engine problems

[yalvonne]

i have a major problem with my 90 civic std, it will not start. it all started about a year ago when i was stupid and just wanting attention so i cut my exhaust off completely and ran a pipe about a foot long from my exhaust manifold which dumped out right behind my driverside front tire. very stupid idea, i know, but my car stopped running and now it wont start at all. whats the problem?? it wont even turn over anymore it just makes a weird buzzing sound. is the problem not having any back pressure or what? i need some serious help?

[2strokebloke]

Did you put the original exhaust system back on? What happened to all your emissions equipment?

[91civicDXdude]

haha, emissions equipment wont make the car not start.. running with NO MANIFOLD whatsoever, could however, because on a cold day, shutting the hot engine off could allow cold cold air to creep in and crack your valves, or even the head itself.

I will bet the problem is something else entirely.

[jackacc]

Battery?

I know when my batt was dying, when I turned the key... it doesn't have enough juice to turn over so it made a buzzing noise...

Try jumping it off a known good batt...

[yalvonne]

thanks for all comments. i will try a new battery and see if it works, as soon as i get it running im going to put a exhaust on it. but i never took the manifold off just the replaced the cat and the rest of the exhaust with a short pipe. could there possibly be something wrong with my ecu??

[sastanley]

I don't think your choices for a custom exhaust have anything to do with your engine not running, though I don't think they provided you much except for probable hearing loss and additional police attention. The only emissions "equipment" in the exhaust system is the O2 sensor which is screwed into the exhaust manifold.

I'd first try to jump the car...also, before you bother jumping it, make sure the battery terminals are clean. If they are dirty, the battery will not charge. If/when you do get it running, put a voltmeter across the battery and make sure it is reading 13.6+ volts. If it is anything less with the motor on, you probably aren't getting sufficient current to the battery. Those silly $0.99 red & green felt battery washers from any Autoparts store work wonders in avoiding corrosion. I wish everything worked as well as those cheap stupid little discs

The ECU most likely isn't the problem either...at least at this point. If you have a battery that has enough juice, when you turn the key to the "On" position, the check engine light may stay on, indicating the ECU is throwing codes...these usually make the car run poorly, but not keep it from running. Since you are going to be cleaning the terminals anyway, keep the battery disconnected for about 15 minutes to allow the ECU to reset itself...then if it still has issues, it can be assessed later.

If it won't start with clean terminals and a good battery, it is probably an ignition issue. 4G Civic's (and similar Hondas of that vintage) have a known ignitor problem. These, and other ignition parts (dizzy, coil, etc..) could keep your car from running...but it should turn over...so do the battery first, get it to turn over, and we'll go from there - Incidentally, if it is something like the ignitor or coil, I think the ECU can tell us that...but it still needs to be reset so it can provide fresh codes to the current issue.

[yalvonne]

ok, here's the scoop. i charged the battery, and it turns over but still will not start. the ecu says that it is the fuel injectors but i believe that it is incorrect because fuel is squirting out of them. i tested to see if there was spark and there was none coming out of the wires so that leaves the ignition. im using my helms manual but can somebody please help me!?

[Masta]

maybe your coils? check the distributor.

[bionictony]

if no sparks are coming out of the wires.. it might be that chip inside the dist. cap.