Alright. This just boggles me. 89 civic. sohc zc. I go to start my car this morning and it just cranks. I've changed the cap and rotor about 2 months ago. Yesturday I started it and it was fine. I havent done anything since yesturday but take a stereo system out the hatch. Many months ago it would do this..but eventually start. and then changed the cap and rotor and it was fine. The only thing I know I need is a tps because i have an erratic idle in neutral (something like 800-1200 rpm. up and down rev's) I dont think that would be the cause to this, though I might be wrong.

 

do you have fuel pressure?

check to see that the screw hasnt backed out of the rotor...

start with the basics

 

You said you removed your stereo yesterday... you didn't happen to ground any power wires out from your amp did you?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by fastcrxsi90 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">do you have fuel pressure?

check to see that the screw hasnt backed out of the rotor...

start with the basics
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so i guess open it up..where is this screw?

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by CRX_1.8T &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You said you removed your stereo yesterday... you didn't happen to ground any power wires out from your amp did you?</TD></TR></TABLE>

i dont quite understand the whole concept of grounding. i went outside just now to check if any wires were touching frame and they werent. there's one ground wire screwed into the frame and then its just open now at the other end. i took out the subs and one amp. i still have one amp hooked up.

i hope this helps. i'm supposed to be selling the car this weekend and i need this thing working

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by wompwomp61 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">


so i guess open it up..where is this screw?

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Its the screw that holds the rotor on, and its known for backing out. If that doesnt work, then I would check to see if you are getting any fire. If you're not getting any fire then it might be your coil.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Reason &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Its the screw that holds the rotor on, and its known for backing out. If that doesnt work, then I would check to see if you are getting any fire. If you're not getting any fire then it might be your coil.</TD></TR></TABLE>


so just tighten it? how do i check for fire? and if these two things are fine how do i check the coil? voltmeter?

edit: would this screw come out even on a brand new rotor?


Modified by wompwomp61 at 4:47 PM 1/4/2005

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by wompwomp61 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">


so just tighten it? how do i check for fire? and if these two things are fine how do i check the coil? voltmeter?

edit: would this screw come out even on a brand new rotor?


Modified by wompwomp61 at 4:47 PM 1/4/2005</TD></TR></TABLE>

yes. take the cap off and LOOK. simple way to check spark is to take a sparkplug out still attached to the plug wire and hold it to a bolt on the front support and have a friend crank the car. spark should shoot out and arc to the bolt.

and yes even on a new rotor the screw can back out. When you replaced the rotor you had to off taken the screw off to pull the rotor off. Unless you had a non OEM rotor that pressed on the distributor shaft.

 

no its oem. is there main screw i'll be looking for?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by wompwomp61 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">no its oem. is there main screw i'll be looking for?</TD></TR></TABLE>

When you take the cap off you'll see the rotor. The rotor has one screw on the shaft holding it on.

 

Interesting... must be yet another difference between these models and my 87 - I just took mine apart and there's no screw at all, merely a rivet holding the roter to the cap, and it looks like on the clear other side of the distributor there's a tiny keeper pin that would need to be pushed out to allow the shaft to slide free.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by fastcrxsi90 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">.....check to see that the screw hasnt backed out of the rotor... </TD></TR></TABLE>


lol... it's happened to me twice same car

 

Check it like this..

Fuel pressure, hook a gauge up to t he fuel filter, see if its getting fuel pressure.
Injector pulse, hook noid lights up to each injector and see if they are pulsing
Spark, stick a screwdriver in the spark plug wire, hold the spark plug next to a ground, or just stick an old spark plug in it, and hold it near a ground, it if sparks you will see it.

If you are getting good fuel pressure, 36-40 PSI, getting injector pulse, and spark, then the only other things it can be is timing, compression, or maybe something like computer.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by FIGARILA &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">


lol... it's happened to me twice same car </TD></TR></TABLE>

i put a pit of loctite on my screw never failed me again

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by CimorelliCRX &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Check it like this..

Fuel pressure, hook a gauge up to t he fuel filter, see if its getting fuel pressure.
Injector pulse, hook noid lights up to each injector and see if they are pulsing
Spark, stick a screwdriver in the spark plug wire, hold the spark plug next to a ground, or just stick an old spark plug in it, and hold it near a ground, it if sparks you will see it.

If you are getting good fuel pressure, 36-40 PSI, getting injector pulse, and spark, then the only other things it can be is timing, compression, or maybe something like computer.</TD></TR></TABLE>

fuel pressure. what kind of gauge?? where is the fuel filter? what would i be looking for to show me it has fuel pressure?

injector pulse. noid lights? what. i'm guessin you mean the fuel injectors? once again. where are these. how would i see if they're pulsing?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by wompwomp61 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

fuel pressure. what kind of gauge?? where is the fuel filter? what would i be looking for to show me it has fuel pressure?

injector pulse. noid lights? what. i'm guessin you mean the fuel injectors? once again. where are these. how would i see if they're pulsing?
</TD></TR></TABLE>

Fuel pressure. You will have to eitehr buy a Fuel pressure gauge specifically for a Honda that mounts on top of hte fuel filter, which is the black little canister looking thing, that has 2 bolts going on top of it.

INjector pulse is for the fuel injectors, they are on the fuel rail and intake manifold. Get noid lights, stick them in the injector clip, and try and start the car, and see if the light up.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by CimorelliCRX &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Fuel pressure. You will have to eitehr buy a Fuel pressure gauge specifically for a Honda that mounts on top of hte fuel filter, which is the black little canister looking thing, that has 2 bolts going on top of it.

INjector pulse is for the fuel injectors, they are on the fuel rail and intake manifold. Get noid lights, stick them in the injector clip, and try and start the car, and see if the light up.</TD></TR></TABLE>

so, can i go to advance and ask for a fuel pressure gauge for my civic? would i need to specify the motor or the body? do you know how much they run for? are you referring to the charcoal canister? that big old thing?

again..where would i get noid lights? these injector clips are on the fuel injectors? pricing? i really appreciate it.

 

Not trying to be funny do you have gas in the car.

 

yeah over a half tank

 

 

The exact same thing happened to me. It was running fine one day and the next mourning wouldn't start. Well after about 3 days we figured out (by trial and error) it was the coil in the dizzy. Replaced it and it worked fine. They new dizzy was only 6 months old too so yes new parts can fail too.

 

damn i was afraid of that. anyone know how to check the coil? how much does this run. and anyone know how much that fuel pressure gauge and noid light costs?


edit I just went outside and it turned on beautifully with no problem. I sat there a couple minutes letting it warm up and revving a little, turned it off. turned back on no problem. Uh? any ideas


Modified by wompwomp61 at 4:06 PM 1/5/2005

 

Yes coils will work and not work as they were out until they don't work at all. This has happened to me and some of my friends. Coils don't cost as much as a tow truck fee. But once when a stoned friend bought a coil, fuel pump, spark plugs, rotor, rotor cap and I still didn't work. So my la-mo Friend called me for help I went to his garage and checked the spark it was fine, but the car had no fuel pressure so, I put some gas in it and it ran great LOL

 

Sounds to be a MAIN RELAY problem. I may be wrong, but thats exactly what it sounds like.