CitoooGaston

Hi, I've got a 1994 Civic EX. Was having idle issues so I replaced the distributor cap and rotor. Now the car turns over but won't start. Possible causes:

1) While I was changing the cap it started to drizzle so I shut the hood and had to wait about an hour (no garage). Moisture could be the problem?

2) Rotor has a little play on the shaft. The screw is as tight as I could get it, but there's some wiggle.

3) Burnt out ignition coil? I've heard of this happening while turning the engine over to line up the rotor....

If it's 1 or 3 I'm in over my head and it's gotta go to the shop... so hopefully 2. Any help's appreciated, thanks.

IhateworkingoncaRs

If you can get a pop now and then like it wants to start then something is not line up. If you got nothing but just cranks then it's probably 3. Test for spark and replace the dizzy, you don't have to take it to the shop.

KRZRICAN

make sure u have the cables to the right cylinders..firing order..or unplug the first wire and put a screwdriver in the point and have it close to a nut on the head.have someone crank to see if u gettin juice to the plugs..

CitoooGaston

Thanks guys. Cables are in the right order. No spark at all, so it must be the coil. Time to learn how to set engine timing.

Former User

Have the coil and igniter unit tested at an auto parts store.

calvinhobbes

I'm having a similar problem. How do you know if you're getting sparks?

worlds-slowest-EG

not always the coil... take the ignitor out ant reinstall with some di-electric grease on the surfaces that touch the dizzy housing. I've run into this at least twenty or thirty times and only found one bad coil.

shailoche

You don't have to reset the timing if you are just replacing the ignition coil. If you aren't getting spark and coil is the suspect then replace it. As long as you get the distributor back on to the camshaft without being 180 degrees out of phase then you are fine.

ek nine

check to see if your fuel pump is priming, recheck spark, and make sure nothing is clogging the intake.

-if fuel pump primes then check to see it you are getting fuel at the filter and make sure you don't flood the engine.