I have a 1988 Civic hatchback, the 1.5 engine, and it's been having alternator problems. But now I replaced the alternator, the battery is good and charged, and it still won't start. The check engine light came on as the car was cutting out when the alternator died (on the highway, on christmas eve, in the rain...) and that's still on. It's throwing a code 15, for the ignition output signal, and the only advice I can find for that is to just replace the distributor. I just bought the car about 2 months ago and the guy had just replaced the distributor and spark plugs, so I just don't think it's that.

Could the alternator dying have somehow messed up the computer? Is a bad ignition output signal enough for the car not to start? When the light first came on, the car still started one or two more times, but now nothing. I was hoping it was just the cold (it's about 0 degrees) but I've had a block heater on it all afternoon, and still nothing.

 

Where did he get the distributor? If it is a cheap Chinese distributor, they sometimes don't last longer than a few months, so it is highly likely that it could be a bad distributor. I had one that I got less than 5,000 miles out of before it died. Go buy a Duralast distributor from AutoZone with a lifetime warranty. If you have access to a HELM manual, follow the troubleshooting procedure for Code 15.

 

great advice dex ^_-
also before you go the autozone route
you should test the igniter and coil in the dizzy thats in your car now
they can be tested with a simple voltage tester the ones with just a light bulb in them



let me know if you need a step by step on how to test them
good luck