Ignition distributor (Honda Accord 3)

The distributor is the device responsible for sending the high-voltage spark pulse to the correct terminal. It is essentially a rotating switch that directs current to one terminal or another. All vehicles covered in this book have distributors that are driven directly by the camshaft and are mounted on the end of the camshaft head. All distributors, except those on 1990-91 ACCORD models, use a combination of a mechanical and vacuum corrector. The corrector matches the ignition pulse to the engine's operating cycle. Some engines use a pure vacuum corrector. The corrector on 1990-91 ACCORD vehicles is completely electronic: constant control of fuel injection is performed by a computer program without the use of a mechanical or vacuum corrector.

The corrector type is identified by visual inspection of the distributor. If only a vacuum hose leading to the round diaphragm located on the distributor is visible, then the system uses a purely vacuum corrector. The presence of two hoses indicates the use of two correction methods.

Removal and installation

1. Using marking tape, disconnect the spark plug wires from the distributor cap and note the order in which they are connected so that you can reconnect them in the same order. Factory distributor caps are marked to indicate the wire that goes to cylinder number one.



2. Locate and disconnect the vacuum hose, primary winding wire, and high-voltage cable. On some early models, these wires are disconnected at the coil. Locate and disconnect all external wires from the distributor.





3. Loosen the mounting bolts and remove the distributor from the shaft head.

4. Remove from the camshaft and discard the sealing ring.

Installing the distributor:

5. Using a new O-ring, install it onto the distributor shaft and coat it with a thin layer of clean oil.

6. The drive teeth on the end of the distributor are slightly offset to match the offset on the end of the camshaft. Estimate the approximate alignment of the distributor shaft, then place it in place.

The distributor will only engage the cam in the correct position. This design allows the distributor to be correctly installed regardless of the engine position, even if the engine has been offset from the distributor.

7. Make sure the drive teeth are properly engaged and that the sealing ring is in place. Place the retaining bolts in the center of the mountings and a slight turn will be enough to secure the distributor.

8. Connect the external distributor wiring and spark plug wires. Double check that they are connected correctly.

9. Start the engine and set the timing advance. Tighten the distributor mounting bolts until snug.