Been a while since I had to make my way to the tech section, but I just can't figure out what this problem is.

My 92 civic is having serious trouble starting and staying on when it's cold. The colder the weather the worse it is. When I attempt to start it keeps trying to turn over.... Eventually it catches and starts but runs so poorly it shuts back off. You must tap the gas and get the rpms up a bit to keep it from shutting off and that is not always gauranteed. Sometimes it will shut off 2 or 3 times on me.

If you give it full gas without letting off when it first starts, all power disappears and the rpms drop to 0.

After the car warms up it runs perfectly fine.

Things it's not:
ground wires (replaced or cleaned them all and added 2 extra)
spark plugs or wires
distributor (replaced 5 months ago)
cap or rotor button
battery

My stepdad thinks it could be my fuel pump but that doesn't make sense to me. Don't see why it'd be worse when it's colder and run fine as soon as it warms up.

 

Sounds like it's running too lean on startup. This has been coming up a lot lately and a lot of times it's related to the ECT sensor.

I had similar symptoms with my CR-V very recently and the ECT sensor was the issue. ECU thinks the engine is warmer than it actually is and does not send enough fuel to the injectors for cold start.

Worth a shot.

 

that's actually what I was thinking after some research. Thank goldsy

 

Ohm test it.

 

Most likely sound like ECT problem.

When your car reach operating temperature shut it off disconnect the ECT plug and ohm measure the two pins on the sensor it have to be between 200-400 ohms.

 

Had the same problem and mine turned out to be the ECT sensor.