I left my car sitting for about 2 days. I came home tried to start it and it started, but sounded horrible. I shut it off and decided to go get new plugs and wires, (it sounded like a bad plug to me). After installing the new plugs and wires the car fired right up but still didn't sound that great. All of the sudden it just shut off, like someone just turned the key off. I was standing there looking at the motor when this happened. There were no odd noises, smells, smoke, nothing. Since then I have replaced the cap and rotor, and air filter. So all together I have replaced plugs, wires, cap and rotor, and air filter. I also found out that my battery was bad and replaced that. I tried once again to fire it up and it turned over fine, making no strange noises or anything, sounded good, but wouldn't fire. I have replaced the timing belt twice since I've had it and it's only been 4 years. Any ideas would help. Thanks.

Perform the tests, outlined in Sections A and B, below:

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/cars-trucks/faq-how-troubleshoot-repair-maintain-hondas-46563.html

Most importantly, does the Check Engine Light come on and go off after 2 seconds, when the ignition switch is turned to ON?

I have a click before the fuel pump runs and a click after. The check engine light does come on and go out following the fuel pump running.

Replace the Ignition Control Module and coil inside the distributor:

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/cars-trucks/faq-how-troubleshoot-repair-maintain-hondas-46563-4.html#post265896

If you want, AutoZone can test these components for free. Should the problem persist, the CKP, TDC, and CYL sensors inside the distributor are likely bad, which will require replacing the distributor housing. Only go with a genuine Honda distributor housing, not an aftermarket. We have had many problems with new aftermarket distributor housings.

I am in the middle of trying to get the igniter out of my civic, and I'm having trouble accessing the screws that hold the igniter in there. Any tips? Am I missing something? My Chilton manual is terribly unspecific about my civic year?

. Removing coil first improves access to ignitor.

. Removing the distributor is sometimes easier. Make sure you mark the distributor and mounting bracket first; otherwise, the timing may be way off upon reinstallation.

I have the new igniter and I am getting ready to put it in. I noticed that you had said in your manual that you need to put silicon grease on the "back" of the new igniter and on the male connectors. Which side is considered the back? And which of these connections are the male, they all look similar. I tried looking in the chilton again but it doesn't tell me which connectors are which, or anything about the silicon grease.

The back is the side that contacts the heat sink. Lightly coat the four "male" connectors on the ignitor with silicone grease. Ensure the female connectors are tight, when pushed over the male connectors--squeeze with a pair of needle-nose pliers, if necessary. The manufacturer of the ignitor normally provides special heat transfer silicone grease. Don't apply a thick coating--just an average amount, evenly spread.

Did you have your old ignitor tested?

Yes I had my old one tested at auto zone, they said it was bad. I got a new one put it on and it still doesn't run. I pulled the plugs out and checked for spark when I turned the car over I have nothing. How could the igniter have been bad but a new one doesn't solve the problem?

It may be the coil is bad. Was the coil tested on AutoZone's Wells machine?

Yes it was tested the guy said it was good. I am doubting that thought now because I personally looked up how to test it and the numbers he was telling me don't match up with what they say is typical of a good coil. He just kept saying "its 1.5" and I don't know if he was talking volts or ohms. He was completely convinced that it wasn't bad because there were no hot spots on it. I looked up the testing procedure and I found one that says that it should be 0.75 - 0.81 ohms on primary and 10,000 - 11,000 ohms on secondary. Is this correct?

Coil Test:
1. Remove the two screws to disconnect the BLK/YEL and WHT/BLU wires from terminals A (+) and B (-), respectively.
2. Measure resistance (ohms) between the terminals. Replace coil if the resistance is not with specifications. Primary Winding Resistance (between A and B terminals) should be 0.6 to 0.8 ohms. Secondary Winding Resistance (between A and secondary winding terminals) should be 12.8 to 19.2 k-ohms.

1.5 ohms on the primary is too high. My gut is that the coil is bad.

No he used a multimeter

Should I just go get a multimeter and test it myself to be positive? Lately every parts store I go to I feel like they have no idea what they are doing...

Most AutoZone stores are supposed to have a sophisticated Wells machine for testing ignitors and coils. It is even supposed to simulate the heat buildup. Personally, I would replace the coil. I recommend that they be replaced, even before they fail, because the heat buildup inside the distributor is notorious for frying coils on Civics and Accords. I usually recommend 10 years or 120,000 miles, whichever comes first. If you have never replaced it, it should be done. Most Honda dealers replace numerous ignitor and coil sets each day--it's that common.

Yes, you can get a multimeter and bench test it yourself. Just be aware that many coils fail under load (heat); therefore, bench testing is of limited use. I agree--most are only clerks, with very limited experience working on cars, especially electronics.

