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Honda Civic crank no start


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43car
User

May 7, 2014, 1:49 PM

Post #1 of 24 (2814 views)
  post locked   Honda Civic crank no start  

Hey I could sure use some advice. I have a 97 Honda Civic 1.6l sohc that cranks but won't start. I have spark, fuel(40 psi) and good compression(150 in all cylinderss) There are no codes in the computer. It try's to start but will not fire up. Can you give me any advice on what to check before I have it towed to a mechanic? PS just replaced all plugs & wires, new cap & rotor......


GC
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GC profile image

May 7, 2014, 1:56 PM

Post #2 of 24 (2809 views)
  post locked   Re: Honda Civic crank no start  

Did it run before you put those parts on or were they installed attempting to fix the problem? It tries to start but wont fire up, does that mean that it fires but stalls? How did you check for spark?


____________________________________________________
Willing to help, willing to learn... Rob


43car
User

May 7, 2014, 3:13 PM

Post #3 of 24 (2801 views)
  post locked   Re: Honda Civic crank no start  

Yes it ran before. Had some misfire issue briefly. I have a spark tester. Checked all 4 cylinders. Doesn't ever start but acts like it wants to but won't.


(This post was edited by 43car on May 7, 2014, 3:15 PM)


Hammer Time
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May 7, 2014, 10:46 PM

Post #4 of 24 (2784 views)
  post locked   Re: Honda Civic crank no start  

Are the new plugs getting wet with fuel r are they remaining clean and dry?



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



43car
User

May 8, 2014, 5:55 AM

Post #5 of 24 (2773 views)
  post locked   Re: Honda Civic crank no start  

For the most part they look clean and dry, the plug in cylinder one had a black residue built up on it


Hammer Time
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May 8, 2014, 7:03 AM

Post #6 of 24 (2766 views)
  post locked   Re: Honda Civic crank no start  

If they are clean and dry, that leaves you with lack of fuel. Use a noid light and test for injector pulse while cranking.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



43car
User

May 8, 2014, 9:16 AM

Post #7 of 24 (2764 views)
  post locked   Re: Honda Civic crank no start  

I did the noid light test and all the injectors were pulsing normally


Hammer Time
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May 8, 2014, 9:30 AM

Post #8 of 24 (2761 views)
  post locked   Re: Honda Civic crank no start  

Something is wrong with your testing because 2&2 does not add up to 5. If everything you told me is true, the engine would be running.

I think it's time to start over from scratch.

All "crank, no start" conditions are approached in the same way. Every engine requires certain functions to be able to run. Some of these functions rely on specific components to work and some components are part of more than one function so it is important to see the whole picture to be able to conclude anything about what may have failed. Also, these functions can ONLY be tested during the failure. Any other time and they will simply test good because the problem isn't present at the moment.
If you approach this in any other way, you are merely guessing and that only serves to replace unnecessary parts and wastes money.



Every engine requires spark, fuel and compression to run. That's what we have to look for.

These are the basics that need to be tested and will give us the info required to isolate a cause.

1) Test for spark at the plug end of the wire using a spark tester. If none found, check for power supply on the + terminal of the coil with the key on.


2) Test for injector pulse using a small bulb called a noid light. If none found, check for power supply at one side of the injector with the key on.


3) Use a fuel pressure gauge to test for correct fuel pressure, also noticing if the pressure holds when key is shut off.

4) If all of these things check good, then you would need to do a complete compression test.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



43car
User

May 8, 2014, 9:37 AM

Post #9 of 24 (2759 views)
  post locked   Re: Honda Civic crank no start  

I have done all of that already and it all checks out. If you don't have any other suggestions I may just have to give in and take to a shop


Discretesignals
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May 8, 2014, 9:56 AM

Post #10 of 24 (2754 views)
  post locked   Re: Honda Civic crank no start  

Have you checked to see if the exhaust is plugged up? Maybe it might idle with the front O2 sensor out if that is the case.





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Hammer Time
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May 8, 2014, 10:32 AM

Post #11 of 24 (2749 views)
  post locked   Re: Honda Civic crank no start  


Quote
I have done all of that already and it all checks out.


As I already said, that cannot be true or the car would be running. It's possible to have an over rich mixture or plugged exhaust but when you said the plugs were clean and dry, you pretty much eliminated that.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



43car
User

May 8, 2014, 10:51 AM

Post #12 of 24 (2747 views)
  post locked   Re: Honda Civic crank no start  

Pulled off the O2 sensor of course it still won't run. I may be in over my head on this one. Even though it passes all normal tests it doesn't want to run.....I appreciate your time, and I'll check back if anyone can tell me anything else to look for. Thanks for the help. I'll post on here when i know what the problem was too.


