24TEN

iTrader: (2)

VEHICLE: 1994 Honda Civic CX
ENGINE: D15B8 block with PM3 16Valve head, SOHC ZC camshaft, adjustable camgear zeroed to Y8 spec
ECU: P06 auto converted to manual, no chip


The car has been running without incident ever since I purchased it back in 2002. Rebuilt the engine in 2008 inside out with .5mm oversized pistons and has accumulated roughly 50k since. 16valve head installed about 6 months ago, ZC camshaft installed maybe a month and a half ago. Two weekends ago car died on me fairly far from home. I was coming around a corner (normal speed) eased on the gas and noticed it felt like it lost power and sounded like a Subaru. It did this for only a second and returned to normal. About another 100 feet or so it died on me and I had to get it towed. Checked for spark the next morning, there was none. My gut told me to just swap coils with another distributor I had as a spare. I did and it fired up immediately. I figure the car was fine so I drove it for a week and it happened again a couple of miles from home. This time I was able to drive it home (just barely) and again, it had a loss of power and the Subaru sound but this time this condition didn't go away. I drove it as is and continued until I made it to the top of my street and it died there (I coasted down the hill and made it to the driveway). I have since replaced the original distributor with another distributor that I had purchased from a buddy of mine and I am crossing my fingers that the issue is limited within the distributor itself.

EDIT: Each time it died I found that a single spark plug wire had come off the distributor (not the same one in each case).

My question is what could lead to two coils being ruined? And is it possible that it is something else that caused it outside of the distributor?

24TEN

iTrader: (2)

Anyone have any input?

Former User

A common cause of coil failure, aside from old age, is when the super high voltage that builds up inside the coil fails to find ground through the rotor, distributor cap, plug wires, or plugs. Make sure all of those components are in tip top shape.

24TEN

iTrader: (2)

Thanks, I was hoping you'd respond

24TEN

iTrader: (2)

I forgot to mention, each time it died one of the plug wires connected to the distributor cap had fallen off (maybe even shot off).

Former User

This^ is the answer to your specific question.

24TEN

iTrader: (2)

So you're saying a plug wire fell off of the distributor cap on it's own and that caused the weak power, then because it wasn't grounded to anything the coil was ruined? Or because of the age of the related components posted above (they are old in fact) that the spark wasn't allowed to ground and finally let go with enough spark to shoot off a plug wire from the distributor? I don't know if that sounds far fetched at all but the plug wires all seat snugly and it was different wire each time. I just want to fully grasp what happened.


Either way, those components are going to be replaced this week.

Former User

My guess is that a plug wire popped off (due to old age or bad spark plug seal in the valve cover) and caused the coil to blow.

24TEN

iTrader: (2)

I appreciate the input Ron. If anything else happens I'll be sure to post up.

Former User

kp5587

When you remove a spark plug wire when the engine is running, the coil pack will blow! You said that both times the wires were off when you stopped the car, and looked at the distributor. This will cause the problem. make sure that the wires are properly seated into the dist cap, and on the plugs. You should ahve to tug pretty good on both ends to remove the wire. Hope this helps

Former User

Thread is 5 years old! Locked.