Okay, so what your saying is that it is possible that it can test out fine if there no load on it... but fail if there is a load on it? Also if a coil is bad does it necessarily HAVE to have hot spots or burn marks on it?

Yes. When it gets heat soaked, it fails. Resistance in any circuit goes up with temperature. At room temperature the resistance (ohms) may test okay; however, when the coil gets thoroughly heat-soaked, resistance is so great in the primary and/or secondary that the spark is weak or non-existant. Look for any heat spirals on the metal shield on the coil.

Since your CEL is operating normally and the ignitor is new, the odds favor the coil being bad. There's a remote possibility the distributor is not receiving power from the ignition switch, but that's not common. If you have a tachometer, you can also disconnect the BLU wire going to it. I'd do this on the BLU wire going to the ignitor inside the distributor (easier). This would ensure the tachometer isn't shorting anything out.

In practice, it's not the remote possibilities that cause most problems. Instead, it's some electronic component that simplies wears out; e.g. ignitor, coil, distributor sensor, main relay, or ECM. Wiring (harness) problems are not the cause of many problems with Hondas. Electron migration (caused by heat) is a killer, over time, on modern-day electronics.

Well there are no heat marks on the coil, but that doesn't necessarily mean its not bad right?

Correct. How many miles are on your Civic?

Heat frequently melts or otherwise causes the insulation going to the secondary windings in the coil to brake down and short out. Once that happens, the coil is no good. Ignition coils are simple step-up transformers.

The car itself is at over 200,000 but I had an R-R engine put in about 2 years ago. It was supposed to have 40-80,000 miles on it at most.

My coil looks fine from the outside that's why I asked about the heat marks.

The ignitor, which failed the test, may also have looked just as good as the new one on the outside. That's the nature of electronics and why so many people hate dealing with electrical problems.

If you took your car to Honda, they would replace the ignitor and coil together. Customers would be upset if they had to bring the car shortly because they found out the other item shortly failed. Experience has taught them to replace these items together. Shade tree mechanics, however, are always looking to save the money.

Okay I just wanted to double check because the clerk helping me at auto zone just kept saying "The coil doesnt have any burn marks so its fine, it looks really good" I think that may be why he cut corners testing it and only used a multimeter... that or he just didn't know how I'm not sure.

I've even seen new coils fail--however, it's not common. On these older Hondas it's important to maintain the integrity of the core electrical system; i.e. ignitor, coil, main relay, and ECM. If you do the work yourself, the first three items are not very expensive, especially if you shop around. Check prices on RockAuto.com--the TEC coil for Hondas is the OEM part that Honda sells for much more.

See if the $42.89 TEC coil is the correct one for your model Civic:

1992 HONDA CIVIC DX Ignition Coil (http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/x,carcode,1168556,parttype,7060,EPIsubcategory)[859],Ignition%2BCoil,partGroup,25

So if it is not the coil would you suggest the main relay? Because I did check to make sure it was clicking and I did get one click before the fuel pump and one click after.

If the CEL comes on and goes off, like we originally discussed, the main relay, fuses, and ECM should be okay. If the CEL stays on, and you don't hear the fuel pump run, then that is another story. If you have a problem, here, then the ignition will not spark.

If you are introducing this possibility, then you need to go back and answer the 3 basic diagnostic questions:

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/cars-trucks/faq-how-troubleshoot-repair-maintain-hondas-46563-2.html#post229012

Its looking more and more like the coil is bad isn't it... I guess tomorrow I will have to take it back in and get it retested. Thanks for all of your help. I will let you know tomorrow when I get the coil tested again.

Okay.

I just remembered a question I had. I was wondering, my car was running pretty crappy right before it just shut off. If the coil and igniter were going bad right then would it cause the car to maybe misfire or sound abnormal?

Ive tried everywhere in town and the only test they perform is with the multimeter. Even Autozone only does that test.

. What were the primary and secondary resistance measurements?

. Did the testers think the coil was good?

The AutoZone, near me, has a DuraTester, which is made for them by Wells Manufacturing Corp. It tests Ignition Control Modules and coils, among other things. Most AutoZone stores are supposed to have one. Inquire about it.

. Did you check for diagnostic trouble codes?

. Did you test all under-dash and under-hood fuses with a test light or multimeter? If you didn't, here's how to do it:

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/cars-trucks/faq-how-troubleshoot-repair-maintain-hondas-46563-3.html#post252145

. Did you perform the Power to Distributor Test? Turn ignition OFF. Disconnect the 2-P connector from the distributor. Turn the ignition switch ON. Measure voltage between BLK/YEL (+) terminal and body ground. There should be 12+ volts read. If not, repair open in BLK/YEL wire between the 2-P connector and ignition switch.

