Check Engine light is staying on and car wont start. I was running down the highway about 70 and the engine just totally shut off???? I am guessing it is my coil pack? I was wondering what some other people thought it may be. Any guesses and help would be wonderful. And its not the fuel pump.

Thanks

 

Instead of guessing, you need to figure out what CEL code you're getting. What year/make/model is your car?

 

It is a 92 Civic Hatchback and it has the D16 in it. I went to auto zone and they can not test since its so old. I have a buddy who just blew his D16 up and I am going to steal his distributor and try it since its free. You know anyone who can test or do you know how to test for it? We were looking and could not even find out how to test it.

 

You don't need a tool to check the light on an obd1 car. Search obd1 check engine light and you will find step by step instructions on how to check and interpret the codes.

 

report back with the code and we'll help ya

 

Alright I will do that tomorrow. No time tonight. Gotta watch the UFC show and see how Kimbo does and I should be posted back up on here around 3

 

Alright I got it. There was one long blink and then 7 chort blinks. This code is 17 and should be my speed sensor correct? There is no way that this is causing my car to out of no where shut off. I only got one code too because I sat and it just kept replaying the same code over and over.

 

Can you hear your fuel pump prime the system when you turn on the ign. key to run, [not start].

Make sure everything is off, [radio, blower motor and door is closed so no chime] turn ign. switch to run, [not start] you should hear a "click" from under the dash, the CEL should turn on and you should be able to hear the fuel pump prime the fuel system, [a hum] for a few seconds, then another "click" the pump turns off and CEL goes out.

If fuel pump or PGM-FI Main Relay is defective you will not hear the fuel pump priming the system and CEL will not go out.

Try the above to see if it is a fuel pump/PGM-FI Main Relay.

Pull a spark plug lead and plug a spark plug into it and ground the spark plug and have someone turn ign. key to start to see if you have spark.

There is no point in replacing parts unless you know what is wrong. 94

 

I'm gonna guess its my coil pack. The speed sensor has been a problem, but that will be no biggy right now. I took off the distributor cap and tried starting(of course it did not start) and this seems to play out the same scenario. I think the coul is just bad, but I have a buddy with a distributor that I am getting tonight for free and hopefully that solves the poblem.
Thanks for the help guys!

 

I think I may go try the second thing you said. I know for sure the pump is running.

 

Alright I tested to make sure I have spark and I do. I think what my problem is the coil and I think getting this distributor from my friend will solve the whole problem and it will be an easy swap nothing time consuming about it and if it doesn't work no big deal not that much time wasted and if it does work GREAT!!!

 

if its getting spark then its not the coil, coil is what produces the spark.....and since you're so adiment about hearing the fuel pump....im gonna guess timing belt...

its still a little early to tell and you havent giving us much info so it may be something else but as of right now thats where my money is...

so you know you have spark, next thing to do is check for fuel....you hear the fuel pump, but that doesnt neccesarily mean its getting fuel. You need to check for injector pulse. autozone rents noid lights for free....or you can do the dangerous hillbilly method by remove the fuel rail and cranking the engine....plaese, please, please make sure you have disabled spark and noone is smoking anywhere near where you are working...you would not believe how much more flammable gas is when its disbursed in the air in a fine mist.

if you're getting fuel then timing is the next thing to check for...or you can skip to this step and just remove the valve cover and give the belt a little tug... i bet it comes right out, if it doesnt then move cyl1 to TDC and check your timing marks on the crank

 

There is not much info to give. I was driving down the and the car just shut off. I did the CEL check and came up with a speed sensor problem which I don't think will shut the car off. I went to auto zone and the guy said the coil could be bad because after you start up and the coil gets hotter and expands he thinks maybe it was just staying open.

 

if the coil only acted up when it was hot, it would start and run when its cold. its not your problem, check the things I told you then report back....and just because they work behind a parts counter doesnt mean they know ****. I have to deal with those idiots when Im trying to order parts every day, theres VERY few people that work in a parts store that know anything about cars....theres alot that think they do, but they dont

 

try checking the crankshaft sensor its how you get spark to your distributer and if the magnets bad on the end it would cause ur car to shut down

 

its a 92 civic, it doesnt have a dedicated crankshaft sensor, its built into the sensor in the distributer....and he has spark, so its not bad

 

sr you can lead a horse to water but you can not make him drink.

 

The car does start up when its cold. The only time it has shut off or not wanted to start is when the car is warmed up.

 

ok well thats the "more info" I was looking for. you have to be thorough when describing symptoms on the internet, were not mind readers. That rules out the timing belt, which leads back to the fuel. symptoms sound like a pump check it like fcm said

*edit* also check for spark and fuel AFTER you have warmed up the car and it has stalled

 

Well thats the other thing. It will just randomly stall. I changed distributors drove it today for a little bit and it ran fine, but as I was pulling on my road the check engine light came on, but it didn't stall. I let it sit and it almost died a few times, but then would gain power back. You think injectors could be bad? I'm just throwing sutff out there. I will check for gas sometime tonight.

 

The injector power is also controlled by the PGM-FI Main Relay, problems withe the PGM-FI Main Relay are common on older Honda/Acura and can and will be effected by temperature... http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/mainrelay.html you need to check it out if for no other reason then to eliminate it as the problem. 94

 

Well I am going to take it out for a little run today and see how she does and hopefully there are no problmes. Thanks for all the help and I will heep you updated