Like the title says, my car won't start. The car is a 92 Civic CX with a D16Y8.

Yesterday it rained really bad at work. Start about 40 minutes before I left and it rained a lot. By the time I left work the street was flooded over the curb in a couple spots. There was no way around so I drove through the middle (shallowest spot) really slow in 1st gear. When I came out I went to shift into 2nd and it went into gear real hard, then as I was letting out the clutch it shuddered real hard sorta like it does when it's real cold and the clutch isn't warmed up yet so I figured the clutch got wet or something. So I get to the end of the street and I put the shifter into neutral to wait to turn onto the main road. Then when I was ready I went to put the shifter into 1st and it wouldn't go. I tried 2nd and 3rd, same thing. I pushed and released the clutch pedal a few times and then the shifter finally dropped into 1st but hard. Shifter to 2nd and it was a hard shift as well. The main road had quite a bit of water on it as well so I stayed in the left lane towards the middle, no one was driving in the right lane. I didn't have and more shifting problem other than it was still shifting a bit hard but getting better. I got to the freeway and there was a lot of traffic but the water was draining a lot better here so there was only a couple spot of water and it wasn't deep. The freeway is about 3 miles from work and about 4 miles after getting onto the freeway I drove out of the rain and it was dry. I live 18 miles from work, by the time I got home the car was shifting better.

So I get home and pop the hood to check things out. I didn't see anything out of the ordinary. The car seemed to be running fine. Had some water sitting on the IM runners, figured it must have splashed up there from the street at work or from the main road between work and the freeway. Nothing seemed to be wrong so I just figured it was fine. I got back in the car, turned it off, waiting a little and turned it back on, it fired right up without hesitation. So I turned it back off, closed the hood and went inside.

I come outside this morning to come to work and go to turn the car on and I think it may have tried to crank but sounded like a dead battery and it didn't have enough power to turn the motor. So I turned the key back off and tried again for the hell of it. This time there was nothing, just silent. So my girl pulled her car closer and I tried jumping it but no change. By this point I was going to be late for work so I said screw it. She wasn't going anywhere today so I took her car. Now I'm hear typing this out in hopes that someone can give me some thoughts on what to check so when I get home I can start working on it and hopefully get it back running tonight.

I don't know what it could be. Starter? Battery? Electrical ? Just to make sure I had a good connection when I was trying to jump the car I'm going to remove the battery when I get home and take it to AutoZone to have it tested. That way I know for sure. If the battery checks fine then I'll have to start checking other things, where should I start and if you could give a quick description of how to check it or what to look for just incase it's something I'm not how to check.

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

 

Ehh sounds like you have water in the cylinders. Pull your sparkplugs and try to crank it over (unplug the injectors too)

 

also change your tranny fluid

 

really? I was thinking of things on my way to work and I though of doing that but figured I was ok with that because I drove all the way home and even turned it off and on once home. I mean I'll check it just to be sure but I just figured I wouldn't have had any water in there because I drove all the way home and that.

I haven't changed the tranny fluid in a while so I'll be sure to do that, gotta do an oil chance as well so I'll stop and get that stuff on my way home.

 

Yea positive. that just happened to a guy at work here. An injector froze open and filled #4 with gas then when he went to start it it would crank for a fraction of a second and stop. couldn't even turn it with a breaker bar.

 

hmm... ok, I never heard of that. I will be sure to check that first, maybe change the plugs since they haven't been changed in a while. Hopefully it's just water and not an injector.

I guess it's just hard for me to understand how water would have gotten in there after I turned the car off. Not saying your wrong or anything, just can't seem to figure out how it would have happened. Either way though, I will check it

 

well, I got home and tried removing the plugs and it didn't work. The engine still won't crank.

Do you think it could be the starter?

 

sounds like it could be electrical to me. Check all of your grounds and main connections (power to the starter, etc. Check the fuses under the hood too, if something got we it could have shorted and blew a fuse.

When you turn the key does it click at all? Did you try push starting it?

 

check the dizzy.. something could of got wet

 

I checked the 50A fuse under the hood and it was fine.

I tried connecting a jumper between the positive terminal and the solenoid terminal and the starter clicked the first couple times but didn't do anything after that. I checked the end of the jumper wire and it still had power but the starter wouldn't do anything.

When I turn the key, there is a slight click and thats it.

No, I haven't tried push starting it.

 

I dought it's in the distributor because if something got wet in there the engine would still crank but not start. In my case, the engine won't even crank so I don't think the problem lies in the distributor.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by TouringAccord &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I dought it's in the distributor because if something got wet in there the engine would still crank but not start. In my case, the engine won't even crank so I don't think the problem lies in the distributor.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I was thinking about this again and I think it's your starter. If the clutch was slipping after going through water it would have probably soaked the flywheel and the starter bendix. It could have also gotten water inside the starter motor. First try putting the car in gear and rock it back and forth to see if that frees up the starter gear. If that doesn't work try hitting the starter with a hammer a few times (not too hard, just enough to get the stuck gear to pop back). If non of that works find some friends to push start you. If it starts up then you know it's probably the starter. Take it out and have it tested.

 

did you posibble maybe leave your lights on and your battery died? try jump starting it or pop startin it..

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nonsense &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">If the clutch was slipping after going through water it would have probably soaked the flywheel and the starter bendix.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Thats pretty much what I was thinking.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by vlc92189 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">did you posibble maybe leave your lights on and your battery died? try jump starting it or pop startin it.. </TD></TR></TABLE>

No, I didn't leave my lights on, the battery is fine. Jump starting it isn't going to help, refer back to the first post and you'll see I already tried jumping it yesterday morning cause it sounded just like a dead battery.

