txvigil

Hello everyone:

I recently received a 1990 Honda Civic STD Hatchback from a family member for free which was awesome. I had to install a new ignition switch with complete wiring harness, fuel tank and fuel pump and also a complete tune-up. At this time I was unable to get power to the fuel pump and no spark. I then installed a new Main Relay and had no success with that. I also tested all fuses and main relay's under the hood and they all have power. I am totally lost with many people telling what it could be from the MAP sensor to the crank shaft sensor to the ECM (computer), etc.

Can anyone point me in the right direction or what could be the problem. I would really appreciate it.

Thomas Vigil

neophish

check the main relay under the drivers side kick panel. take it off and open it up and check for cracked solder joints and/or replace it

txvigil

Thank you for your response but I did replace the Main Relay already.

Former User

Does the main relay plug receive voltage from both the hood fuse box and the ignition switch?

txvigil

Yes tested if it had power from both ends and yes it is receiving power.


Can anyone help because this car is driving me freaking Nuts?????

txvigil

Howdy everyone:

I wanted to give you all a update on my civic from the last go around with it. I found that fuse # 14 under the dash was blown and inserted a new one and the fuel pump started working right away. I checked for spark the old method by taking out the spark plug and inserting into the boot and had a friend turn the ignition over and touching the edge of the valve cover gasket getting a red to orange spark but the car will not start.

I overall I put a new ignition switch-wiring harness, spark plugs, fuel pump, fuel tank, fuel filter, air filter, main relay.

I have been told that it could be the Ignition Control Module, ECU or the distributor pickup and even the MAP sensor.

Can I please get some feedback from you all on what it could be the issue.

GPC91

iTrader: (1)

check the dizzy cap and rotor. the spark should be white/blue, red or orange is weak spark.
those are 2 things that you should do in your tune up anyways. along with plugs and wires.

jdm_rb20

I'm no expert by any means, but I remember reading that you can measure strength of the spark by its color. I thiiiiink red/orange spark is weak. Check for ECU codes and troubleshoot the distributor.

RuneRavenX

I know I'm beating the bush here, but I agree with everyone else. A red/orange spark is weak. I would go ahead and check the dizzy out, or just replace it since you've already been replacing many other things. Your wires are likely fine, but if they look worn or old then I would replace to have fresh. Anything like that can affect your performance, and you won't have to worry about replacing them later when they fail unexpectedly. Just my opinion. Those hatches are nice though, I would love to have one. It would sit nicely beside my CRX.

txvigil

Hello Everyone:

I wanted to give you all an update on my car. I took the advice offered by everyone and purchased a new cap and rotor and also new wire set from Honda. The wires will be in about 1 week, so I went ahead and put on the cap & rotor and still getting a red to orange spark which is a weak spark.

I will fill you all in when I install the factory wires and provide you all with an update.

If anyone has any advice on my issue please feel free to pass it along!!

Thanks,

TXV

RuneRavenX

I would wait on the wires before making any conclusion. I honestly wouldn't know what else to check because I haven't had many issues like that. Maybe someone with more Dizzy experience can chime in.

txvigil

I was thinking not purchase the wires but they have been on the car since 1990 and look old and somewhat cracked.

TXV

jdm_rb20

Just out of curiosity (I've never seen this), pop your hood at night IN THE DARK, and inspect your spark system for any sparking of any component that is visible in the dark. Sometimes components can loose weaken the spark because they are finding another path to ground. This just sounds plausible in your situation. It's a free test.

jdm_rb20

Or take a spark plug wire off another car, and check it's color of spark. Another free test.

Also, inspect/clean ANY/ALL ground wires that go to the battery, engine, ECU, etc. Weak grounds produce weak weak performing electronics. For that matter, have you tested your alternator for STRENGTH? A half-dead alternator will produce half-dead running electronics....??

txvigil

Thanks a million jdm rb20 and I will conduct the night test tonight and provide you with the results....

txv

2point2

jdm_rb20 has excellent advice. Don't forget about the ground on the thermostat housing.

If you don't get any further with the advice in this thread you might want to find someone local that will be nice enough to let you try a known-good distributor. That will narrow your search down very quickly.

Hopefully you blew fuse 14 by accident when you were checking the main relay. otherwise, you have some work ahead of you. Get yourself a CRX manual online and have a look at what fuse 14 affects. In my experience electrical problems (on a Honda) are almost always related to a modification that was done in the past. Alarms, motor swaps, aftermarket gizmos etc..

el faster

try checking your distributor for the spark

txvigil

Hello everyone:

I want to let everyone that I installed the new factory spark plug wires and no luck. No start and getting fuel. I cleaned almost every ground (next to the negative battery cable, valve cover gasket & thermostat housing). I will take the advice of jdm rb20 and 2point2 and perform the tests this weekend. I am going to check the ignition coil and the igniter. O by the way I checked if the ECU unit turned on and blinked when I turn the ignition and it did, so I guess I can out rule the ECU that is bad and also I dont have a check engine light on.

Thanks again to everyone for their awesome advice and if anyone has more advice please feel free to send it on down to me because this car is driving me nuts.

Thanks,

TXV

I have a feeling that it is the ignition control module(AKA igniter).

jimmy o.

Just replace the dizzy (the entire distributor) its worth it for the peice of mind plus the coil could be right behind it also they have a oil seal that if leaking can allow oil to leak inside the distributor and short it out (it happened on my gfs prelude)

txvigil

Hello everyone: I finally got some time to work on my civic and I wanted to provide you all some feedback from the last time I posted. I am pretty lucky because I have a buddy that works at Honda so my buddy was able to get me a new igniter, cap & rotor and a coil for only $100.00.. So after all I have done to my civc I figured for $100 that is a really good deal. So I purchased them and installed and the damm car still did not crank over. I am getting spark, fuel and air but the car will not start. I turn the key and it wants to start but nothing. I have been told by many people that it is timing that is the issue. Overall i put a new fuel pump, spark plugs, spark plug wires, cap & rotor, igniter, coil, ignition switch w/ new wiring harness, new battery and cleaned all grounds & checked all the fuses & they are good. I am thinking of taking the car to the Honda factory to check what it is the problem.

Please someone help before I burn this car!!!!!!!!!!

jimmy o.

Check compression if that checks out replace the coil a weak coil will cause it not to run

Judge Owens

The weak spark may be because grounding a spark plug on your frame is not a 100% accurate test. Or it may be because a lousy, aged coil. I would look there.
It does not take much to flood a Honda. If it doesn't start within a few turns you are going to fill the cylinder with gas and lose compression.

txvigil

Thanks Judge Owens and Jimmy O for the comments. I checked compression, it is good and as I mentioned in my last post I installed a new factory coil. Rechecked everything but one thing I did noticed was that my battery light stays on from the time i turn on the ignition switch till I turn it off.

Judge Owens

Sounds normal the oil light stays on too. as long as they turn off when you start up.

Silly question, how do you know your getting fuel? Do you hear the fuel pump "humm" when you turn the key "on"?

txvigil

I hear the fuel pump humm and also removed the gas lines and is being pumped from the fuel pump to the fuel fileter and then to the injectors.