BlackLX

I have a 99 civic LX with the d16y7. Yesterday it suddenly quit running while driving and now will not start. I've read a lot of the FAQ's and common troubleshooting but these cars are new to me. All my knowledge is in 5.0 Mustangs.

Here's what I know:

• Have spark (replaced plugs, wires, cap, rotor anyway)
• Have fuel to injectors (pulled injectors while attached to rail and turned it over, all four squirted fuel)
• Coil resistance within spec.
• ICM has battery voltage
• Mechanical timing appears correct. Timing belt is not broken and is tight enough to not be able to rotate 90 degrees.

Any ideas?

Is it possible for the ICM to fail and still give spark? I think my next step is to pull the ICM and have autozone test it.

If the cam or crank position sensors fail does it still give spark?

Thanks!

BlackLX

Update: Autozone wasn't able to test the ICM but I went ahead and bought one anyway. Still no start. Any help is greatly appreciated!

cstone94

Try your TPS sensor. Had a Ford Bronco not start on me and it ended up being that.

B_Swapped93

Igniter. how did you confirm spark ?

BlackLX

Thanks for the suggestion. The TPS is showing .49v with key on throttle closed. The service manual calls for .50v. That's close enough. At least on 5.0's it is.

BlackLX

Confirmed spark by pulling a plug and having a friend crank the car while grounding the plug against the valve cover.

Is the igniter the ICM? If not, how can I test the igniter?

B_Swapped93

It's separate from the coil(icm). here's how to test it http://easyautodiagnostics.com/honda..._systems_1.php

BlackLX

Hey thanks for the link. I'm going to try it''s tests on the coil.

However the link seems to use igniter and ignition control module (ICM) interchangeably. Here is a quote: "You can use a Multimeter or a Test Light to test the Igniter (Ignition Control Module) and the Ignition Coil."

This is the same as I've found from reading various sources, the igniter and ICM are the same thing.

If they are indeed different can you provide a source that shows the difference?

B_Swapped93

http://www.acuraautomotiveparts.org/...s=&view=normal It's the diagram for an obd1 integra dizzy however. I'm used to obd1 cars/integras so maybe the civic is layed out differently. So it will crank just not turn over ?

BlackLX

Yea, going off the part number on that diagram I find the same igniter/ICM on my car:
Yes, its cranking but not turning over. No sputter, no fire what-so-ever.

The problem started yesterday driving down the road at 55mph. Engine suddenly quit and hasn't started since.

B_Swapped93

compression test it, just to rule out 2 possibility's

BlackLX

Compression test results:

Cyl 1: 100psi
Cyl 2: 105psi
Cyl 3: 115psi
Cyl 4: 115psi


Seems like ok enough to fire for a cold engine?

Before this the engine was running as strong as ever, great mileage, quick starts, normal power.

B_Swapped93

So it cranks, has fuel(pull the plugs out after a few cranks just to confirm that) and has spark. compression is ok for a cold D series. IMO it sounds like timing spin the engine 1 full cycle by hand and look at the belt just in the off chance one of the teeth is missing and confirm that the block and head are both at TDC/in sync with each other.

BlackLX

Yep, I've pulled the injectors and watched them squirt. Pulled the plugs after cranking and found them wet. 100% sure it has fuel.

I've also checked and triple checked the timing. It's straight up. If it has slipped a tooth (def not more than one or two) my eyes aren't good enough to spot it.

I guess I could look at the belt to see if any cogs have been stripped. With the timing still looking good I'm not sure that's a good lead.

At this point I think I'm going to drain the fuel tank to be sure there isn't water in it. That and/or try to start the bitch on ether.

Former User

What color is spark -- bright white, yellow, orange, blue?

Is there spark at all 4 plugs?

Here's what TDC1 looks like:

BlackLX

Yes, spark at all 4 plugs. Before I changed the plugs, wires, cap and rotor it seemed to be good strong white spark. I went ahead and changed everything because the plugs had a huge (like .080+) gap. I'll let you know tomorrow when I have a helper to crank what it looks like with the new parts.

That's the diagram I've used for finding TDC on crank and cam. It appears to be dead on.

The belt appears to be in good shape too. No cracking or dry looking rubber. I picked up somewhere that being able to twist the belt 90 degrees is a quick and dirty way to test wear but this belt won't twist that much. The car has 138k. I can't be certain but I'd bet the timing belt has been changed since it's missing a timing cover bolt.

Former User

Maybe the cylinders are flooded with fuel. Add a tablespoon of motor oil to each spark plug hole to see if she'll fire.

BlackLX

Strangely enough now I DON'T have spark. I'm going to go through all the tests to find out why. This should at least be easier to find why I don't have spark than figuring out why it won't run when it does have spark.

Former User

Check fuse 9, check whether voltage reaches the coil and ICM, and test the coil.

BlackLX

Ok I managed to get spark again. Turns out the new ICM is bad.

But I'm back to square one. Good spark, fuel, compression and timing but no start. I'm at a loss here.

BlackLX

Update: It runs!

I ended up buying a new distributor which comes with an ICM/igniter, coil and cam sensor. Bolted that sucker on and it fired right up. My gut says it was the cam sensor.

Thank you all for your help!

kilr

Hey seems like i am having a very similar problem with my sisters 98 civic. It stopped running while driving and would not restart.

Fuel pressure has been tested at the filter, and when the spark plugs removed i can tell the injectors are spraying while its turning over.

All 4 spark plugs are sparking when removed and grounded.

Timing belt is whole and the TDC marks all line up.

I replaced the Cps, suspecting it was shot due to large amounts of oil caked on it but did not result in a start.

In the morning i will get a compression test done and take the distributor to the parts store to be tested/replaced.

Thanks for any suggestion and will update my results.

Former User

Is spark bright white?