After my last post from yesterday, I went back outside and checked the battery and starter with my multimeter. The battery shows 12v so it's fine. Then I clipped one probe to the negative terminal and the other to the signal wire leading to the starter, laid the multimeter on the windshield, then I pressed the clutch and turned the key. 12v showed on the meter so I know I'm getting good power to the starter.

I haven't tryied turning the motor (breaker bar on the crank pulley) yet or push starting it. I was going to last night but by the time I got done cooking and eating, it was late and I didn't feel like going out and doing that in the dark. So thats what I'm going to check today after work.

No one around here stocks a starter for my Civic so this morning I ordered one anyway so I can pick it up on my way home after work. I will still do what I said when I get home and if it still points to the starter I can start on it. Otherwise if I wait to check the car I probably won't be able to get a starter until Monday, and I don't feel like waiting that long. If it turns out to not be the starter, the guy told me I can return it without a restock fee as long as it hasn't been installed yet. So before I install it I'm going to make sure I confident that it's the starter.

Thanks for everyones help and suggestions. I'll let you know what I come up or if I have any other questions. Hopefully everything goes smoothly.

 

I tried turning the motor with a breaker bar and it turned just fine. It wasn't hard to turn or anything.

I don't have enough room in my apartment to try and push start the car. Plus I don't trust how people drive here so I don't think it's a wise choice for me to try doing that.

I got the new starter and removed the old one. I haven't installed the new one yet because I was wondering if there were any tests I can run with the starter outside of the car to verify it's bad. Or can I take it to like and AutoZone and have it tested there?

edit:
Just called AutoZone and they do free testing on starters so I'm going to go run up there right now and have them test it. This way I know for sure.

 

the starter doesnt look stripped by anychance does it?

 

no, it looks normal. The teeth don't look damaged at all.

I had AutoZone check it. The guy hooked it up and turned the machine on. The starter spun for a quick second and then cut off. He said it's bad and that it must have a short somewhere. So I told him what happened at he said thats water probably got inside and shorted something.

I didn't get the chance to put the new one in tonight because it got too dark. So I'll get that installed tomorrow along with a few other things I have to do to the car.

It looks like the problem has been found but I will know for sure once I get everything installed. I will post back later tomorrow after I get finished with everything.

 

You turn the key and it only clicks once? and does that every time? if thats the case i'd say the starter contacts where worn out, which cost like 75 cents

 

double check your clutch switch...if the car duzn't see the clutch down it won't crank....try to unplug the wire plug from the clutch switch and jump them to gether with a paper clip...then try to crank

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by girlsaremean &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You turn the key and it only clicks once? and does that every time?</TD></TR></TABLE>

not everytime

 

I would assume the clutch switch is fine since... I connected the multimeter to the negative post and the starter signal wire and turned the key the meter showed 12v. To me that would say the the clutch switch is fine since I'm getting power to the starter. Now if the clutch switch was bad, I wouldn't get power to the starter right?

Well, I had some running around to do this morning so get a blower motor since mine isn't working and to return the old starter for the core. When I get done eating lunch I'll replace the starter and do the other things I have to do. I'll let you know how it goes.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I tried turning the motor with a breaker bar and it turned just fine. It wasn't hard to turn or anything.
I don't have enough room in my apartment to try and push start the car. Plus I don't trust how people drive here so I don't think it's a wise choice for me to try doing that.

I got the new starter and removed the old one. I haven't installed the new one yet because I was wondering if there were any tests I can run with the starter outside of the car to verify it's bad. Or can I take it to like and AutoZone and have it tested there?

edit:
Just called AutoZone and they do free testing on starters so I'm going to go run up there right now and have them test it. This way I know for sure. </TD></TR></TABLE>

sounds like the timing belt snapped

 

hmm... I'm not sure how that indicates a broken timing belt but... no, the timing belt is fine. I had the valve cover off to replace the valve cover gasket and the timing belt is ok.

 

ok, this has to be the most frustrated and disappointed I've been with this car. It's always been great, except for this problem of course.

I replaced the starter, did and oil and filter change (was time for it), changed the tranny fluid, replaced the o-ring on the distributor and the valve cover gasket (was a little oil in that area), and replaced the motor/fan assembly in the heater unit (hadn't used it all summer, went to use it and it didn't work). Thats it. I didn't touch anything else.

Now after everything, I try to start the car and nothing. I sat there for a second thinking and heard a few random clicks in the dash behind the cluster about left of the center of the console (if that makes sence). It didn't do it each time I left the key in the 2nd position nor did it do it at the same time. It was random. Don't know if that means anything but I figured I would state that. Another thing that I noticed is that my CEL doesn't come on when I turn the key and then go off when the fuel pump stops priming like it usually did. I also noticed I don't hear my fuel pump prime anymore and it did before I disconnected the battery to remove the starter, now I can't hear it prime when I turn the key.

I don't get it. The only plugs/wires I touched where two at the distributor to remove it to replace the o-ring. The two at the starter. One at the motor/fan assembly at the heater unit. and the negative cable at the battery. Thats it. I don't get why I don't hear my fuel pump prime and why the CEL doesn't come on when I turn the key then go off after the fuel pump primes.

It's like I went backward instead of forward with this.

On a positive note though, the blower works now

Any thoughts?

 

main relay for the fuel.. is it actually cranking now?