREE PISTON,  THE ROTOR of the distributor must be pointing the distributor post where the spark plug goes to the spark plug of number three piston.

CLUTCH SLIPPAGE

What would you notice when your clutch disc has already become thin.
Why does your car seems to have difficulty in accelerating despite your engine  is proven  to be in good condition and your brake shoe is not in lock position .

The clutch disc( circular in form with a center hole with spline)  is placed in between the flywheel ( likewise circular  attached to the rear end of the crankshaft, ) and the pressure plate( circular in form)   is bolted to the edge of the flywheel.  Figuring it , clutch  is sandwitched between the flywheel and the pressure plate.
The center of the clutch has a hole or opening with a spline , in this opening , the shaft of the transmission (which has also a spline matched to the spline of the clutch disc) is placed.

when the engine runs, the flywheel , the pressure plate both rotates, since the clutch disc , though not bolted to the flywheel nor to the pressure plate would similarly rotates because it is sandwitched  tightly to the flywheel and pressure plate.  now since the transmission shaft is locked to the spline of the clutch disc, the moment the clutchdisc rotates the transmission shaft rotates also, hence,  if the transmission is engaged to its  gear the car will run.

that is why if you will imagine that there is no clutch disc installed ,  a shift to first gear  the car will not move  even if the transmission is engaged because the rotation of the flywheel is not transferred to the transmission shaft , similarly if the clutch disc is already too thin, that means it is not anymore rotating with the same tempo of the flywheel then the transmission will also be slow , hence the engine runs normally but the car does not run well  due to slippage.

what would you notice if your clutch slips.
1. the car does not move faster despite  you step hard on the gas pedal thereby hearing the roaring of the car engine but the car does not move faster .
2. your car seems to have difficulty in climbing even an slightly steep road, especially if you are in third gear. 

 Based on my experience and test made, to be sure if the clutch disc is really used up,  I SHIFTED THE GEAR TO 3RD GEAR instead of first gear, then try to make the car runs. IF  the engine stops to run, then your clutch is still OK,  if  your engine continues to run despite the gear is in place  then it proves that the clutch is slipping. 

why would the engine still run  not the car  this is so, because, if your clutch disc is almost used up or it is already thin, the rotation of the flywheel thru the engine will not be transferred to the clutch disc because the disc is not anymore in contact to the flywheel but since the main shaft of the transmission is connected to the clutch disc the ENGINE  will still continue to run and will not stall   despite that the gear is in the 3RD  gear.

If the you put your gear in 3RD  gear instead of the first gear and try to run the car, the engine will stop because the 3rd gear is too weak to sustain the power of the engine  especially if your clutch disc is still okay, but if your clutch disc is already very very thin, the 3rd gear cannot anymore feel the power of the engine because the clutch disc where this transmission shaft is attached is already sliding or its almost not rotating with the same tempo of the flywheel.

how to put wire connection to a RELAY.

Relay simply a secondary switch to trigger the operation of any accessory or any thing that needs power.
normally it has four terminals. an ordinary relay that are purchased in auto store has an assigned number in each terminals 30, 85, 86 ,87.

how a relay operates.

the 85, 86 terminals are interconnected to each other by a winding.  Naturally one receives a positive supply, the other one receives , negative supply. The 87 and 30 can also be used interchangeably  the 87 or the 30 may be the one to receive the necessary current to operate the accessory. When 85 or 86 is supplied by a positive or negative as the case maybe , since a winding interconnects each other , then a magnetism will occur, forcing either 87 or 30  to touch the other as the case maybe to transfer the current to the accessory needed to function or to operate.

Let me give example:

     if  85 is the one with positive supply from a fuse , and 86 has the negative supply coming from a switch.  If you will use the 87 as the carrier of the positive supply to be delivered to the accessory, then 30 must be connected to a fuse  .

in the above example , you can interchange the connection of 85, 86, and  the 87, 30. that means 85 receives negative, 86, receives positive, 87 receives positive, 30 delivers the current to the accessory.

It can be possible that the switch is supplied by positive (unlike the above example where switch has a negative supply) if that is the case , 85 is supplied directly by negative.  as explained above the 87 if you connect a positive to 87, then the 30 will go to the accessory or vice versa.

In the present day car, the relay has the same principle, but the wiring connection is somewhat complicated. however, there are also 4 terminals, though it has no numbers, but one terminal goes to the accessory , the other one goes directly to the fuse( 87 or 30 in case compared to the above) , the equivalent 85, 86 goes to some CONTROL MODULES of the car. Acceptably it is difficult to figure out by an ordinary car owner.

what you can do the relay in the present day car is to remove it and make a trial and error technique. that is , using the ordinary relay concept discussed above, you can do the following:

.  put the four terminal with 4 wires, then make assumptions that this terminal is the 87, the other is 30, the other is 85, the other 86,. this will take you a lot of variations. In this way you can prove that the cause of a failure of the accesory is the relay.

