Need help or any suggest for civic 91

[Life is Long]

I've been reading the message for a while I think I need some suggestion now. I have a car for about 6 mos. now 3 days after got a car tried to get to work it wouldn't run have some smell from the engine found out later the clucth went bad. 2 mos later the car couldn't start just keep cracking got machanic to take a look said the fuel pump didn't pump the fuel to the engine. So he replace it. a month later happen again got a tow truck come pick the car up take the car to the shop. Next afternoon, the guy same what was wrong with the car? Everytimes he start the car it start right on everytime. So I took the car back like he said there's nothing wrong. Then another month samething happened again this time he said the spark plug was spark but didn't fire up to the engine so he replace the distributor. 3 Weeks went by everything went fine until last Sat took the car to get the oil change. Went to work and came home fine next day try to leave the house it won't start again. Like I said i've been reading the threads here. So I went to get new spark plug and main relay. Still didn't fire up. The machanic guy came pick up the car again and tow to the shop. Guess what. He start like 10 times and it start everytimes for the past 2 days. He couldn't find the problem so i took the car back again yesterday afternoon. Drove like 30 miles seem no problem.
Until this morning, same thing happened. It was start fine at first then the sound of the engine getting weird then it die. I keep start and it keep die everytime I start.
Anyone have any opinion or any suggest. Really need hlep....

[Greenblurr93]

So, what Im taking from this post is you sometimes cant get your car to start, but then the mechanic you bring it to can? then now it starts, but soon stalls... check fuel filter, check timing, check for a clogged air filter.. etc...

[Life is Long]

That what another guy that I know said too. Make sure that machanic guy change the fuel fillter for that fuel pump. Yeah you can say that. For the last 2-3 times he had no problem with starting up the car after I have the problem for one or two days in the role. My friends said "maybe the car don't like you no more"

[CivicSpoon]

Are you letting the gas tank get low on fuel at all? I had an oldsmobile that the fuel pump burned out everytime I let the fuel level get low, because of all the sediment in the tank from bad gas & bad fill ups (pumping gas while the fuel truck filling up the gas tanks at the gas station). Later with that car I had a battery go bad and cause similar problems also. Sometimes it'd charge and start right up, and other times I'd stay dead for a week or 2 and then randomly work (it's was freaking weird). You also might want to consider trying to add another ground wire at the transmission side, to be semi close to the starter, and see if that helps at all. And check all the power & ground wires to the battery from the alternator and battery to the starter, to see if there are any broken wires.

[craig34]

Yep, I would say check the fuel filter.

[FrodoGT]

You already replaced the main relay, which certainly sounded like the culprit. Was it a new one? or one from a junkyard?

[Life is Long]

Well, the main relay was the new one from the shop. I have to drive like 20 milies to get the piece cuz no one else have it.
Anyway, I found out later that the mechanic didn't replace the fuel pump he did the fuel injection and fuel filter. The car is back to normal.

The thing is I park the car on the slope face down all the time and this time the gas was less than 1/4 tank. My dad went to get it start and start rightaway after he pull the car farward to flat road. So I went back to get the car and yes it's start rightaway so i put some gas on drove around for about hundred miles yesterday and everything seem fine now. Not sure when I will have the problem again.

Btw, are there anyway to get rid of the smoke coming out from muffler. I have 3 inch. muffler mostly stuff are stock except all the above that had been change. Everytime I drove the car more than 20-30 miles the white smoke start coming out from nowhere. And when it cold, there's some oil coming out from the muffler when I first start the car too.