I have a 94 civic ex. I went to drive it home last weekend from a friends house, it started up fine, no problems. So I go to pull a K turn, and as I let out the clutch to go into reverse, the car dies. Try to start it back up. Turns over but no spark.

I have been working on this most of today. I replaced the entire distributor, cap, rotor, everything, took out all of the edelbrock turbo kit electronics and reconnected to the ecu. Still, no spark. I am at a loss. I don't have any good guesses now as to what it could be. I also have no CELS. Is it the actual ECU? did something short or crap out. Or is it another sensor or something i am not thinking of?

Please help. If i don't get this figured out tomorrow i'm fucked for the whole week.

 

Similar thing just happened to me. Turned out that I broke my timing belt.
Check to see if the dizzy turns when cranking. Luckily I found that out right away and didn't go replacing my ignition. Mine also sounded funny when cranking too, like there was no load on the starter. Good luck.

 

take off the valve cover and see if the timing belt is still good. sounds like you snapped the belt on the motor, same thing happened to my DA when I was getting off the highway luckily I was in nutral

 

The timing belt is fine. Good suggestion though, I forgot to check it the first time around, but I had a reason, the thing has less than 20k on the belt.

So yea it's not the timing belt. I definitely need some more suggestions

 

ok, I took a look at the wiring diagram, and my best guess is that it is the ecu

I think part of the circuit fried or something, because the only wire coming out of that thing that I cannot account for as far as voltage is the ignition signal wire which goes to the ecu.

Anyone have a way to test that by any chance before I go to a junk yard to try and find an ecu.

 

I had a similar problem in my 95 Sol, turned out to be the ignition coil... just a thought.

 

^^
ignition coil is what i'm thinking too

 

Well if you checked the timing belt then it's only two possibilities in all honesty.

You say you replaced the cap, rotor, etc.

Screw that - replace the whole dizzy w/ a known working one - even if it's temporary. It'll only cost you two O rings if it's from somebody else's motor. Jeez.

 

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

Anyone have a way to test that by any chance before I go to a junk yard to try and find an ecu. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Check for signal coming out of ecu, if it is... check coil, then if still no spark, check ignitor.

at "key on"
will the check engine light stay on? or shut off?

 

I replaced the whole dizzy, it's not the coil or the icm

I replaced the whole dizzy, the cap, the rotor, everything already

 

What should the signal be coming out of the ecu?

12 v at key on, 4 volts, does it pulse etc?

 

try grounding your main relay again, there is a big black coming out of it, tap into it and give it a ground. i had this problem when trying to figure out a friends problem with his 95 rs teg. what i said, fixed the problem.

 

weird but i've seen it happen!

Open your oil cap see if #4 rockers are moving! could be a broken camshaft or have you pulled the cap to see the dizzy rotor turning?

 

1. The distributor rotor is turning. That rules out anything mechanical like timing belt and that kinda stuff

2. The distributor is brand new, along with everything inside of it, including rotor and cap.

3. I haven't checked the main relay ground. Wouldn't I get a code if the main relay was messed up or not grounded? I just replaced the main relay 2 years ago.

4. I get NO CELS.

So i still have a couple questions. How do I check the ignition output signal from the ecu, or just the ecu in general? What else is in the circuit that could be limiting the ability to get spark? If it is the ecu, will any from an manual 92-95 car with Vtec work?

 

you can check the yel/grn at the dist. check for 10v while cranking. i belive this is what the manual states. the yel/grn at the dist is i belive A21 on obd1 ecu's .... this is off the top of my head so i could be slightly off.

you would not get a code for the main relay not being grounded.

 

Is there a way you can double check that? I have the shitty haynes manual and it doesn't tell me.

At the distributor testing yellow and green I get pretty much nothing with key on engine off, while cranking I get approximately .01 Volt off of my multimeter.

Is this ECU or a main relay problem or something else.

 

Also, I hear the fuel pump turning on, doesn't that mean that the main relay is grounded fine?

 

check the crank angel sensor or CKP...

i guess that the engine wont give the spark, 'cause it doesn't know where to give it?! in other wise, it hasn't got a clue what cilinder is in which stage?! to which one to give the ignition...

i hope you understud my bad english!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by snoochtodanooch &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Also, I hear the fuel pump turning on, doesn't that mean that the main relay is grounded fine?</TD></TR></TABLE>


no, it doesnt, at least on the car i was working on.... the fuel pump would prime, but still get no spark..

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by KLiK &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">check the crank angel sensor or CKP...

i guess that the engine wont give the spark, 'cause it doesn't know where to give it?! in other wise, it hasn't got a clue what cilinder is in which stage?! to which one to give the ignition...

i hope you understud my bad english!</TD></TR></TABLE>

it would still spark, and if the sensor was screwed, the CEL would be on..

 

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


no, it doesnt, at least on the car i was working on.... the fuel pump would prime, but still get no spark..

it would still spark, and if the sensor was screwed, the CEL would be on.. </TD></TR></TABLE>

No.

Main relay controls the fuel pump and fuel to the injectors.

If your fuel pump is priming your main relay is grounded fine. That's not to say that it's operating fine as the injector portion may not be...

I wouldn't worry about the main relay.

 

ok. get out your factory manual. look on pg 11-19

the fuel pump has its own ground, the main relay simply provides the power.

 

I opened up my ECU and didn't see anything that looks like a burn or a short. Looked absolutely immaculate in fact, depressing to some degree.

I don't think it's any sensors like the crank sensor, because they are in the distributor anyway, and I would get a cell. I bought a Main relay from a junkyard, I guess I'll plug her in and give it a try.

 

The new main relay didn't change a thing. I didn't check the ground but I will in a few minutes, along with continuity on every single damn fuse.

I don't know why I only get like a millivolt out of the ignition output signal wire from the ecu. Out at the dizzy it is the yel/grn wire and in at the ECU it is two red/grn wires. Both give me extremely low voltage while trying to start the engine.

I am utterly confused and I have tried alot of things here. Anyone got any new ideas?

 

Better yet, here is a good question.

What causes the ECU to output whatever voltage it is supposed to from A21 and A22, the ignition output ****?

Could it be a clutch sensor or some crap, or the physical ignition (key) switch? I don't know. I am frustrated and don't know what to try next.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by snoochtodanooch &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">l
Out at the dizzy it is the yel/grn wire and in at the ECU it is two red/grn wires.

?</TD></TR></TABLE>

@ the ecu the yel/grn wire should be located @ pin # A21

the pins @ A25/B1/B9 go to the main relay, as well as pins # A23,A24 &A7