SOME REASON FOR A CAR TO RUN ROUGH

There are so many causes why a car engine runs rough in idle or in accelerating.

1.  when you have just replaced your spark plug, there is a possibility that its GAP between and electrode and its tip is either too near or small or too far or too big.  your car will still run but it will run a little bit roughly. adjust that spark plug to the specification of your engine.  If you do not know the correct gap it is somewhere  at 0.04 inch in your feeler gauge.
2. by the age of time, the spark plug cable or hi tension wire of your spark plug deteriorates.  it that would be the case , the conductor of electricity inside that plug cable ( a wire or a carbon type ) could not 100% deliver the spark produced by your ignition coil thru the rotor to the spark plug cable, hence the rough idle.
3.  if you have accidentally or intentionally remove the spark cable from the spark plug but it were not replace or return to the right spark plug then of course , your car engine will run roughly or even has a misfire.  though  , remote that would happen because that plug is exactly made to reach its corresponding spark plug, it will be difficult to have it interchanged.
4.  the same as no. 3, but by this time , what was detached was those cable attached to the port of the distributor.  Rough running does manifest in this case because when the piston reaches the TOP DEAD CENTER ON FIRING MODE  a corresponding spark that came from the spark plug cable should be in the spark plug of that piston in the firing mode to meet exactly or on time with the piston at firing mode but since spark goes to the other spark plug, the engine will not run smoothly. ( too long to discuss how to put back it correctly) maybe can search to internet. Nest time , it would be better that you put  a number in every port of the distributor that correspond to the sequence of the spark plug. example, put no. 1 in the port where the number one spark plug is placed , so on so forth. the number one spark plug is the one first in line near the drive belts.
5.  if your intake or exhaust valve has some leakage , the engine also will not run smoothly. you need to remove the cylinder head to grind that valve. what is happening is , there is no complete compression in that combustion chamber because the valve is not closing fully.
6. please also examine your distributor cap, look for any cracked on it. you might as well cleaned the four metal post inside that distributor.if it has a lot of accumulated white residue.
7. if your car has undergone repair on its engine or you yourself have removed  or just loosened the distributor assembly, it may have been erroneously return to the proper position. take note that the holding nut is place where there is wide space in it so that you can move or slide that distributor left to right. Try loosening again that nut or two nuts, while the engine is running move that distributor left slowly and see if the engine would run finely , if not move it to the right slowly and see if the engine runs smoothly. Next time, put n a white mark on the holding nut and also on the cylinder head , that two marks should be on line with each other. 
8. maybe there is no power reaching the terminal socket of the injector.  first you pull out the socket of the injector  ( press it ) there are two terminals, one of which is supplied by positive, get a voltmeter,  SET TO 50 VOLTS DC, insert the red  test prod to any of the two terminals of the socket, the other test prod to a good ground, switch on the ignition key to ON , IF IT DEFLECTS TO 12 VOLTS, there is power reaching the terminal where your positive test prod is inserted.,if  the tester needle did not move  , transfer your red test prod to the other terminal, if it deflects to 12 volts then the terminal where your red test prod is inserted is the positive supply of that injector, if it did not deflects then no power reaching that terminal of that socket.
If there power reaching that socket , IS THERE A SIGNAL REACHING THE OTHER TERMINAL,   then proceed by getting a LED LIGHT  12 VOLTS, insert the positive terminal to the positive term of that socket, and the negative terminal of LED  to the other side of the socket , start the engine , if that LED blinks, then there is power being received by your injector.
9.  maybe your injector is the one defective.   how to check.  remove the spark plug for easy rotation of the crankshaft pulley.  switch on the ignition key, rotate the pulley, you must hear a clicking sound coming from the injector every time the piston reaches  FIRING MODE  on every piston.  that means the rotor tip touches the metal terminal inside the distributor.
10-.  maybe the manifold position sensor is defective or its wire has some loose connection. It is a socket type sensor screwed somewhere near the where the throttle valve is location. So this is on top of intake manifold
11.  the hose attached to the HYDROVAC  to the INTAKE MANIFOLD may have some leakage .

car engine does not start

there are so many causes why an engine does not start. Some are the basic as follows:

A SUDDEN STOP WHILE THE ENGINE IS RUNNING.
A.     THE TIMING BELT OR CHAIN MAY HAVE BEEN CUT.

