I have a 94 Civic EX. Three times today when I started it, it started, but shut off immmediately. I started it a bunch of times through the course of the day and it only did this the three times, so I'm assuming something is starting to wear out or it's electrical. The starter sounds fine, and it isn't having a problem getting started, it just stops afterward. So, according to the Haynes manual it could be one of the following:

1. Loose or faulty electrical connections at the distributor, coil, or alternator.
2. Insufficient fuel reaching the fuel injectors.
3. Vacuum leak at the gasket between the intake manifold and the throttle body.

It may be none of those. I'm sure somebody has had this problem before. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks and sorry for the long post.

 

it's probably an electrical connection, but it could be anywhere. It could be from the distributor to the IACV. See if you can pull a code...

 

maybe you have no gas

 

Funny, I wish that was the case.

 

You mean a 'check engine' light? Or something else. I'm not getting a cel.

 

take out all of your plugs and look at them, tell us what you see. (wet, dry, white or BLACK)
If they are dry, get a small bulb, remove your injector clips and install the bulb in each clip and crank the engine, if you are getting power to your injectors it will flash (test all 4 for the heck of it)
If you get power to all your injectors, keep all clips removed and take a 9v battery and touch the positive to one terminal and the negative to the other, you should hear a light click to indicate the injector working.
If your plugs are wet with gas after you attempt to crank and does not start, remove all of you injector clips, remove the spark plugs one at a time, but when you remove that one at a time, put it back into the wire, and hold it by the top of the wire and ground the electrode by touching it to the body or ground bolt while someone tries to crank, you should see a spark.
If all of these check out ok and you have checked all related fuses to the ignition and fuel delivery and they are ok, it is most likely your fuel pump or fuel filter. (replace your fuel filter firsrt)

 

Alright, I'm gonna go try as much of that as I can at 3am. Thanks for the help, I'll post what I see.

 

Ok, I checked the plugs and they are a little bit white, so they're getting too hot I guess. They aren't all corroded and messed up, though, just lighter than normal. Then I tried to start the car and luckily(?!) it did its thing again. So I checked all the plugs again and they were dry. I can't check the injectors tonight, but I will try tomorrow. I already have a new fuel filter, and I will put that in tomorrow as well.

Should I go ahead and replace the plugs, or is it unlikely that they are the problem? They are under 10k miles old and the car runs fine after it's started.
Thanks again.

 

Does it die as soon as you let go of the key? My CRX started to do that a while ago. It was the ignition switch. I could get the switch alone, so I didn't need to get anything re-keyed. I think it was pretty cheap Like $25-30, but I get a break on parts, and it has been a while, and my memory SUCKS... It was pretty easy to do though.

Dan

 

Oh, it was also one of those things that got progressively worse. At first it only did it once in a while, but eventualy I needed to hold the key in just the right spot or it would die. No fun with a manual trany.

Dan

 

I'll fiddle with the key and see if that's the problem. Thanks.

 

my ignition was kinda weird like that too, when i started my car if i let it turn back, it would go too far and kill the car. i dont know??

 

Well, if you changed your filter and your plugs aren't that old and they are white, it is probably your pump.
Check the injectors still, but I think it's your pump.
Your car isn't getting enough gas...
You did check all fuses right?

 

check ground wires