(This post was edited by 43car on May 8, 2014, 10:55 AM)


Discretesignals
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May 8, 2014, 10:54 AM

Post #13 of 24 (2742 views)
  post locked   Re: Honda Civic crank no start  

If you spray carb cleaner into the intake, does the engine run and die?





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43car
User

May 8, 2014, 11:23 AM

Post #14 of 24 (2740 views)
  post locked   Re: Honda Civic crank no start  

No tried it with starting fluid to see if I had a bad fuel pump.


Discretesignals
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May 8, 2014, 11:36 AM

Post #15 of 24 (2734 views)
  post locked   Re: Honda Civic crank no start  

If you have a strong spark, it may not be occurring at the right time. Even though you have good compression numbers, the valve timing may be off enough to make it not start. Has anyone done timing belt repairs lately?

Another thing to look at is to make sure the rotor in the distributor isn't loose or moving around on the shaft.


edit:

Even though this video is of a different year engine and ignition system, the procedures are pretty much the same. If you have time to watch this video, it may give you some direction or hints:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6x31RU1S_I





Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.

(This post was edited by Discretesignals on May 8, 2014, 11:49 AM)


Hammer Time
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May 8, 2014, 12:23 PM

Post #16 of 24 (2723 views)
  post locked   Re: Honda Civic crank no start  

I'm pretty shocked that he used a test light on the injector drivers without qualifying what type.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Discretesignals
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May 8, 2014, 12:34 PM

Post #17 of 24 (2721 views)
  post locked   Re: Honda Civic crank no start  

Injector draws a lot more current than that test light he is using.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEQnKNLlcFQ





Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.


Hammer Time
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May 8, 2014, 12:38 PM

Post #18 of 24 (2719 views)
  post locked   Re: Honda Civic crank no start  

I'm aware of that but he never said LED is OK, he just said a test light is OK which some are not LED.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Discretesignals
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May 8, 2014, 12:43 PM

Post #19 of 24 (2717 views)
  post locked   Re: Honda Civic crank no start  

LED would be just fine. The problem with LED test lamps is that you can't use them to do bypass testing or to energize relays because they don't use enough current.

My test lamp incadescent at work uses around 200mA. I remember measuring the current of a NOID light, but don't remember what is was.

I think he is safe, but when in doubt either measure the amount of current that is running on the circuit, if it is operational, or use a LED lamp. Would be a good idea to measure the flow on your test lamp to be sure you know how much it is using also.

Injector peak current flow is around 800-900 mA on a 2000 Honda Civic 1.6L





Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.

(This post was edited by Discretesignals on May 8, 2014, 1:16 PM)


43car
User

May 8, 2014, 1:39 PM

Post #20 of 24 (2708 views)
  post locked   Re: Honda Civic crank no start  

Thanks that was very informative. There has been no work done on the car other then the tune up. It belongs to my son and he's had for a few months. It's a beater and it has high mileage. Like 200 k plus. I'm just a backyard mechanic and I was trying to impart a little knowledge to my son. We've learned a lot thanks to you guys at carjunky.com and I'm grateful for the help. Just this time it's beyond our abilities. Anyway thanks again and I'm calling for a hook in the morning.


Discretesignals
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Discretesignals profile image

May 8, 2014, 1:45 PM

Post #21 of 24 (2707 views)
  post locked   Re: Honda Civic crank no start  

No problem. Smile We are constantly learning ourselves. Let us know how things turn out, so we can resolve this thread.





Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.


43car
User

Jun 2, 2014, 3:13 PM

Post #22 of 24 (2641 views)
  post locked   Re: Honda Civic crank no start  

FYI problem solved, it was a clogged fuel filter and defective fuel pump. Thanks again!


Hammer Time
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Jun 2, 2014, 10:33 PM

Post #23 of 24 (2638 views)
  post locked   Re: Honda Civic crank no start  

I guess you never did the fuel pressure test that was advised on one of the first posts.


Quote
I have done all of that already and it all checks out.




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Discretesignals
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Discretesignals profile image

Jun 3, 2014, 12:40 AM

Post #24 of 24 (2634 views)
  post locked   Re: Honda Civic crank no start  

I wonder why it didn't run on spray? It is important to make those checks listed or else you'll get sent on a wild goose chase. Good to read you got it figured out. Closed as solved. Can be reopened upon request by the OP.





Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.

(This post was edited by Discretesignals on Jun 3, 2014, 12:45 AM)






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