 FIRST AND THE MOST IMPORTANT IS TO CHECK IF THE TIMING BELT IS NOT CUT  OR THAT BELT GOT SLIP THAT HAVE CHANGE THE TIMING OF YOUR ENGINE. If your engine type is an INTERFERENCE TYPE , THEN DO NOT START THE ENGINE BECAUSE THE VALVE AND PISTON MIGHT BE BROKEN OR DEFORMED. ASK A FRIEND TO CHECK FROM INTERNET IF YOUR CAR IS AN INTERFERENCE TYPE.

WHAT TO DO TO BE ABLE TO CHECK IF IN FACT THE TIME BELT IS CUT.

1.assuming engine not interference type.  remove the distributor cap.  Have someone crank the engine and you check if the rotor of the distributor is moving, if not moving then , your belt is cut or your camshaft is cut also.   then you have no way to make the e engine runs. if you are alone , remember the position of the rotor , then you crank the engine for 2 seconds , if the rotor did not move , then belt or camshaft is cut.

2. if it is an interference type , like HONDA VTEC ,  i suppose.  Remove the valve cover , remove the upper timing cover and you will see if the belt is cut.

 if the above is not so., then......

B..   gasoline in the tank got empty.
               a.  gas gauge in dashboard shows at lowest point.  except when it is defective.
               b. if practical ,  you open the drain plug of gas tank ,if  there is no gas coming out, that is the reason ,  if there is sufficient then it is not the reason for the stalling.

C..  fuel pump is not functioning.
              a. remove the hose leading to the fuel rail from the fuel filterr or remove the fuel filter hose attached to the fuel rail.
              b.get a container and dip that hose to the container, start the engine, if the coming out of the gas is strong , then , you may presume your fuel pump in your gas tank is operational, its relay is also OK.
              c. if the gas coming out is none then, maybe your pump is defective or the relay is defective.  in honda vtec, the relay is situated below your steering wheel.  switch on your key to on position , you must hear a click sound from the relay, indicative of it being good, if it does not then replace it.
               d. putting new relay and it clicks, repeat the letter b. if there a strong gas coming out then the old relay is the reason for the stalling. If there is still no gas strongly coming out of the fuel filter hose, then maybe the fuel pump is defective.
                e.  ask somebody to come near underneath the gas tank, you switch on the key to ON POSITION,  a sound must be heard coming from the fuel pump imbedded to the  gas tank.   if not , your fuel pump is not operating. Repeat this procedure once more because , you may have miss  hearing  the sound from the tank.
               f. . if a sound is heard from the gas tank, and  still no gas coming out from the hose the moment you start the engine, then ....
               g. the fuel filter is totally clogged, remove it and try to blow a strong air.
               h. if proven to have remove the dirt, and still no gas coming out, then trace your fuel line from the tank to the fuel filter for a crimp fuel line that prevented the gas to flow to the fuel filter.

if all things relative to gas delivery from tank is all fixed and yet no start still.  what another reason for the sudden stop. 

D.  THE IGNITION COIL had BECAME DEAD IMMEDIATELY.
       If the ignition coil  is located inside the coil.
         a. remove one spark plug cable from the distributor cap.
         b. put or insert a spark tester or spark plug into the port of the distributor cap.
         c. have someone start the engine , observe if there is spark coming from the tip of the spark plug, if there NO  spark ,  the following is the causes of no spark,  DEFECTIVE IGNITION COIL, DEFECTIVE  IGNITER , OR DEFECTIVE ECM .( electronic control module)
         d. to check ignition coil,  remove the distributor cap .
         e.  the ignition is the one with two wire in it.
         f.  get a test light ( a bulb with two wires, +  and - ) ( assuming you do not know which wire is positive), attached the positive terminal of that lest light to anyone of the two wire, and the other wire of testlight to a ground.
         g. switch on the ignition key,  if your connection is correct  , the bulb MAY LIT.
         h.  try repeat the procedure in f, but this time reverse the connection, that is , the wire you connect should be interchanged. if it bulb lighted , it means there is LIVE current reaching the COIL and the igniter.
 But this does mean that your ignition coil is already good  because maybe the IGNITER which should deliver a switching signal to the ignition coil is not working so that the coil would function. 
           i. get again , a test light , connect the positive terminal to the + battery, and the ground wire to the wire that came from the IGNITER to the ignition coil.  THE igniter supposed to have a 4 wire , one live wire, 2nd  goes to ignition coil, 3rd goes to tachometer, 4th goes to the ECM.
         j. start the engine, if the test light blinks , therefore it means that the igniter is delivering signal to the coil , but how come the coil is not delivering a spark to the spark plug in letter b., therefore the coil is defective.
         k. replace that coil or change it. 
         l. if the test light did not blinks in letter J., maybe the IGNITER is the one defective.
         m. the igniter is for sure is receiving a live current as mentioned in letter h., so what has to be check is the wire that goes to the ECM from the igniter. there are four wires in igniter, one live current, which you have already pinpointed, 2nd one goes to the ignition coil, already pinpointed, the remaining two goes to the socket terminal near the distributor.  one of which goes to the tachometer, and the other one goes to the ECM, this is the wire that you have to test, but offhand , you may not know which of the two wire goes to ecm. If you can searched thru internet , so much the better, but if not, you have no choice but to adopt TRIAL AND ERROR APPROACH.
      n. this time led light should be used.
      o.  put back the distributor cap without the spark plug cable.
      p. get an LED bulb, put a pointed needle on the negative terminal of the LED, pierce with a pointed needle with a wire on it any one of the two wire ( as a guess) and  the other terminal of LED to the positive terminal of battery.
   q. start the engine , if the LED blinks , then the ECM IS OK.  IT SEEMS THE IGNITER IS DEFECTIVE. 
  R. if the LED did not blink, maybe the distributor pick up coil is the one defective.


