Hi I am new to this site.

I purchased a 1997 Honda Civic about 2 weeks. It was running fine. Replaced battery and changed oil, checked water, added antifreeze etc. The interior is pretty ragged so I am reupholstering the seats, replacing carpet and head liner. Yesterday, I had just started the engine and I climbed into the car to check something (no seats in car because Im replacing the the upholstery). I slipped and my foot hit the accelerator causing the engine to revv up for just a second. The engine immediately died and now it with crank over but won't start. What could be the problem?

Any help is appreciated!

 

First steps in troubleshooting crank no-start: Do you have spark? Do you have fuel?

If you don't know how to answer those questions I suggest taking it to a mechanic.

Did it make any sort of loud noise before it died? is anything obviously wrong when you look at the engine?

 

spark plugs, spark plug wires, ignition coil, igniter, timing belt.

 

Thanks, all of that is fine as far as I can tell. It was running perfectly until I revved it into the red zone for that second. The engine shut off, I didn't turn it off. Until this I have had zero problems with starting or running. I just wondered if anyone had heard of this causing a problem with the computer.

 

Pull the distributor cap off, disconnect the two wire harness plugs on the distributor, have someone crank the engine and see if the rotor spins.

Red line isn't going to do anything to the ECU.

Also is your 97 vtec or non vtec?

 

Rotor spins, checked the plugs no spark. I'll check the coil and ignition rotor. Thanks for confirming ECU wouldn't be the problem.

 

Wire harnesses plugged in, remove the cap, hold a grounded test wire near the coil output post and crank. There should be strong blue sparks that can jump 1/2 inch. If you only get weak yellow sparks, the coil is bad. When you find a bad coil it is a good idea to replace the spark wires also, as an open wire puts stress on the coil.

 

It was the ignition coil. Thanks everyone.