96 honda civic won't start 1.6L

erigm · #1 Feb 3, 2006, 02:14 PM

I know you've seen this subject before, but here is my senario:

I drove the car home late one night during a snow storm and shut it off. Two days later the car won't start. Here are the symptoms:

Engine turns over and occasionally pops like its going to start (then floods).
I got spark
I got fuel
I replaced the distributor cap and rotor and plugs (not plug wires, the set was over $75)

I'm about to go back outside and check the timing belt to make sure it hasn't jumped. Any ideas in the meantime? Thanks.

Eric

CroCivic91 · Feb 3, 2006, 02:53 PM

If you get spark and fuel, i'd say check the timing.

erigm · Feb 3, 2006, 02:53 PM

Ok, I checked the timing belt and everything is "timed". The distributor is not loose, so it couldn't have changed the timing. So now I'm thinking some control module or sensor. Any ideas/suggestions?

Eric

erigm · Feb 4, 2006, 10:48 AM

Is there a way I can check error codes on this car (96 Honda Civic 1.6L)? Does it have the LED or dash readout?

CroCivic91 · Feb 4, 2006, 03:44 PM

No, your car is OBD-II, which means you have to have a tool to hook your computer to and read the codes through it. Every garage should be able to do it for you though.

Also, if you have spark, your spark plug wires are fine. Also, your igniter unit and your ignition coil are also fine. Are you sure you have spark? Are you sure you have gas? Was the car running rough before you turned it off last time?

erigm · Feb 4, 2006, 04:16 PM

I got it! I had read a few threads about changing batteries or jumping. Well, I had got this really neat battery booster for my birthday last year (yeah, my family is full of motorheads), you know ... the kind with wheels, and I hooked it up and the car fired right up. So I cleaned the battery terminal connections and the ground to fender connection. Everything seems to be fine, but I'll check it again in the morning. Important lesson: CHECK ALL THE SIMPLE STUFF FIRST! I was about to spend $150 on a new ICM. Actually I was about to go outside, freeze my but off, and check the coil and ICM with a multimeter ... but buying a new something was my next step. Thank you all for your help!