E..   THE BATTERY BECOMES DEAD EVEN IT IS NEW OR WHETHER IT IS OLD.
      While the engine is running , the ALTERNATOR is presumed to be producing an electric current to deliver it to the battery so that the battery could supply the necessary power to all the electric consuming thing in the whole car, including the power to the ECM, COIL, SPARK PLUG etc etc.

In the event that the alternator becomes defective , especially while the engine is running , momentarily the engine can still run untill the reserve power of the battery is consumed, that is the time that the engine will stop..
That means , even the battery is in the dying time,or dead, the engine will still continue to run ( though it could not crank the starter) because the alternator will be the one to deliver the necessary power to the ignition system.

    HOW TO CHECK  IF BATTERY BECOMES DEAD DUE TO ALTERNATOR FAILURE.

1.  Open the headlight,  if it is dim ,   then battery is dead, even it is still new. But if the battery is old , of course expect a dim light.   Better still, remove one battery terminal, get a wire, put one end of it to the positive pole of battery, the other end scratch it to the negative, the spark must be strong , if  not the battery is discharged .
2. Since the car stops while running , and the battery becomes dead due alternator failure , even if you try to push the car to start the engine , it wont because your battery is dead and no electricity can be supplied to your ignition system. 
3, if your battery is still new , it can be charge for the meantime to an ELECTRICAL SHOP, so that you can start the engine to reach that  ELECTRICAL SHOP or be back home ,. but only to the extent of the power of the battery because the alternator is dead.  But if your battery is old or actually dead , maybe it would not received any charge.
4. But before going to the charging shop , initially check the single wire at the rear of the alternator if that is cut or open, because this is the one that delivers current to the battery. Put it back.  Now you may try to PUSH START  the engine , ,who knows it may start..
5. Finally when you reach home and your battery is still charged, ( see no.3)  while the engine is still running, remove one battery terminal , if the engine stops , then your alternator is actually dead.

Please be aware that while the engine is running and if you remove the battery , the engine will still continue to run because the alternator will be the one to supply the necessary power to the ignition system, except when your alternator is dead..

some other reasons for car overheats

if may add,  a clogged radiator may also caused the engine to overheat. To determine whether actually it is clogged.

   1.  after you have removed the radiator cap, fill it up with water, do not replaced the cap, leave it open, start the engine, using the accelerator cable in the engine, accelerate the engine, look at the water in the mouth of the radiator if it is not moving  or running  a little bit faster, if so then two possibilities.
               a.  the radiator is clogged because the water pump has difficulty sucking the water .
               b. the water pump is not functioning.
How to check a clogged radiator.  While the radiator is full of water, remove the drain plug of the radiator, if the flow of water coming from that hole is not that strong then most likely your radiator is really clogged.

How to check a defective water pump.

        a. detached the upper radiator hose at the side of the radiator only.
        b. fill the radiator with water.  start the engine, accelerate the RPM of the engine , the coming out of the water at the end of the radiator hose must be strong, if not, it can be assumed that your water pump is not working properly.

