I have a similar problem. My 92 DX quit while I was going down the highway. The engine would turn over, but the fuel pump was not clicking on and priming.

I replaced the main relay a couple of years ago, so that wasn't the first thing I looked at.

My friend and I took out the fuel pump. I checked for current at the fuel pump connection, and got nothing. We took the pump to Advance, and they jumped the pump from a battery, and got it to turn. So we took the old fuel pump back and put it back in the car.

I checked the 2-year-old main relay, and it looks fine to me, but what do I know?

Any suggestions?

 

A bad pump can often be made to work by bumping it (usually accomplished by hitting the bottom of the fuel tank) It may have just worked when tested because it was bumped around a bit. Try it, if it doesn't want to work at some point unplug the connector at the pump and check for power when you turn the key to On (II) just remember there will only be power for a few seconds.

 

In 93-95 civics it can be the ECU. The fuel pump priming circuit especially capacitor C14 on the ECU circuit board can go bad. Borrow a known good ECU and try that.

 

I took it to a shop and they insist the distributor is bad. Could a bad ECU cause both the distributor and fuel pump to stop functioning?

 

Yes, same for the main relay.

 

re-solder that main relay looks fine dont mean anything and its the common ground for all that anyway

 

I already bought a new main relay and put it in. No effect.

Is the ECU what Haynes refers to as ECM?

 

To avoid confusion, I moved your post to your own thread.

Come away from this strategy of replacing parts at random. Do some basic no-start diagnostics.

Have you checked fuses 24 and 31?

Is the G101 ground on the thermostat housing clean and tight.

If you unplug ECU connector A and then ground the A7 pin (Grn/Yel wire) in the plug, does the fuel pump run continuously with the key in ON(II)?

ECM = ECU

 

I checked the fuses in both boxes. Right now the car is in a shop. They insist that the distributor is bad, and I authorized them to change it. They also say they are getting 40 psi of fuel pressure.

 

Don't let a shop replace the distributor. Just do it yourself. Buy the distributor, remove (3) 12mm bolts, unplug the connectors and be done with.

 

Too late. Taking it to that shop was a mistake. I think I'm going to be 500 poorer and still have the same problem with this car.

 

A bad distributor would not prevent the fuel pump from priming.

 

do you have to check the timing when replacing the distributor or do you just bolt it on in one position? is adjusting the distributor on the 92-95's something you don't do since you have a computer do it for you?

 

THE MAIN RELAY IN CIVICS CONTROLS THE FUEL PUMP AND THE DISTRIBUTOR. NOW TO CHECK THE DISTRIBUTOR FOR SPARK SIMPLY TAKE A LONG SCREW DRIVER WEAR GLOVES LOL AND PUT THE DRIVER DOWN THE SPARK PLUG TUNNEL ON TOP OF THE SPARK PLUG AND HAVE YOUR FRIEND TRY TO START THE CAR WHILE YOU TAKE THE SPARK WIRE AND AND TOUCH THE SCREW DRIVER YOULL SEE THE SPARK OH YEA DISCONNECT THE ECU WHEN DOING THIS U DONT WANT IT TO START U JUST WANT IT TO SHOW U THERES SPARK. TO CHECK THE FUEL PUMP TURN THE CAR TO THE ON POSITION AND LISTEN FOR THE FUEL PUMP. WITH COMMON SENSE YOULL BE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT WHICH ONE IS BAD ITS VERY SIMPLE. GOOD LUCK

 

X2 HES RIGHT

 

will you still get a spark if you unplug the ECU?

 

I have a weird intermitent main relay and fuel pump delay coming on when I turn the ignition switch to the on/II position. before this happens the CEL code will stay on until the two kick in. and once you hear the pump prime the CEL goes off. after messing with the car for i don't know how many months i finally came up with this finding. so It will always start if I just wait for the pump to come on and prime instead of jumping in and cranking it up all the way. delsolintegra suggested in another post for me to possibly look at the ECU since apparently the EG has a problem with the capacitor c14. so he suggested if you know someone with a known good ECU (computer) to try swapping it out. . I really don't know anyone that has an extra computer laying around, plus i really did not know what ECU I needed. based on what i looked up, if you have a 92 dx, then the computer you would need to try for your model would be a p28 computer. you do have to match up a p28 ECU that is either a manual or a standard like what you are driving. Ron suggested also grounding the a7 pin on the connector to the ECU. would that be a similar test of this capacitor in the ECU going bad?

 

It did turn out to be the ECU. Thanks for all the advice.