I lent my brother my 88 civic with a 1.5. So hes coming home and after about a hour on the free way and the car dies and then starts then dies and it does that every couple seconds. So he pulled over. I get home today and fined out my cars on the side of the free way. I get out there and the battery is dead. So i hook up the jumpers and it's cranking really slow. I check for codes none. Check spark and fuel im getting both. So i get it towed home. Get home and pull off the valve cover and give it a crank with another battery in it and it seems to crank normale. Check again i have spark and fuel but still wont start. Cehck codes none. Put another computer in just to try and still nothing and no codes. So any ideas of were to go next would be awsome. im gonna pull the first plug and check the timing to see if maybe the belt jumped a tooth but i dont think it did. Im also gonna check compression. Thanks for any ideas

 

air + fuel + spark + compression = varoom! you've already ruled out 2 of the 4.

:EDIT: btw, nice avitar.

 

i dont have any of the intake even conected so air should be good. I did a compression test and its a 1 and 3 are a littel low 100 compaered to the other 2 at about 125-130 so thats not good but i tihnk it should still run. Any other ideas? I think ill drop the oil and see if theres any thing in there

 

timing??

 

if its cranking slow, trying checking all of the connections to the starter, make sure their on there tight.

 

its cranking normale now i double checked the timing on the timing belt and its on. I get a good spark on all 4. i stick my finger down the throttle body and i can feel the spray from the injector. But it still wont fire. it wont even back fire it just cranks and does nothing. Im out of ideas.

 

you sure its not the starter or alternator?

 

well the start wouldn't make the card die when driving down the road.
The alternator could be bad but the car should start shouldn't it when i have a battery with a charger hooked to it ? stupid car dosen't make any sense

 

last night i decided to push my car down the hill and pop the clutch. So i do it and the car kinda poped and back fired. So i did it again this time i matted the gas and dropped the clutch and it started and ran normale for 2 seconds then sputtered and died then ran for another 2 seconds and died. While it was running it ran normale. So it can be the tmining and i dont think its spark. Ii think it has to do with fuel. But that dosen't explain why when i droped a bit of gas down the throttle body i didn't get even a back fire. So im thinking it could be the starter too. Any ideas on this?

 

A bad starter wouldn't prevent it from running after a jump start.

It sounds electrical tho....

I would check all the wiring ... ground connectors, ground wires for a break, wiring to and from the alternator for connections and any breaks. On the passenger side there is a harness connector that contains most of the alternator and distributor wiring (its flat, not round, AFAIR it has about 8-10 connections) check it.

If you are getting a break in the wiring, the current maybe able to span it breifly, then no go. Use a multimeter ir you can't find something else wrong.

When I completed a swap, I forgot to tighten the main ground (I had place grond on with not, did not tighten), and the car would crank, fuel, etc. but not start. Found the loose ground, tightened, and voila

Jay

 

yah good thinking i ran over all the wires and they looked good but ill check them with a mulit meter

 

Draw, Have you found the problem yet?

(I know it ahs been kinda wet, but Saturday wasn't too bad.)

Jay

 

My check list
-Fuel
-Spark
-Engine timing i.e. cam is at TDC and crank is TDC
-Ignition timing.

 

I had the same problem with my son car. Make sure you have gas pressure. The actual problem on is car was: the small bolt on the rotor was gone. and the ignition timing was obviously wrong.

 

Get a new distributo cap and rotor button, that may help you out.

 

clogged fuel filter?

 

completely different car but i had a 93 gsr 1.7L and my car did the same thing...had to have the distributor rebuilt/replaced

 

dizzy cap and rotor, plugs, wire's, and after that if nothing works, main relay. probably the main relay, they go bad all the time and those are the symptoms. good luck!

 

sounds like the rotor screw fell out

 

i work at a honda swop shop and see this all the time. put a new/ used distubater in it. it is a comen problem on all hondas. even with the spark u are getting now it is probly weak.

 

im shooting for the main relay, it controls your fuel pump, when mine went out i couldnt figure it out either but there was a click noise after you would turn it on then the car would turn off. the main relay is kinda tucked behind and above your hood latch also check the ground thats connected on the back by the thermostat.