THE ABOVE CONDITION MAY HAVE BEEN THE REASON WHY A CAR OVERHEATS DURING IDLE .  this is because at idle, the water pump is not moving fast and therefore the water from the radiator stay stagnant or not moving well toward inside the engine to cool it off. While if you run the car faster , the water pump rotates faster and at the same time the radiator is receiving more air due to engine velocity. To prove this, at idle, run engine in a higher RPM,  if the temperature gauge goes down then the above may have been the reason

overheating problems

in the event that your car is erratically or inconsistently registering  in one point an overheat condition then suddenly it goes back to normal temperature then maybe the following are the causes:


1.  the thermostat of your car does not operate normally.  This thermostat is supposed to open at the point where the temperature of your coolant or water reached a certain temperature where this thermostat should open up. example , if this thermostat is designed to open at 50 degrees centigrade , and the coolant or water coming from the lower radiator hose reached the 50 degrees centigrade temperature , then supposed to be this thermostat should open up. there is a possibility that this thermostat is somewhat erratically malfunctioning.  that is why , there is a point when this thermostat remains closed despite the over 50 degrees water temperature triggering the reading of your temperature gauge in your dashboard deflects to the top. then all of a sudden , this gauge goes back to normal level, that means your thermostat open up. IF YOU ARE LIVING IN A COUNTRY WHERE  THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IS ABOUT  25 TO 30 DEGRESS CENTIGRADE, ( no winter time ) BETTER STILL REMOVE THIS THERMOSTAT, unless it has some serious side effect on engine performance.

2.  maybe the temperature sending switch is similarly malfunctioning erratically.  this switch is also suppose to react to the water temperature coming from the lower radiator hose . the same with that of the thermostat. when it sensed the needed water temperature passing thru it,  this switch will trigger a signal to the radiator fan to operate.  This is just like the thermostat , it may have reached the right temperature , but it did not reacted , that is why your radiator fan did not operate HENCE, the overheating...  But since your temperature gauge suddenly goes back to normal , it would seem that your temperature sending switch once again functions normally. WHAT TO DO. if you have replaced or have changed your thermostat OR you have removed the thermostat  and still the problem persist, TRY  removing the socket terminal of your temperature sending switch  ( located at end of the lower radiator hose or at the bottom of the radiator) put a jumper wire on the two terminal in it, run  or use the car , if the symptom did not persist then this sending switch is defective . take note that your fan will be operating continually until you shut off the engine. if the symptom does manifest still then maybe , the gauge, the sending unit, is the one defective.

3.  it may have been that your RADIATOR FAN  is similarly not functioning normally.  Even if  your temperature sending switch is perfectly good but your fan is not functioning normally then even if it is already its time to operate , it will not.  The possible reason is that , its shaft bushing is about to worn out.   

4. maybe the temperature sending unit is also erratically malfunctioning . this is sensor screwed at the cylinder head where the water temperature passes thru it and send a signal to the temperature gauge in your dashboard.  a single wire is normally attached to it that goes to the temperature gauge.

HOW TO PUT BACK THE CAR SPARK PLUG CABLE

in the event that you have removed the spark plug cable from the spark plug and from the distributor and you were not able to put it back correctly , leading to a non start condition, then this the simple technique to put back correctly..

in a four cylinder engine, there are of course 4 spark plug arranged in line . Similarly that time of engine has also 4 post or port in its distributor cap, except those engine which is distributorless..  Each spark plug has its own spark plug cable (hi tension wire to some), the other end of each of the  spark plug cable goes to the port in the distributor.

How to put back the spark cable correctly , if this was detached or removed from the spark plug and that of the distributor..

 BEFORE PROCEEDING , YOU MUST KNOW FIRST HOW DOES YOUR CAR'S CRANKSHAFT PULLEY ROTATES, IS IT CLOCKWISE OR COUNTERCLOCKWISE.
You can only do this thru the help of somebody as follows: ( except when you have verified from a knowledgeable person or internet  the actual rotation of  the crankshaft pulley.)
It could have easier to put it back if only the cable attached to the spark plug were the one that was removed , because normally the size of the spark plug is exactly the distance to that spark plug but if it was removed on the side of the distributor , it is a different story.

a. remove any covering that covers the CRANKSHAFT PULLEY.
b. put white mark on the face of the pulley.
c.  if the spark plug is in place , remove all of them to avoid the car from running .
d. ask your buddy to crank the starter or the engine for a short click of the ignition key but you concentrate or focus your eyes on the white mark you put on the pulley as to what movement it would go , COUNTER OR CLOCKWISE.

1. Remove one terminal of the battery.  Remove the distributor cap ( this is normally secured by a small screw) . the rotor will be seen inside that distributor ( it is part located at the center of the distributor that rotates every time the crankshaft pulley rotates.
2. though difficult to see, try to locate a distinct mark or SIGN which is normally located on a covering plate normally plastic , separate from the crankshaft pulley BUT  on top of the crankshaft pulley. this is a timing mark that will be made to align to the mark in the crankshaft pulley.