Okay I've replaced the coil, I tested it myself with a multimeter and the numbers were way off... it was bad. Anyway the car started up, but it still just sounds horrible. One minute its running smooth, the next it sounds like its fighting to stay running. It's intermittent like that. I only had a quarter tank of gas when it broke down. It's been sitting in the cold (30 degree weather) for a few days. I thought maybe it just needed to come to operating temp, but I got it up there and it still ran horrible. Any suggestions on this new problem. Oh yeah and it shut off a couple times again, but this time it started back up. One of the times it had a bit of a hard time starting back up, but it did.

No surprise with having to replace the coil. What's amazing is it only takes 30 seconds to bench test a coil, with a multimeter, and why didn't the auto parts stores identify the coil as being bad? Coils that fail the standard bench test, when cold, are really bad. Others only fail under load (heat) and require a Wells machine (AutoZone's DuraTester) to test them.

. Replace the fuel filter, if it hasn't been replaced in the past 4 years or 60,000 miles.

. When you replaced the ignitor and coil, did you remove the distributor? If you did, the timing needs to be reset.

. Perform the K-Test on the ECM--it may be intermittently breaking down.

. Check the Idle Air Control Valve, Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) Sensor, and Oxygen Sensor. In conjunction with the ECM, these items control fuel richness, which directly affects how the engine performs.

. Check vacuum hose connections.

. If the problem persists, check each cylinder's compression--there may be a fundamental problem with the valves (or even a broken valve spring).

. If the compression numbers are okay, the Thermo Vacuum Control Valve may be bad. It's not serviceable and must be replaced.

Yeah the clerk at autozone must have read it wrong, because when I did it it was way off, no way to misread it. Anyway, I didn't remove the distributor so its not timing. Also with the fuel filter the banjo bolt and other fuel line are so tight I couldn't get them off, I even tried soaking them in wd-40 for like an hour. Could this just be bad gas?

Try PB Blaster, WD-40 is really not a penetrant. Use a 14 mm flare wrench on the line.

I'm leaning toward an old, clogged fuel filter. It's creating enough back pressure to affect performance. My father's Toyota pickup is very sensitive to fuel filters clogging. Several times his truck has died on the road, after which he was able to stumble home and fix it. He even changes the fuel filters regularly. Most Honda owners rarely, if ever, change the fuel filter. Here's how to do it:

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/cars-trucks/faq-how-troubleshoot-repair-maintain-hondas-46563-2.html#post224689

Also when I changed the plugs last time they were all pitch black.

Do you have any instructions on here for inspecting/removing those things? I have a chilton and I tried to look up the oxygen sensor removal in it last night and it didn't say anything except it's location?

Oh and when the car is above idle it runs fine

Here's how to replace the oxygen sensor:

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/cars-trucks/faq-how-troubleshoot-repair-maintain-hondas-46563.html#post223376

Here's how to adjust the idle speed:

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/cars-trucks/faq-how-troubleshoot-repair-maintain-hondas-46563.html#post219948

Sounds like things are dramatically improving. I would change the fuel filter, clean the IACV, and adjust the idle speed. Also, pull the 7.5 amp Backup Fuse, in the under-hood fuse box, to reset the ECM.

Just for curiousity, can one of those aftermarket exhaust have any bad effects on an engine if they start to go bad? Anyway so if it's only affecting idle and it runs fine above that what is that saying? I'm hoping no more major problems... I would be really happy if it was a clogged fuel filter. It hasn't been changed in about 4 1/2 years.

If it's a standard resonator (muffler), the odds are slim. If they develop a hole in them, however, it can really screw up "carburetion."

Im trying to look up the Idle Air Control Valve in the Chilton and I'm not finding much, do you have information on that?

No. They are located on the back of the Throttle Body. Remove and clean or replace.

Okay I've been trying for hours and I can't get that banjo bolt to budge. I am using a socket. Is it really going to make that much of a difference using a flare nut wrench? I got The other line off, but that bolt just won't budge!

Oh yeah when I took the service bolt out there was ice on it.

Sounds like you have water (and ice) in the fuel system. I would definitely replace the fuel filter. If you have the fuel line off, then you won't need the flare wrench. Flare wrenches keep you from distorting the nut.

No the banjo bolt still needs to come off... I have the fuel line off on one side, but not the side with the banjo bolt.

Use a box-end wrench, not a socket.

Thanks for the help. Some new gas, and a new fuel filter and it runs just like it did before. Thanks again.