I live in LA and I have never had a problem. It has been raining non stop down pour for 17 days. Last night I went out and my car wouldn't start. It turns over but no fire. battery seems fine. AAA came and got it started by adding fuel shaking it, I don't know what... He told me to keep it running, go get fuel cleaner and a full tank of gas. I did that and no problem. This morning I went out and same thing. It wont start. It turns over but that's as far as it goes. Tank is full. It's STILL raining.. What can it be?? I have never had a problem. This is out of the blue. The last time I drove i (the night before last) and before all this happened it had never acted up or anything. Its a 92 with just under 85K. please help

update- I was able to push the car in a garage and out of the rain.

PS i am new and don't really know how to use this website.. If you could PLEASE email me

labman

I am not that familiar with Hondas. Does it have a distributor and ignition wires? Older ones have trouble in high humidity. With a helper, even a kid, crank it over with the hood up in the dark garage. If there are blue sparks around the wires, they are bad. Replace them and maybe the distributor cap too. Even if it has the direct fire ignition system, the ignition module could be drawing damp and not working. If that doesn't work, post back.

krysten

there are no blue sparks. Do you think that heavy rain can cause this? It has never rained like this is LA so the car has never experienced these conditions. If so... will it dry out and work? Or is this serious damage.

suvro

hi krysten, I have a civic and a similar problem occured to my civic. Because u've mentioned the heavy rain, I believe the humidity in the fuel injection is preventing the fuel to flow into the engine. To fix this you may go to your local garage or (the fuel injection is located near the feet of the passanger side of the car, the garage guy here told me holding a hair dryer or heater there for a bit helps to dry out the humid... it worked for me, this is common in older cars)

hope this helps

Waterbirddog

it was running find until i got in the car and started it up and it started to fill like it starving for gas and it dies out couple of time trying to start the car. Now it doesnt start. motor turns, main relay is ok i can hear the click and fuel pump working in the on position. i have good spark. turn key on red light blinks once on the computer. timing belt is good. pour gas in carb and it runs great. I check under the back of car gas tank and found that it look like my kids ran over a rock and dented the gas tank in a inch a cross the tank but it still ran ok i think, until i discover the dent. i don't know if that will cause the problem. theres no leak from the tank. I went to check the fuel filter and unbolt the fuel line that goes to the filter and carberator. turn car on hear fuel pump working no gas coming out from the gas lines. I have half tank gas in it. its a nice car to go to work $26 to fill her up and i can get almost 450 miles. great car. will the problem be from the fuel filter to the gas tank. where else can i check if fuel coming out when i turn on the car. will it be by the gas tank. can it be clogged. Help please

CroCivic91

If the car ran fine before the kids ran over a rock, and not running fine after - i would guess something is wrong with the tank. Try to remove the line from the fuel filter, point it to something that will not ignite the fuel once you crank the car, and go ahead and crank it. If no gas is squirting out - problem is before the fuel filter.

It does seem like the only logical place for a problem to occur is - the tank or the lines from tank to the fuel filter.

----- EDIT -----

By the way...you're saying you have a 91 DX, then you mention a carburator. I believe the 91 Civic DX is fuel injected, but not having a fuel rail with 4 injectors, but 2 injectors (Duel Point Fuel Injection (DPFI) instead of Multi Point Fuel Injection (MPFI)). One way or another...if pouring gas in the intake solved your problem - I would beleive that fuel line from the tank to the fuel filter is clogged or broken somewhere.

fern

sounds like youre getting moisture in the distributer assembly. you can try putting silicon to seal out water. had the same problem, every time it rained the damn thing wouldnt start.

Insanelycool

I'm having a very similar problem... I've had problems starting my 92 honda civic off and on, although today is the first time in a month or more. I've been able to start it on humid days, and even rainy days.. but being out in north-east texas, the humid weather is pretty common. Usually when I cant start the car it will start up and then die almost immediately (like its choked off), and then afterwards it wont turn over at all until I leave it sitting for an hour or so.

CroCivic91

Please read this thread and check instructions for checking your Main Relay - http://www.askmehelpdesk.com/showthread.php?t=9924

Insanelycool

so I have to cut my passenger side carpet in order to check for error codes? I tried to get to it and I cant because the carpet is nicely attached and I cant "pull it up" easily at all... I didnt want to cut it unless I knew for sure... its under the passenger side in the 92 civic cx as well right?