3. sometimes it is a series of line where at the middle of that series of lines , a marked 0 is seen, before that zero mark is the letters BTDC .
4.  on the crankshaft pulley itself, there is also a timing mark represented by a single  small cut in the edge of the pulley.  But sometimes this notch on the pulley is block by the belt, say in case of CRV 1999.
4. get a socket wrench whose size is that of the NUT holding the crankshaft pulley .
5. using the wrench rotate the pulley  counter or clockwise as the case maybe,  STOP  until the pulley timing mark is align with the stationary timing mark mentioned in no. 3.  CHECK NOW WHERE THE TIP OF THE ROTOR IS IN WHAT PORT OF THE DISTRIBUTOR IT IS POINTING , THAT IS THE PORT WHERE THE SPARK PLUG CABLE OF NUMBER ONE SPARK PLUG SHOULD BE PLACE.  In HONDA  CARS,  it does not automatically means that when the pulley mark is align  the number one  Piston is on the firing stroke or some say compression stroke,  it maybe that the number 4 piston might be on  FIRING STROKE.  This so because ONE ROTATION OF THE PULLEY  ( 360DEGREES) IS 180 DEGREES OFTHE CAMSHAFT PULLEY , 1/2 rotation only. JUST TO BE SURE IF REALLY THIS IS THE NUMBER ONE SPARK PLUG OR PISTON , better still to remove the VALVE COVER, try to move the INTAKE AND EXHAUST ROCKER ARM , if it moves then , the number one piston is really on the firing stroke and at the same time the camshaft pulley mark is on 12OCLOCK position. or its mark aligns with the other mark.  REMOVE THE WRENCH FROM THE PULLEY ( to avoid starting the engine with the socket in place, might be damaging).  In honda VTEC 1999,  when the word :" UP"  is on 12 OCLOCK  , that means the piston is on number 1 position at firing stroke or compression stroke.
Honda has a pulley bigger pulley than its camshaft , hence one rotation of pulley is equal to 1/2 rotation of camshaft. . I do not whether all vehicles has the same ratio.
6. while you are rotating that pulley , the rotor of the distributor is also rotating and you should have also check whether it rotates clockwise or counter clockwise.
7. check where the tip of the rotor is pointing to what PORT  of the DISTRIBUTOR.
8. This port is where the spark plug cable of the NUMBER ONE SPARK PLUG should be put back.
9.  before you proceed , you must have the knowledge what is the FIRING ORDER OF YOUR CAR ENGINE, thru internet maybe or other source. Normally the firing order is  FIRST  is the number one  SPARK PLUG, 2nd to fire is the THIRD spark plug, 3rd is the fourth spark plug, the 4th is the number 2 spark plug.  the number one spark plug is the one at the side of the drive belts ( power steering, aircon, alternator ).
10. the next port where the next spark cable is to be put back is for the 3rd spark plug ( if firing order is 1, 3, 4, 2). of course depending on the rotation of the rotor , if  rotor rotates clockwise, then the next port is at the right side of the port whose spark plug goes to the number one spark plug.
11. it now follows that the next port is for the 4th spark plug, next is for the 2nd spark plug

additional info on a thermostat being stuck up.

if the thermostat is stuck up closed, the gauge registered an overheat condition, however,  surprisingly the RADIATOR FAN IS NOT FUNCTIONING OR RUNNING  or operating  despite the overheat condition that would misled you to believe the cause of overheat is due to the radiator fan not functioning.

a further test on the radiator fan  would show that the radiator fan is not actually defective, hence another factor is causing the trouble.

another reason for a car to overheat

another reason for a car to overheat is the failure of the radiator fan to operate.  the function of the radiator fan is to suck the heat in the radiator fins and blow it to the engine.  you will notice that the direction of the air being blown out by the radiator fan is NOT TOWARD the face of the radiator.

the operation or the triggering of it to operate is controlled by a switch.  normally this switch is screwed  to where the end of the lower radiator hose is placed or sometimes this switch is screwed at the lower casing of the radiator.  this location is best suited to the switch because , those two locations receives water after it passes the cooling fins of the radiator.

this switch , just like the thermostat, is preset to a certain water temperature, that means that switch will only activate the moment it sensed  the water temperature set for that switch.

normally, this switch has a two wire connection placed in a socket terminal, one wire is connected to a ground and the other one is connected to a  RELAY .   In the event that it reaches the desired water temperature, the grounded wire will be touching the other wire on that socket, thereby supplying a negative power to the relay that would trigger  a winding on that relay  to supply a positive power to the RADIATOR FAN which other wire is grounded.

when a car overheats, shut of the engine immediately.  But  Switch on the ignition switch to the ON POSITION.
Open the hood, and see if the radiator fan is running or moving, if not then , two things have happen:

   1. the radiator fan is defective
  2. the switch is defective.

