Hello. I was out of town and my housesitter went to start the car. The battery was dead so she tried to jump start it. It still wouldn't start. It hasn't started since then.

I don't know how knowledgeable she is, or if she might have hooked the jumper cables to the wrong polarity.

Got some advice from a mechanic acquaintance for a while, then he went dark.

Here's what I can report:

• Replaced main relay
• Can hear fuel pump kick on when I turn the key.
• Spark tester shows spark at plugs.
• There's good gas in the tank.
• I've checked all the fuses I can find and they're all good.
• New distributor.

My friend said ECU was probably toast. He got me an ECU that's from a car with Vtec. He said it would still work but would have CEL on.

Still wouldn't start so I took it to a mechanic shop. They said the Vtec ECU wouldn't work and I need a different one. I bought the correct model ECU online and installed. Car still won't start. From what I understand the only way to know if my ECU is even any good is to put it in a running vehicle. But I don't have access to one.

So I'm wondering if there's anything else I can try before I have to give up on this car. Sure seems like it has to be something fairly simple, since it ran fine one day and then a couple weeks later it won't start.

Thanks a bunch for any help!

Bob

1992 Honda Civic DX
5 speed Manual transmission

 

OK, first post... so I won't smash you Bob for being REALLY VAGUE on the most important detail of your problem description. "Still won't start" is like saying "My car is broken... it is a Blue one... please help".

So, let's get REALLY SPECIFIC about what "Still won't start" means to you.

1 - When you turn the key to the "Start" position, absolutely nothing happens.
2 - When you turn the key to the "Start" position, I hear a click but that is it.
3 - When you turn the key to the "Start" position, the starter engages and the engine rolls over (Brum Brum Brum Brum Brum) but never actually fires and stays running on it's own.

Also, your mechanic acquaintance is not a very good diagnostic guy. If you hear the fuel pump prime and the check engine light goes out after priming and the main relay clicks off... it is unlikely that your ECU is the problem. Also, using another type of ECU (Civic EX or Integra LS for example) should in fact run the engine... at least for testing purposes. The fact that you tried another ECU and you got the same results strongly suggests that your ECU is not the problem.

Your response will help us suggest a path for diagnosis.

 

Thanks for being gentle -- Yeah I can see how my original post is pretty dumb

Regarding "doesn't start," what the car's done, and has done since the problem started, is when you turn the key the starter cranks and cranks but the engine never rolls over and runs on its own.

Re the ECU, I think that before switching the ECU I couldn't confirm that the fuel pump was priming, so maybe the old ECU was indeed bad.

After getting the vtec ECU I still had same problem (not starting). Took it to a mechanic and here was their report:

——

Crank and no start. Trace circuits and found injector pulse width ok. Fuel pressure ok with 45-50 psi. Scanned for codes and found 16 injector circuit, 21 vtec spool valve circuit, 22 vtec oil pressure switch circuit. Vehicle is not starting with vtec ECM. Recommend replacing ECM with non-vtec unit.

——

So I bought a used ECU online from a place that said it came off a running vehicle (of course I’m a bit skeptical since I don’t know why you take it out of a running vehicle). Put that ECU in and still same issue.

So here’s where I’m at:
⁃ New ecu is in.
- I used a plug tester to confirm spark and: Plugged in new ecu = spark. Switched back to original ecu = no spark. Switched back to new ecu = spark.
⁃When I turn on the ignition, I hear a hum for a few seconds. This I gather is the fuel pump.
⁃I replaced the plugs. After putting in the new plugs I cranked the ignition for a while and tried (unsuccessfully) to start. Then I pulled one of the brand new plugs and it smelled like gas.
⁃FWIW a couple of the old plugs were very oily when I removed them.
⁃I haven’t knowingly messed with distributor timing. I did remove and replace the distributor. I took care to note which wires went where, and put them back accordingly.
- No Check Engine Light

 

yes, the hum is the fuel pump. Double check your plug wire order, or post some pics of your wiring order. If you removed the distributor, it is possible (but not easy) to put it on 180 degrees out. You can set the engine to TDC on #1 cylinder then pull the distributor cap and see if the rotor is pointing at your #1 plug wire.

