I took the spark plug cable out and the car shut off and when I put the cable back in the car will not restart

. What year, make, and engine?

. Did you disconnect the spark plug wire from the plug or distributor cap?

. What year, make, and engine?

. Did you disconnect the spark plug wire from the plug or distributor cap?


It's a 97 honda civic 2dr coupe... I diconnected the spark plug wire from the plug while the car was runningand itjust shutoff

. Test all under dash and under hood fuses with a test light or multimeter:

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

Be very thorough, since it will save a lot of time and money.

. Verify that the Check Engine Light comes on and goes off after 2 seconds, when the ignition switch is turned to ON (Position II).

. Replace the coil, if the problem persists:

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

Disconnecting the wire, while the engine was running, may have over-stressed and fried the coil. If it still doen't start, replace the ICM. Actually, I recommend replacing ICMs and coils every 120,000 miles or 10 years, whichever comes first. These are problematic components on Hondas.