LM7_RX7

I just bought a 95 civic that wouldnt start. I also have a 92 civic that is my DD that I've been swapping parts back and forth to try.

Here is a list of parts I've swapped from the 95 to the 92 that work on my good running car:

Main relay
Computer
Entire distributor + cap/rotor + wires.

I've checked the ground at the thermostat and it's fine.
All of the fuses in the fuse boxes are good.
I've taken the ignition switch apart and cleaned it up, it looked fine.
The fuel pump comes on and I have good pressure at the rail.
I get no check engine codes when I jump the jumper, but the light will just stay on solid. When the jumper is out though, the light comes on for a couple seconds and then goes off.

I'm getting 12V at the injectors with the key on, but when cranking it seems like they aren't firing. I used an led and a bulb hooked to the supply wires and get nothing. I pulled a spark plug and I'm not getting any fuel smell and the plugs are not wet.

I checked the map sensor and the tps and both are getting +5V.

What could be causing this? Are there other things that the computer is looking for before it will fire the injectors? it seems like the computer isn't seeing what it needs to see to fire them. The check engine light staying on when the jumper is in is also suspect...but the computer is good, and will run my other car's engine fine.

LM7_RX7

Update: I got some starting fluid to try and see if that would get it to start, and it sputters like it wants to start, but never fully runs. I'm also noticing that the main relay is clicking a lot, really fast but it did this with a known good main relay as well. Also My speedometer needle is jumping around like crazy while its cranking. I do have a battery charger hooked up while I'm cranking since the battery is not very good from sitting so long.

Does anyone know where I can find out what all the computer needs before it will fire the injectors?

Former User

Is the 95 Civic completely stock? How did this problem come about?

I'd say start by putting a good battery in the car.

Is there bright white spark at all 4 spark plugs? Are the plug wires installed in the correct firing order?

In ECU connector A, do the A23 and A24 terminals have continuity to body ground?

LM7_RX7

I have good spark at all the wires, I did the test with the plug out and the body grounded. The firing order is correct. I've actually swapped over my entire working distributor/wires from my good 92 civic, and put the one from the 95 on the 92 and it runs fine on the 92. I'm going to swap over the battery today and check for the ground continuity. Wouldn't I get no check engine light or power at the sensors if the computer wasn't grounded?

I do have a suspicion that the computer isn't seeing the motor turning over and I read in another of your posts that if the fuel pump stays on while the key is in start, it means the computer can tell the motor is turning so I'll try that as well today.

LM7_RX7

Also, it is completely stock.

LM7_RX7

I checked the grounds, A23 and A24 have continuity to the body. I replaced the battery with my known good one and checked the fuel pump voltage when cranking and I'm getting nothing, although it does come on and prime for two seconds. The main relay and check engine light are still fluttering even with the new battery.

Also, I bought the car like this. From what I understand, it just wouldn't start one day and they tried a lot of things and couldn't figure out what it was.

LM7_RX7

Does anyone know how I would check if the signal from the cam sensor is getting back to the computer? I have a feeling that either the computer doesn't know that the motor is spinning, or some sensor input is screwing it up. Is the cam position sensor the only thing the computer looks at to see if the motor is spinning or is the crank sensor also involved? I remember reading that the crank sensor was only added on american civics for emissions, so it would not cause a no-start.

I've been looking for wiring diagrams to trace it back and haven't found much with any detail. I was at pullapart today and there are some cars with intact harnesses, but I don't want to go replacing parts if it isn't necessary.

Does the harness from the distributor (for the cam sensor) go back through the firewall via the plugs on the passenger side or the drivers side? I am getting 12v+ at the injectors, so it seems the wiring coming from the main relay to the injectors is intact, just not the ground pulse from the computer.

LM7_RX7

bump

LM7_RX7

bump...anyone seen this before?

LM7_RX7

Ok, I was misinterpreting how to test the A23 and A24 pins. I checked the voltage between them and ground, and I'm getting 4 volts, which is more than 1V which is bad.

Is there an easy way to create a good ground directly to the chassis from these pins w/o going to the thermostat? Can I just cut the wires and ground them in the cabin?

I've already cleaned and tightened the thermostat ground, so the issue must be somewhere in between and I would rather just bypass it if possible.

Ayyxbro

i have, try pulling your dizzy off, and spinning the rotor around 180 degrees. When putting it back on make sure its tight and centered!

LM7_RX7

I've transferred the dizzys back and forth between my 92 and 95 and I couldn't put them in incorrectly (they are stock though).

LM7_RX7

I found out what the source of my problem is, and it seems pretty odd. After I cleaned and tightened the thermostat ground again, the main relay did stop buzzing, but I found out I had left the distributor connector unhooked from testing it earlier. When I plugged it back in it began buzzing again.

On a hunch, I tested for continuity between the negative battery terminal and the thermostat ground bolt and got NOTHING. The thermostat housing was NOT grounded.This was a bit of a shock to me as I thought it was connected to the head via metal. So I took the ground wire (chassis to valve cover) from my 92 civic, and ran it from the thermostat housing to the other valve cover bolt on my 95 and it started right up. At this point I had my 92 civic's distributor, main relay, and ignition switch on my 95, so I swapped those all back out and it still started up fine. I'm still not sure why the thermostat housing isn't grounded, but tomorrow I'm going to the junk yard and getting an extra ground wire and calling it done.

jash86

im experiencing the same problem as you! did you fix yours? and what do you do to get it started