 

Here's a picture of my wire order. I can confirm that the numbers on the wires correspond with the correct plug.

 

I had a similar issue with a dying battery and attempted jump start that caused the cylinders to become flooded with gas which killed the compression. Took me ages to finally figure it out.

Not saying that is your problem but it won't hurt to check the compression if you have a high mileage motor in that 92.

 

Just curious, do you notice your brake lights staying on with out you pressing the pedal? Possibly check to see if the pad is intact on the brake pedal which depresses the switch when brakes are not being applied. If it's missing, the switch prong just goes through the hole and you can crank for days with out starting unless the pad is there. Located on the top of the pedal arm..
Another thing I noticed is maybe just double check your wiring harness.. looks like you have a rodent problem with the droppings!

 

Azliving, Indeed there's lots of miles on this motor. I don't know how to check compression. I guess I'll google it.

Maxcapacity, I'll look at that brake pedal thing. The mouse poops are post-starting-problem, i.e. the starting problem preceded this batch of poops. But there's lots of mice around here so it's definitely something to look into.

Thanks for the ideas. Gives me a glimmer of hope. The wife is starting to push for getting the car off the property because it hasn't moved in a few months and I'm putting too much time into it. I don't blame her, but it just seems like it has to be some fairly small problem, since it ran perfectly one day then the next day doesn't even start and hasn't started since then. But maybe the smaller the problem the harder it is to find.

 

Checked compression.
1-85
2-100
3-110
4-130

Brake pedal appears all intact. But I'm guessing this is a potential issue only for cars on which the brake needs to be applied in order for the engine to start. With this car, the only requirement is that the clutch is pushed in.

Inspected all the wires I can see in the engine compartment. Nothing looks like it's been chewed by mice.

 

My car is manual too, I went to start it one day and it just kept cranking 20 min after I had just driven it. Noticed blueish plastic crumbs on the floor under the pedals and thought that was weird. The pad went and the sensor prong was sticking through the pedals pad mount hole and the brake lights were on. I don't have to press the brake to start the car, only the clutch but for some reason without that pad in place, it would just crank until I replaced the pad to depress the switch.

 

unless your wiring has been tampered with, that is just a coincidence.

 

Well this thread's been dark for a week, so I guess everybody's out of ideas.

Such a bummer to send this car to the junkyard when the problem seems like it has to be something pretty simple. But I guess just because a problem's simple doesn't mean it's easy to find.

Thanks to those who offered advice and suggestions. I really appreciate it.

If anybody has any more ideas I might have a couple weeks before I have to throw in the towel and dispose of the car.

 

Where are you located Bob? I'll take the car. Seriously though have you bothered to check the ignition system to see if you're getting spark? Aftermarket distributors are pretty much junk on these cars and likely your car doesn't have the original. You need to test the ignition control module inside the distributor.

 

Thanks for the input.

I've used a spark plug tester on a couple of the cylinders. Connect the spark plug wire to the tester. Clamp the tester onto ground. Crank the ignition. Watch for spark. Both wires show spark while cranking. I think that means I have spark, unless that's somehow inconclusive.

I also installed brand new spark plugs, so theoretically they should be doing what they're supposed to do.

 

When you pull those new plugs are they dry or soaked? Only other thing I can think of is there may be too much gas in the cylinders from all this trying to start. If the plugs look wet you could dry out, put back in, disconnect the fuel injectors and run the motor for awhile to get any excess out of there.

Stranger things...

 

Thanks Azliving. I could try that but to be honest there've been numerous unsuccessful occasions of trying to start, including when I took it to the mechanic shop. And on no occasion did it ever even turn over for a second. So I doubt every one of those times would have been a result of too much gas in the cylinders.

 

Bro i think i got this exact same issue... How did you resolve it??

 

Well you were reaching so I tossed in what happened to me. I had no combustion at all for a month messing with the thing. In the end for me it was just air/fuel/spark.

Good luck.

 

Just thinking, is it possible my timing belt broke? It would be pretty coincidental timing, since it was running well, then all of a sudden wouldn't start at all. So no noticeable symptoms of failing belt. But maybe?

 

open up the oil cap, have someone crank it and see if the rockers move. if belt snapped, it wont move