HOW CHECK WHICH ONE IS THE DEFECTIVE.

1. remove the socket terminal of the temperature sending switch or the switch as mentioned above.
2. put a jumper wire on both female terminal of that socket .
3, switch on the ignition switch, if the fan operates , then it is the temperature sending switch is the one defective.
4. if the fan did not operate , the it is defective.

Make sure that the corresponding fuses of the fan is not busted.
WHAT TO DO IN THIS SITUATION.

If the sending switch is defective , continue the jumper wire to be connected, then continue driving the car.
If the radiator fan is the one defective , then you have no choice but to replace it unless you have no choice but to continue driving  but make sure you have enough supply of water in your car so that you can pour water over the radiator.

IF IN ANY EVENT THAT THE TEMPERATURE NEEDLE ON THE TEMP GAUGE DEFLECTS TO THE TOP but  the fan is operating or moving and  engine is not overheating as you feel it then most likely the temperature sending unit , ( this where the temperature gauge is connected)  is the one defective or even the gauge itself is defective.  What is important in this situation is the engine itself is not overheating, so you can continue with your trip but later on you must replace the part which is defective..

if the temperature gauge sometimes go up and go back to normal ,  it is probable that the thermostat is not functioning properly or normally.  In this case , you might as well remove the thermostat and have the car runs and observe if the symptoms would still persist.

continuation of discussion on car that overheats

one other reason why car overheats.

 The thermostat is stuck up closed. A thermostat is a device that when the water coming from the lower radiator  that will pass thru it  is still cold will remain  closed preventing the water that comes from the radiator to enter the engine,( of course there is already an existing water inside the engine) , when the water inside engine heats up( it is assumed that the water inside the engine heats up easily  since there is no water coming from the radiator) and it  goes to the  radiator and passes thru the lower radiator hose,  this thermostat opens allowing the hot water to enter the engine.  take note that the engine needs a normal temperature or desired temperature or a little bit hot temperature, of course a cool engine below the desired temperature would be running inefficiently, 

this thermostat is preset to close and open on a given temperature, hot or cold. this temperature setting  is set by the manufacturer depending on the type or design of the engine .

that means , if this thermostat is defective and it  remains closed or stuck up closed, the water inside the engine will continue to rise up to the boiling point of water because the water that came from the radiator that was cooled off a little cannot enter the engine, hence the overheating situation.  

HOW WOULD YOU KNOW IF THE THERMOSTAT IS NOT FUNCTIONING THAT LEADS TO THE OVERHEATING.

  if the water that was cooled off  by the radiator cannot enter the hot engine due to stuck up closed thermostat, it is expected that the LOWER RADIATOR HOSE when you touched it will be a little bit colder than the UPPER RADIATOR HOSE..

to be able to verify or confirm , if in fact the thermostat  is defective , all you have to do is removed the thermostat, put it in a boiling water and you will notice that it did not open up.

if you are in a temperate zone or a country that is not experiencing cold weather,  there is no need to put a new thermostat.  , but observe any unusual reaction of the engine afterward.

to be continued to talk about other causes

honda car overheats

the following are the various reasons why your car overheats.

1. the loss of water o coolant in the radiator  due to the following:
           a. there is a leak on the radiator itself caused by :
                            1.  the cracked in the coolling fins of the radiator.
                             2. a cracked on the edges of the top and bottom metal or plastic cover of the radiator.
               obviously you will notice that the affected area is somewhat watery  and the water is dripping into the ground.
          b. there is leak on either or both ends of the radiator hose of either the upper and the lower radiator hose.
          c. there is a cracked , big or even small or tiny cracked on the body of the radiator hoses.
          d. there is a cracked on the by pass hoses ( small hoses) .
           e. the water pump might have some water on its weeping hole.
           f.  the cylinder head gasket is damaged or has a cracked , in which case the water from the radiator has little by little pass thru this cracked toward oil passages leading to the oil crankcase. 

         PLEASE TAKE COGNIZANCE OF THE FACT WHEN YOUR CAR OVERHEATS DUE TO LOSS OF COOLANT , IT IS PRESUMED THAT THERE IS NO MORE WATER IN THE SYSTEM, THEREFORE YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SEE  ANY WATER COMING OUT OF THE RADIATOR, RADIATOR HOSES, ON BYPASS HOSES.   Short of saying that you should not expect to see any water dripping from any damaged portion of the hoses, or of the radiator , so do not be misled that there is no water leakage.

