Tchay

Honda Civic 93 DX (190K car but 50K engine)

Hello all! My Honda Civic 93 DX won't start due to no spark (distributor won't send a spark)! CEL stays on in position 2 and doesn't go out. Engine cranks properly. Engine filter is clean, full tank of gas.

***when I jump the service connector (2 pin, gray) via paperclip, the CEL remains steady but DOES NOT BLINK. Does this mean my ECU is bad??? Also the oil symbol flickers and turns off during crank, but stays on in position 2

So far, I've put in:
- brand new main relay (OEM)
- brand new distributor (AND41U brand via ebay) - aftermarket I suppose

***spark plugs are not the issue, since no spark is coming from distributor

***distributor is getting full power (checked via multimeter) and pins of igniter module are all getting 4-6v each.

***I used a test light on the + of the coil of the distrib and the light dimmed during crank. Its supposed to flicker on and off (ground switching), but it just dimmed. Maybe a faulty coil? The darned thing is supposed to be brand new....

***I took out the ECU and looked at the circuit board and could not find any burns or broken resistors. It all looks nice and shiny in there....


I got a spark a few days ago and the CEL clicked off and it started on the first crank, and I drove it around the block no problem. But later that night, the CEL remained on, and I no longer got a spark.

POSSIBLE ISSUES:
- engine has most of its grounding BUT engine ground wire A is unhooked


- fuses seem good. Fuse #19 (under dash) isn't making continuity, but not sure if thats important

- connector C201 is missing something (located to the right of the battery): it is a 3 terminal connector with 2 screw posts and a tiny protrusion that is supposed to go to some line. Its kinda odd looking and is supposed to be screwed in on top of this cylindrical thing to the right of the battery.


- what about the integrated control module (ICM)? Could a faulty ICM cause these issues?

Any help is greatly appreciated! I've been researching this for 2 weeks now and I'm hitting dead ends. I downloaded the service manual as well.

Former User

Check fuses 24 and 31. Check whether the G101 ground on thermostat housing is clean and tight.

Resolder the main relay.

Tchay

I HAVE NEW DATA!

My MAP sensor isn't screwed in, but the tiny hose is connected. Could this be part of the issue?

I put key in pos 2 and the CEL stayed on. Then, suddenly it flickered and went off.

Car started on first crank. That CEL prevents a spark from going thru.

I drove it around block no problem. Then I turned off car, and bridged the 2 terminal connector, the CEL came on, stayed on, and the car no longer started.

Its like I triggered the CEL and now it won't spark anymore. I tried resetting the ECU and unhooking plugs and battery for a few minutes. No luck, CEL stays on.

It also will not blink ever. I even pulled an injector to see if I got a code 16 (or any code) and NOT A SINGLE BLINK. CEL just stays solid...

This is not normal for a ECU right? Also, the fan/AC would not blow at all. Then after resetting the ECU, the fan and AC blew (though the AC doesn't seem cold like it used to, maybe the car needs to be on for it to work better).

I didn't check fuse 24 or 31, but I seriously doubt fuses are the problem since the car actually started and drove around. I feel like its a faulty ECU...

Tchay

I need some more help if any of you can give me some input. Please.

I tried cranking the car today and the cranking no longer seems normal. It turns over 3 times, but on the 4th turn, it has a lower pitched crank sound and almost seems like a struggling sound. Definitely not the normal crank sound.

What does this mean? Is this still related to my faulty computer? Or am I wearing something out by cranking it to do all this troubleshooting.

Tchay

lol. soooo many replies.

Well, for anyone that cares, I just swapped out the Engine Computer Unit (ECU) with an ebay one and.....THE CAR STARTED. Looks like I had a bad ECU

Obviously I will need to do more testing the next few days to confirm this, but the CEL goes off after a few seconds and the car starts on the first try.

LET IT BE KNOWN: Honda Civic 1993 Computers can go bad! Even if its rare, my cars computer is proof. That ECU caused me 3 weeks of absolute hell. My old distributor probably still works -_-

Lets recap: if your cars CEL is staying on, and your car refuses to throw any codes even after you bridge the service connector, your ECU is probably bad (this is a code 0). A bad ECU will cause your distributor to not even send a spark to the engine! This especially sucks, because as soon as you take your car to a mechanic, he's ganna tell you that your distributor is bad, or that the Coil is bad, or that the ignitor module is bad....blah blah blah, when, in reality, you need a new Engine Computer Unit.

With some bidding skills, you can grab a working OEM brand ECU on ebay for 40-60 bucks.