My Honda won't start - ignite!

Hello All!

I'm new to this forum and new to Hondas.

Perhaps you might have some insight on my situation. My car is a 1990 Honda Civic LX. I purchased it in Nov 2002, 167,000 miles. The car runs pretty well, when it's running. Right now it won't start!

There is a VERY weak and faint spark coming from the spark plug. Got a supposedly good "used" distributor w/everything in it (the whole assembly) from a junk yard and swapped it out with the original - no change! Still a VERY faint spark.

The plugs wires seem okay as they all checked out within the resistance parameters. Fuel delivery seems fine because there's fuel in the cylinders, according to the damp/wet spark plugs. The timing belt isn't broken - because the distributor/rotor is turning. It doesn't seem like it might have skipped a notch or two - although it could be possible - but not very likely??? Checked the ground wire at the thermostat housing. It has a good ground.

My Honda was running just fine before it decided it wouldn't start anymore - after a few days of sitting idle during the recent COLD SNAP of frigid sub-zero temps we had here in Colorado.

Actually, I started it up briefly during the very cold weather - to move the car a couple of feet. The car ran well for less than a minute, then I turned it off and it sat another few days until I tried to start it again 2-3 days later. Wouldn't start!

Engine & starter turns over just dandy - but no start/ignition even with starter fluid and recharged battery. Cleaned, dried and re-gapped the spark plugs. Still won't start!

I'm now in the process of looking for a 1990 Honda Civic LX ignition wiring diagram on the net. Anyone know of where I might find one?

I read somewhere on the net where a bad ignition switch could be the culpret. Is that possible, for it to turn the starter over but fail to connect the ignition/exciter circuit properly? Could the ignition wires ohm out ok and still be bad?

Could the EFI relay have anything to do with this problem, in COLD weather? Are there other relays associated with this symptom? I'm disadvantaged by not having a second car and also by my present location (VERY RURAL) and cannot run out to purchase a Haynes or Chilton repair manual at the nearest Auto Zone.

Any help, ideas, or insight will be very much appreciated.

Thanks,
Cob~

Are you getting fuel ? I would start there than go to the main relay.

first of welcome :wave: . and when you got the new dizzy whs it the exact same one. and second off have you checked the ecu yet to see if it is throwing any codes

I haven't located the ECU, yet (don't know where it is) and as far as fuel delivery goes, I'm guessing that's not a problem because of the wet spark plugs.

but did you get the same dizzy. as for the ecu Check under the carpet on the passenger side

Hey cob its nice to meet another 1990 civic lx owner. Welcome to the club.

Dizzy (???) Not sure what you're asking me ....

The ECU is under the carpet on the passenger side? Could you be a little more specific? Is it under the front seat, near the rear seat? I don't know what its supposed to look like. Remember, I'm new to Hondas (and rotors that are attached to the distrubutor shafts with screws!)

:-)

Thank you for the WARM welcomes!!!!

when I say dizzy=distrubutor. underneath the glove box kind of in the corner. It is a big gold box. with a Red LED in the middle

Yes, Sir! Same exact dizzy!!! Thanks for that explanation.

I'm going to look for that one eye box.

Let us know what you find out
:D

You did get a new distributor cap and rotor right ?

ECU says it's code 1 oxygen content. I changed the O2 sensor about a month ago. At that time the engine check light I WAS getting stopped glowing. Maybe this code is an old stored fault. I'll try to clear the ECU again tomorrow and check it again. If it comes up again, I'll know the O2 sensor has some weird realtionship with the ignition system. Nah!! That couldn't be. Could it??

Jmunk:
The junk yard delivered the "used" supposedly "good" distributor assembly.... The cap and rotor visually seemed okay.

you said that you get a weak signal right

Yup ... weak and faint spark from the plug

what I would do is replace the rotor and the and the cap.

My car did that. I got a replacement/used distributor, too. I had already changed out the rotor and coil. I tried swapping out the computer (boy, did I feel stupid when I took the seat out and found out it was under the passenger's feet, under the carpet), and that wasn't it either, although I got 80% refund on the ECU.
So, I got the other used distributor and installed it and..zip. No spark. I put the new coil in, and it started, and has a nice, fat spark.
I think the used distributor I got came with a bad coil.
Flunky