WHAT TO DO:
1.  open the radiator cup, but make sure you put a piece of rag on top of the cup,  to avoid the hot water that would blow up violently and might hurt you. This is so because the cooling system is pressurized.
2.  if there is no water that can be seen from the mouth of the radiator , then it can be presumed that there is a leak somewhere.
3. but before filling the radiator with water, try to remove the oil dipstick and see if on the tip of the dipstick the color of the oil is somewhat MILKY.   If so, then it can be presumed that the loss of water is due to the cylinder head gasket having a cracked and the water passes thru this cracked portion and is transferring to the oil pan thru the oil passages.
4.  do not attempt to start the engine because the engine is already contaminated or diluted by water and this is damaging to the engine. have someone tow the car.
5. if the no. 3 is not positive, then. fill the radiator with water once again,  put back the radiator cup.

6. touch EVERY END of every hoses if there is a water coming out.  But  if  there is  very small damage on the hoses , the water may not come to soon.
7.  better still , press the body of the hoses to pressure the water to come out of the cracked portion.
8. start now the engine, observe any water coming out from any possible points..
9. if there is none,  most probably your water pump weep hole is punctured.
10. in case there is some sort of punctured hoses,  seal it with sealing tape for the meantime, but better still do not put back the radiator cup to avoid system pressure to remove  the sealing tape.
10.  if no leakage was noticed, you better go home , or continue your trip , but  make sure you bring with you a container of water so that in case  it run out of water again, you can just fill it up .

to be continued for the other causes of overheating

i would like to share my view and analysis or even the principle behind a car experiencing overheating. this is likewise based on my experience on such trouble and similarly based on how i was able to determine the cause and had made a solution out of it.

let me first discuss in a very short cut approach the basic principle on engine cooling system or shall we say , ' HOW  THE COOLING SYSTEMS WORKS.

 This is the picture of the whole system.  There is a radiator with water,with two hoses attached to it , at the top and at the bottom or lower part,  when the engine starts, the water pump which is normally carried by a BELT thru the crankshaft pulley, pumps the water from the radiator , the water reacting to the action of the water pump, passes thru the lower radiator hose, at the other end of the lower hose, a THERMOSTAT  is installed which serves as a traffic to the incoming water that will be delivered to the engine.  This thermostat is actually a heat sensor where its heat sensitivity is  pre set by the manufacturer depending what degrees in temperature this thermostat should open to allow the water to enter the engine. the principle of this thermostat is that , it opens when it sense that the water is already hot, and it closes when the water temperature drops below the normal temperature where it was set.

This thermostat is located at the end of the radiator hose but before entering the engine block.   Example .starting a car  from a cold engine , the thermostat is closed, preventing the water coming from the radiator to enter the engine, time will come when this water will become hot because the water came from a moving  engine,  if the water in the lower hose  reached the desired temperature, say 50degrees celcius, this thermostat opens, allowing the water coming from the radiator enters the engine, a time will come again that the water coming from the lower hose will not become too hot  or a little bit colder than what it should,  since the water passes thru the radiator cooling fins, PLUS  the help of the RADIATOR FAN blade that sucks the heat from the radiator,  that will trigger the thermostat to close because it sensed that the water is below the a dictated temperature.  when the water coming from the engine becomes hot again and pass thru the thermostat, this thermostat will open once again.

take note that without the RADIATOR FAN , the water inside the radiator will not  become cold by the mere passing of water in the cooling fins of the radiator , it needs the movement of the fan blade to remove the heat in the radiator.   this radiator automatically operates by means of a SENSOR SWITCH installed near the THERMOSTAT.  This switch is embedded in the engine where it is submerged in the water coming from the lower hose.  if the water where this switch is submerged is still cold, this switch is still open, meaning     it will not send signal to the radiator fan to operate, by the time the water where  the  sensor switch is submerged  becomes hot , the sensor switch will send signal to the radiator fan to operate and will only stops when the water in it becomes below the temperature where it is set.

for us to be able to know whether our car is experiencing overheating , a TEMPERATURE GAUGE is installed in the dashboard to warn us that something is going wrong.   this GAUGE  is wired to a SENSOR which sensor is embedded in the  place directly in the engine where it receives  the HOT
 water from the engine . this gauge is likewise preset, in such a way that its needle remains constantly fixed in a certain degree, except when the engine overheats, in which case the needle deflects upward.  

NEXT is to talk about the causes of overheating