Alright so I have a 91 civic hatch dx, everything is stock. When I start my car and go far enough to where my engine gets about half way on the temperature gauge (which isn't very far) and I stop and turn the car off, It won't turn back on. It tries to start but just won't turn over. I do have a leak on the radiator overflow bottle, but I just refill with fluid till I can get a new one. I was thinking my motor was getting too hot and that it could be my thermostat but I'm not really sure. Any suggestions on what it could be?

 

What do you mean, "It tries to start but just won't turn over"?

Engine cranks, [starter working] but will not fire, [start/run].

Engine will not turn over, [crank] starter not working.

If engine cranks, [turns over] starter working, but will not fire/run,,,

1- Can you hear the fuel pump prime, [run for a few sec.] when ign. key is turned on to run, [not start]?

2- Do you have spark?

3- Check ECT sensor, [not the ECT switch] if you smell gas when trying to start the engine. 94

 

Yeah it won't fire, it just cranks. My fuel pump primes I believe and I have spark because when the car is cold, it starts right up. I think it is a problem with the heat, but i'm not sure.

 

if it just cranks it also might be your coil in the dizzy you can have them tested at any autozone.

 

If it was the coil, wouldn't it not even start if it were cold? Because it starts fine if its cold just when its hot it doesn't want to start.

 

Both the coil and the ICU are susceptible to heat failure, [will give you spark when cold but not when hot.

However, if it is one of them engine would "normally" stall once the coil or ICU warms up.

A far more common problem when car starts when cold, and does not stall, but will not start when warm is a defective ECT sensor, ECU "thinks" engine is cold so the A/F is rich flooding the cylinders. 94

 

If it was the ECT, wouldn't it throw a check engine light? Or not in all cases?

 

Apparently not in all cases. 94