Hey guys, so I need ur help... Yesterday I went and picked up a 90 civic 4 door lx that wouldn't start. Got it for a good price and figured I'd be able to fix it pretty easy. The guy didn't know what he was talkin about and said the plugs were fouled and thats why it wouldn't start. Well, today when I started to Diagnose it, I went to start it and noticed the CEL light doesn't come on in the dash when the key is in the on position. And the main relay doesn't click or prime. I did however notice the ecu light blinks though when the key is on. It blinks 16 times, not sure what it means.... Anyways, I checked all the fuses, the grounds, I think I got em all, thermostat ground, starter ground, and valve cover ground was all I could find. It does however have a ghetto alarm system installed that i dissconnected. K guys any help would be great!
-Jason

 

check the fuel pump relay my buddys 1st gen teg used to not start and when you turn the key the fuel pump would not prime. check that befor you go getting a fuel pump or anyhting. also check that when you took the alarm out that you didnt pull something important.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by JasonST &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Hey guys, so I need ur help... Yesterday I went and picked up a 90 civic 4 door lx that wouldn't start. Got it for a good price and figured I'd be able to fix it pretty easy. The guy didn't know what he was talkin about and said the plugs were fouled and thats why it wouldn't start. Well, today when I started to Diagnose it, I went to start it and noticed the CEL light doesn't come on in the dash when the key is in the on position. And the main relay doesn't click or prime. I did however notice the ecu light blinks though when the key is on. It blinks 16 times, not sure what it means.... Anyways, I checked all the fuses, the grounds, I think I got em all, thermostat ground, starter ground, and valve cover ground was all I could find. It does however have a ghetto alarm system installed that i dissconnected. K guys any help would be great!
-Jason</TD></TR></TABLE>


so did you actually check the most obvious thing like um, the bulb itself?? The main relay is the first place you need to check to get that "click", resolder it, change your CEL bulb and go from there

 

Thanks guys... U were dead on... It didn't occur to me that the CEL light bulb coulda been out.. I thought that and the fuel pump wasn't priming were somehow linked and looked elsewhere, but nope it's just burned out and the problem was the main relay... Thanks guys!!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by JasonST &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Thanks guys... U were dead on... It didn't occur to me that the CEL light bulb coulda been out.. I thought that and the fuel pump wasn't priming were somehow linked and looked elsewhere, but nope it's just burned out and the problem was the main relay... Thanks guys!! </TD></TR></TABLE>

Don't you love it when it turns out you were just over thinking the problem

 

Yeah I can't believe I spent 2 hours overthing the problem when it only took 5 half a minute to fix.. :D... I'm glad to say it's running now... now I just gotta figure out why it's puffing out blue smoke. Which I know means it's burning oil. Though the spark plugs don't look oil fouled, just black from running rich... O and one of the spark plugs seams to be stuck. The guy b4 me seamed to be stupid and helicoiled the spark plug in or something, theres a circular metal case around the spark plug so tight I can't take it out with a socket. Any suggestions?